What Happens When You Don't Validate Your Bus Ticket in Naples
After spending a beautiful spring day wandering around the streets of Napoli, I discovered my time was short to get back to the train station to make my way home to Amalfi. I was fortunate enough to find myself at a bus stop and quite close to the station. There was not a tabbacharia within sights distance and I decided to get on with the rationalization that I’ve only had my ticket checked twice in the many times I’ve been to Italy. What my rationalization forgot to tell me was those two times were in Campania.
Low and behold, a block from the train station, two plain clothed gentlemen boarded the bus asking for tickets. Playing a bit stupid, yet speaking broken Italian, I pulled a handful of various bus tickets from various locations and one of them pulled out my 180-minute UnicoCampania ticket used for my train ride from Salerno earlier that morning. It, of course, had expired.
We exited the bus and I was promptly asked for 37.70€ although I tried to offer them the unvalidated return ticket I had also purchased that morning. No luck there. I only had 11.50€ in my wallet and was told “we’re off to the ATM.â€
Suddenly, life in NYC and warnings about Napoli collided. In informal and bad Italian, I asked THEM for identification. I wouldn’t go anywhere with someone in NYC without a badge. Who were these plain-clothed, upper-middle aged men wanting to follow me to an ATM? Not only do I think one of them misunderstood me, I might have misunderstood his reply but I’m quite confident I was about to be hauled off to the questura (police headquarters). When I tried to explain I just wanted to check, he produced no real ID other than a receipt book for fines. Accepting that as ID, I let them take me to the bancomat.
I withdrew just enough cash to cover the fine. Without exact change, we stopped at the coffee bar next door. The one who offered to escort me to the questura went in to break the bills. The other man just starts talking, asking where I’m from, how long I’ve been here, if I like Napoli and general chiacchiare. I explain I am living in Italy now, studying wine and yes, I do like Napoli, just not today! With a laugh, I am then offered a cafe IN the bar to talk more about Greco di Tufo.
As I was still waiting for my change, I go inside and take my espresso. I am then, of course, also asked if I am married, why not and what is my name? As no one in Italy seems to understand “Robbin,†I always introduce myself as the Italian equivalent “Roberta.â€
“Accidenti! Sono Roberto!†he says.
Roberto suddenly decides he needs to give me a grand tour of Avellino and Benevento takes my receipt, and gives me his phone number. They shake my hand, apologize for the fine and go about their day.
TRAVEL LESSON:
UnicoCampania tickets are good for many different services in Campania. Salerno and Napoli are actually very close to each other so even though you might be boarding a TrenItalia train (anything other than a EuroStar) its considered commuter rail.
The 180-minute ticket I had purchased for my return to Salerno COULD have been validated on the bus and still been valid for the commuter rail back to Salerno AND the SITA bus all the way back to Amalfi had all travel been completed within 180 minutes. I, obviously, did not realize this thinking the ticket was ONLY for the rail.
If I’d only actually READ the back of the ticket when I bought it.