Kontroll in BG
I was sitting on the bus yesterday when a group of 5-6 people got on at one of the stops. Actually, a "gang" would probably be a more accurate description, because they were of different ages, dressed differently, but yet seemed to belong together as a group. It took me about 2 seconds to realize that they were ticket inspectors. I have gotten pretty good about spotting them. They act all nonchallant and stuff. Get on, sit down. Wait for the bus to leave the stop, get up and take out these sleeveless jackets that identify them as inspectors and proceed to check everyone's tickets. What struck me about this group was not only how numerous they were (I had seen at most 2-3 inspectors working together, but here there were SIX for a small bus) but also how diverse the group itself was. There were two young men (probably in their mid- to late 20s) who seemed to be the lazy ones in the group. They didn't even bother to check anyone's ticket. One was dressed in a very "stylish" blue Levski tracksuit (Levski is the name of one of the football clubs in Sofia). Then there was a woman in her 40s or 50s... glasses, manly looking, rough voice. She is the one who first doned on her "controller's jacket" and announced loudly "Have your tickets out and ready please." Then there were 3 older guys who after coming upon a young man with no ticket had a long discussion amongst themselves whether to fine him in the bus or make him get off the bus and then fine him. I had to laugh to myself... because this group of joe schmos (or as we would say от кол и от въже) really reminded me of the ticket inspectors in Kontroll, the Hungarian film by Nimrod Antal and one of my all-time favorite movies.
The next stop came. They all got off and ran together to get onto the bus that was in front of ours. A very Kontroll-esque moment :) If any of you have funny ticket-inspector stories to share, please do.
3 comments:
I know what you mean. I too have witnessed some pretty interesting episodes with the ticket checkers, which could easily be straight from Blade Runner or Brazil. My story is a little different; it is about a bus driver, which can be a posting on itself. A friend of mine, visiting from Canada and myself got on a crowded bus and the bus driver mumbled something to me as I passed him. I asked him to repeat what he said and he asked me if I wanted to buy bus tickets that were already used on his bus for half price. (perforirani bileti). As we already had tickets, we didn't need his services but it made me think how many bus drivers actually have that business on the side.
This cracked me up! Btw a friend of mine once told me the following story. He gets on the bus and heads to buy a ticket at the front (which you can do and it costs 10 stotinki more than if you bought it before boarding). The driver hands him a ticket that has already been perforated and all he tells him is that he needs it back before he gets off the bus. My friend does give it back before getting off at his stop.. and just in time, because the bus driver proceeds to hand that same ticket to a woman who is getting on. Talk about recycling! :)
Ha ha, at least it made for an interesting ride! Those drivers are so industrious.
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