This is the start of the #CrossBorderRail Day 07 thread

I’ll post the video and data as soon as I can, but the mobile network is patchy here in the train near Verviers

But I’m 😡🤬 this morning. Because of Deutsche Bahn, and then the German police…

I needed a ticket across the border - from Aachen 🇩🇪 to Hergenrath 🇧🇪. It’s a 9 minute journey.

I went to the Reisezentrum at Aachen and asked for a ticket Aachen Süd Grenze to Hergenrath. That’s strictly the part of the line Deutschlandticket isn’t valid.

“We can’t sell from fictitious stations” (border points) the guy told me. You have to buy from Aachen. It’ll be 8 Euro.

8 Euro? No way. I refused…

Went to a DB ticket machine. Also 8 Euro.

Went to the SNCB ticket machine (there is one in Aachen): €4,50

So bought that

Here we are. Two old “Staatsbahnen” and they can’t even get themselves organised to sell a NORMAL PRICE ticket for the same amount on the same route

Then I go to the platform. Bike bags. Carrying my bike, folded, in its cover.

And get controlled by the Bundespolizei

😡

“Where are you going?”
“Why?”
“Why do you speak German?”
“Where are you from?”
“Are you carrying drugs?”

Eh seriously. I’m on a bike tour.

“Why are you nervous?”

Then I snapped back. Because I’m sick of this! I’m sick of trains at borders being controlled!

“But there are more people on a train” the officer reported

Eh dude. I’ve crossed a good few borders in my life and I know that’s not the reason

This was a road border at Aachen yesterday for example

“We’re doing this against cross border criminality!” the guy counters

Well why are you checking me when I’m going to Belgium? And why at every other damned border there’s never anyone, ever

His colleague meanwhile was leafing through my passport and photographing it with their phone

I’m so damned tired of this. I’ve NEVER been controlled on the street in Germany. But I’m controlled “stichprobenartig” (at random) at borders all too damned often.

And what’s the purpose of all of this, other than giving Bundespolizei pleasure at being able to be nasty to people?

They control trains because poor people take trains. That’s it. Drive a car and you can perform your criminality freely in a border region.

And this was my investigation at the Polish border last year https://jonworth.eu/illegal-and-systematic-non-schengen-compliant-border-controls-at-frankfurt-oder-31-august-2022-every-train-controlled-every-train-delayed/

Also what’s the cost benefit analysis of this?

Does doing this make any operational sense?

Strikes me all this does is pick up stupid or vulnerable people.

Oh and HAPPY EUROPE DAY people!

Celebrate European integration working unless you’re trying to cross a EU border by train

Here I am at a road border yesterday where it works. And happier than I am today!

Also in response to all of this, I need no sympathy. I can handle this at borders. I’m a white guy and I know the rules. I’m about the least likely person to be singled out or face prejudice.

But if I’m facing this, imagine the hell anyone of any minority, or someone without the ability to argue back faces.

This whole situation makes me so angry.

@jon I've seen them get on the train, check the passport of the only non white passenger, and then move on to the next carriage. It makes me so angry. It's clearly racist, and achieves absolutely nothing about cross border crime. Glad your ok.