September 14 - Subway Snafu

The next morning found us once again struggling with our packs, trudging towards the Monastiraki metro station. No one was at the ticket counter, so we had to buy our tickets from a machine, remembering that on the way from the airport to the city, the tickets had cost 8 Euro apiece. This morning, as we bought one-way tickets back to the airport, the cost was only 1.20. Something wasn’t quite right — why would the price be so different? But since no one was about to ask, we simply got on the next train.

Three different times it stopped and the lights went out. Everyone had to get off and wait for another train to come along. One zoomed up, crammed with people, so we stood, holding on while keeping our packs tucked underfoot.

At the last stop just before the airport, a group of ticket-checkers got on. Dressed in her official-looking uniform, a dour-faced woman went to each rider, one-by-one, asking to see tickets. She approached us and I produced ours. Twisting her face in scrutiny, she informed us these were not the right tickets. The price to ride the metro to the airport was 8 Euro. I explained our story of not finding anyone at the window to assist in our purchase and so we had simply obtained these, indicating one-way, from a machine.

Informing us that we were supposed to have pushed the button for “Airport,” she was now going to fine us 60 Euro apiece for our inadvertent blunder. Politely beseeching her forgiveness for our misunderstanding did not waver her resolve to extract a total of 120 Euro from us that morning. As I peeled off the cash, I told her it was unfair and not right to unsuspecting tourists who did not know or understand the system, especially when there had been no one about to ask. Coldly, she replied that hundreds of tourists ride the metro every day and we were not special. Seething, we watched as she picked her way through the rest of riders. In our car alone, she extorted 60 Euro fines from no less than eight other tourists. Now I know how some of that snazzy new subway system is being paid for!

This event did not set the mood well for the day. Already a bit nervous about navigating the roads of Greece with little familiarity of its alphabet, we settled into our rented Chevy Matiz with more than a little trepidation. The friendly clerk at the EuropeCar counter (called Auto Europe in the States) had at least armed us with basic directions for getting out of the city and on our way towards the Peloponnese. After dubbing our shiny turquoise car “Aggie” after the Aegean Sea, we merged into an ocean of cars and watched for the designated signs.