-
Haha. Living in Germany myself (not exactly German - father is) and can confirm those types are very much about : ) Though in all fairness, it really does depend on personality here. I recently again asked a conductor if I could show my ticket (after all, I had paid and didn't want to feel like it was a waste) and he just shrugged, half-smiled and gave a a bit of a wave, responding with something like "nah, don't worry".
Hornsweep-
Someone without a ticket isn't going to ask a conductor to look at their ticket though.
I had a ticket, it was just I misunderstood the zones in Berlin. It was something like a single trip ticket but that meant it could only be used in zone blah when I was using it to go blahblah. It was 15 years ago so I'm a bit vague but they were undercover ticket inspectors and real pricks about it. 50EU fine because I'd bought the wrong ticket and save like 1EU or some bullshit and I was clearly a tourist with no idea.
Anyway, hard "fuck you" to those guys and a fuckity fuck you to the dickhead that designed the ticketing machines and zones.
hippy
He had just called the cops and you were lucky you got off before they arrived. Narrowly escaped a night in the cells :D
I can totally imagine that happening in Italy. I've had conductors in Belgium let me go without a bike ticket before. I mean, clearly I'm forrun scum but they're pleasant about it. Germany, not so much - "we will take your passport until you pay the fine". Fucksake, if you didn't have 13 screens of options you knobs.