The Train Game Part 2

Last night on the way home from Moscow, we were sitting in the rear section of the train and were able to see the rest of the train game that I mentioned in the previous post. About halfway through the ride home, people started to pour into our compartment, five or six at a time. Then, all of the sudden, person after person walked down the aisle--at least 20 of them--quickly followed by the three train conductors who were checking tickets. The train slowed down and the conductors forced this mass of people off of the train.

But here is where it gets kind of odd. All of these people who were just "kicked off" of the train took off running, as if their pants are on fire. In reality, however, they simply wanted to get up a few (or even simply one) compartments and reclaim a spot on the train. All of this occurred right in front of the conductors, who just meandered a bit up the platform (if they reentered the train, I don't know, because we never saw them again) laughing at what they were seeing. In fact, several people reentered our compartment and sat down, riding the rest of the way on the train until it reached Tver.

I told Olga, my language teacher, about this game, and she mentioned to me that there is nothing that they can really do. What I find so odd is that in Moscow or Tver, for example, when you ride the public transportation, there is a sign posted telling of the fine that will be assessed to those caught without a ticket. Yet, on these electric trains (which cost must more than a bus ticket (roughly 10 times the cost per ticket) there is no fine assessed at all. All of which makes the conductors effectively powerless to do anything about the problem.