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July 20th, 2008
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January 23rd, 2008 issue

Tickets to ride

I have a complaint about ticket inspectors on Prague’s public transportation system.
My son and daughter-in-law just returned from a trip to your beautiful city, but they won’t be returning.
They bought metro tickets on their way back to the airport. They were then stopped by an inspector who said the tickets were not valid, since they had not been stamped.
After my son and daughter-in-law tried to explain, the inspectors called the police who said they would be put in jail for 24 hours if they did not pay a fine of 1,400 Kč ($79).
My daughter-in-law was crying as the police escorted them to an ATM.
I believe people should be fined if they don’t pay for tickets, but they had just bought the tickets five minutes earlier. Where we come from, the date and time is printed on the ticket as you buy it.
Jacqueline Hague
Newcastle, United Kingdom
I found it ironic that while trying to buy a selection of rail tickets at Hlavní nádraží over Christmas my ticket clerk spoke no English (to complement my minimal Czech), but a vagrant who then approached me asked for help in at least three languages (“Truly Kafkaesque,” Opinion, Dec. 5–11).
Peter Garner
Woking, United Kingdom
Minority views
I find your recent opinion column to be a very interesting perspective (“Standing out,” Opinion, Jan. 9–15)
I am also half-Czech, half-Middle Eastern and grew up in this city. I never had a problem with anybody, nor did I notice anybody clutching their bags when I got on the bus. But let’s consider this: I know for a fact that if somebody were reading Haaretz or the Jerusalem Post on a bus in an Arab country there would be trouble, as would any show of public support for the United States.
The Czech Republic and the Czechs are tolerant in general and absolutely respect freedom of speech. Displays of racism are usually comical. The real issue of racism and xenophobia really needs to be first tackled in the Middle East and Muslim countries. Perhaps Ms. Khalil should take her activism to the Muslim countries around the world and let us know how tolerant those cultures are.
Alf Horn
Prague
Coffee culture
No offense intended, but Starbucks coffee is simply overpriced. Sales are down in the United States, and, with the economic outlook uncertain in the West, sales will continue to be down. Of course, the first Starbucks in Prague will do well initially, but after a while the smart Czechs will realize that a cup of coffee at Starbucks will cost as much as a decent “street side” quick lunch and will stay away.
Paul Zellman
Los Angeles
 


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