The Free Vaporetto Dance

One of the enduring mysteries of Venice is the vaporetto (water bus) honor system. Basically, you are supposed to buy a ticket, validate it in the little yellow stamping machine, then get on the boat and ride. If it’s after hours, you can buy a ticket for a slightly higher price on-board. The ACTV (the regional transportation authority) employees on the vaporetto can – in theory – levy a modest fine on those who fail to produce a valid ticket.

In theory.

In practice, ACTV employees very, very rarely check tickets, and even then, almost never actually fine anyone. For them, it’s a hassle, quite confrontational, and easier to ignore than to enforce. And the crew has its hands full as it is without having to be ticket cops. Generally, it’s a two-person operation, a pilot/captain who is busy avoiding gondola collisions and a marinaio who is roping and unroping, gating and ungating at every stop.

I have been on a vaporetto at least a couple thousand times, since we lived on an island that was isolated from the rest of Venice and depended on the wonderful transit system several times a day to whisk us across the Canale della Giudecca to Le Zattere or San Marco. Over all those trips, I might have been asked to show my ticket – at most – 5 times. Almost every one of those occasions were at night, when there was virtually nobody on board but me.

So mathematically, the system actually rewards non-payers. The fines are relatively low and rare, and after a handful of “free” trips, you’re in bonus territory, where even if you get caught, you’re ahead. (Note: this is not a confession, just an observation. I used monthly passes, myself.) I had a shameless American friend who, upon coming to understand the flawed system, celebrated each mooched ride with what she called the “Free Vaporetto Dance”, a kind of grind distinguished by a slow circular movement of the hands, as if she were stirring an enormous bowl of cookie dough.

It seems like a novel way to run a for-profit mass transit system in a country where beating the system is a kind of sacred national sport. Since musing about the future of technology is my day job, I can’t help but think about the 10,000 better ways ACTV could call on science to help collect vaporetto fares, all which would quickly pay for themselves by netting the money that that the vap sneakers are making off with.

Imagine the honor system in the US, say, in the New York City subway, where before the switch to the electronic Metro Cards, there were “token suckers” who would literally put their lips on the turnstile slots and hoover tokens into their mouths.

There’s a funny idiom in Italian for fare beating, or avoiding paying a fee that everyone else has to pay. To “fare il portoghese” means literally, “to make like the Portuguese”. While it sounds like a slur on the national integrity of those from Portugal, it actually has its origins in the 1700’s, when a certain Portuguese ambassador in Rome held a reception in which Portuguese nationals didn’t have to pay to enter. Whether these lucky partygoers celebrated their fortune with kind of dance distinguished by a slow circular movement of the hands, as if stirring an enormous bowl of cookie dough, is unknown.

Comments

[Kurt]

I am shocked to hear that anyone would commit such a crime. I have been asked once in 7 trips - Murano to San MArco. My fault for not getting off earlier. I asked for a ticket before she asked me and I paid regular fare. Sometimes being proactive helps, too.
Dance, dance, dance!

[Joe Hughes]

Surprisingly enough, the Los Angeles subway also works on the honor system--IIRC, the fines are $100-$200 plus community service, which might be enough of a deterrent.
=============================================
I didn't realize that, even living in SoCal myself. I suspect that would stop the problem quickly in Venice.

[Adriano]

great article. I've noticed myself that there are a lot of italians taking advantage of the ticket system being so primitive, and quite frankly, not very effective. I've noticed now a increase in ticket checkers on the boats and at main docks, but if they were to incorporate a new system where there is no more need of tickets but a scam proof method, everyone would come out as winners, since actv doesnt need to pay for these people to check the tickets, and everyone pays, tehrefore increasing profits and in the end, lowering the overall prices of tickets.
Boy, im good.

[Strelle]

Well, somebody in the Venice commune must have read your blog piece, because I just got back from Venice on 3/17, and a couple of days before that, right about rush hour, here came the city ticket-checkers on board, and they did write out a couple of tickets for two women who kept trying to talk them out of it on the No. 82!

[liljiffy]

Wrong is as wrong does...eventually one gets caught AND humiliated!

[Pamela]

Ciao tutti!
I usually buy the long pass--I figure, hey, let's give back to someone, maybe they'll buy a new boat with my fares ;-)
But my wealthy eye doctor pal reported that he and his wife were followed off the vap late at night and fined some enormous fine (would you believe 1000Euros!). I think he was ripped off, the guy may not have even been a ticket taker. I never saw anyone that agressive or that expensive on all rides!
==============================
Yep, that was a scam. The fine is like 30 euros or something.
n.

[marisa]

In 2000, I went to Venice with family and friends. We bought the 3 day pass and forgot to stamp it. One day a man got on and checked tickets. He spoke very little English and politely explained what we did wrong and that he should fine us--but we were honest in saying it was our last day on the 3 day ticket so he marked the ticket and let us go.

[Nancy]

I rode the vaporetto the other day, just a few hours after my pass expired....and got caught. I didn't have the money to pay the fine at the time, so was issued a "ticket". Does anyone know how long I have to pay it, or what actually happens if I never did? I am out of Italy now, but could I be prevented re-entry?

[buy viagra]

Vaoporetto dance ? what the hell ?

[buy generic viagra]

For them, it’s a hassle, quite confrontational, and easier to ignore than to enforce.

[costa rica investments]

My navel has a bit of this stuff. Seems to have started only within the past 2 months.I have the ants pretty well controlled at this point, which should help the vedalia beetles if they are there.

[viagra online]

What's the best hungary university for studying Medicine ?? and do I have to study hungary language ?
I need a university which I can study Medicine with English and not with any other language !!!
any other info about education there would be nice and I'll be grateful...Keep posting such informative articles.Nice post

[Air Jordan]

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

[Viagra Pharmacy]

I think that The Free Vaporetto Dance is something really interesting, imagine buying a ticket, it should an incredible show, I'd like to going there in order to get a perfect experience.m10m

[Viagra Pharmacy]

I think that The Free Vaporetto Dance is something really interesting, imagine buying a ticket, it should an incredible show, I'd like to going there in order to get a perfect experience.m10m

[Invertir en oro]

hello, i would like to read more information about this topic because i think that is very interesting.