The Honor System

The BVG is the berlin public transportation system. It runs on an honor system. You don't have to have a ticket to get onto a bus or tram or subway but there are people who ramdomly ride around and ask to see your ticket or pass. Supposedly these people wear simple clothing, when they become a reality, ill be sure and let you know. If they catch you without a ticket or a pass, 40€. 

You get tickets on any tram or bus or in any station. In order to get a BVG pass though, you have to take a passport type picture and have it fixed to a card. There are photo booths that take your picture for 6€. What an experience to be in a photobooth that only communicates in German on your first few days in Berlin. Not to mention the fact that you have to line your head AND eyes up with the fixed shapes on the screen. In order to do so, I had to find a way to get my face lower yet at a semmingly similar distance away from the camera all while sitting on a fixed stool. Talk about contortion of the neck. The caveat to the picture, which isn't the contortion, is that you cant smile or have your glasses on or have a hat and you have to show your ears. Not only was the act of taking the picture humorous, as you can see, they make for good entertainment beyond the booth. 

We had our first day of classes today. I think that it will be a great semester! When i have my schedule set in stone and we get out of introduction week i will tell more about what I'm taking! For now, I peeped this cup in the kitchen in one of the buildings i have classes in. Crazy, right? 

Late night for Pete & I, dont have class until the afternoon tomorrow, yahoo!

Sending our love, night all!