being fined

I have been fined twice since I've been in France.

The first time I went shoppping in zone 5. Paris is set up in zones and so if you're taking the metro, you have to make sure that you have the proper ticket for the proper zone and that time, i didnt. I knew very well that I didnt have the right ticket but i was being cheap and i didnt want to buy one. turns out, as I stepped off of the metro, there were about 20 officers checking tickets and i got caught. i had to pay a 25 euro fine. (the ticket would have cost me 3) and so i was really mad. I was fighting with the guy saying that i didnt know and that this was my first week in Paris and he wasnt buying it. I got fined.

The second time was the other day when I went to a little town north of Paris called Rouen (more about that trip later..) and i forgot to compost my ticket. Now, composting your ticket means that you have to stick it in this thing that makes the date on it. It has no purpose whatsoever because they still have train guys checking the tickets anyways when you get on the train. Its completely useless. and i was fined 10 euros. I was also fighting with this man, trying to be nice but firm at the same time telling him I didnt know you had to compost your ticket which is a complete lie and he also wasnt buying it.

now, had of i been in Canada and the police or someone stopped me because i didnt have the right ticket or because i forgot to do something so ridiculous, i would have gotten away with it with a warning and no fine. but here, they have no mercy. they get you where ever and whenever they can.