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Czech Checks
I saw on the TV news that the Brno foreigners' police carried out one of its periodic "controls" of foreigners over the weekend. They are pretty large scale and involve spot checks on ID documents (to be carried at all times incidentally),visas, other documentation, checking against their most wanted list etc.
The police obviously have their favoured target groups but I just wondered if anybody has had any personal experience of these crack downs?
I agree with mod, because when I saw them checking people it seemed they were targeting Indian and non Caucasian looking foreigners. I did see them stop some Erasmus students, but they were speaking in English really loudly.
Just before Christmas I was stopped by two uniformed Brno city police officers who asked to see my passport.
The odd thing was that I was going to see my physician and the police actually followed me into the building before stopping me in the entry to see my passport. It wasn't just out on the street.
The only reason I can imagine that they stopped me there was that my physician serves a lot of English speaking expats and the police probably know that so figured the building her office is in would be a good spot to watch.
It used to be easy to spot them here. They were usually two middle aged guys dressed in drab colored jackets with mullets, beer guts, molester moustaches, etc... Nowadays they have different ones. I been checked by a metrosexual and a couple who sat down next to each other, then when the tram started going and no one was suspicious anymore, started checking people. I work near BVV, so definitely any tram going to Mendlova Namesti will usually have inspections several times a week. Tram 1 seems to be popular with them, as well as trams 3, 11, 12, 13 and 4. Although I've never seen them checking the trolley buses and trams that go during football matches. I guess they're scared to get thrashed by hooligans. Night buses they only check about once or twice a year and they usually announce it to the media and sometimes bring a film crew with them to document it.
The answer I'm afraid is get a tram pass or "salinkarta" as it is known locally. I got my new one yesterday and for 1,280Kc have peace of mind for the next three months. Simples!
Nearly all newcomers to Brno remark on how cheap and reliable public transport is here. It is this way because believe it or not most people pay the fare most of the time. I've even seen drunks on night buses validating tickets when the chances of being caught by the inspectors are nearly zero.
So, if you take your chances and travel without a ticket your punishment may not be a fine from an inspector but might come on a cold wet night when there's no transport home due to cutbacks
I remember they did a crack down right after Czech got into Schengen and I was walking down the street and saw the police checking some Indian looking guys. Oddly enough they walked right past an African American guy who was busking on Ceska, I am pretty sure that guy didn't have license to busk as well.
I also heard they did some rounds at language schools, but it's just mere hearsay. I also saw them stop a group of students who were speaking loudly in English, so I guess it just depends on their mood.
My friend got caught without some document and they fined him 500 crowns. He is here legaly on a work visa just didnt have some paper.
hi,
I got caught in the night bus last week end with no ticket, no paper and no money... and they just let me go
....
I think you were very lucky
Yes can certainly be a case of if the face fits sometimes
and also how quickly you spot the tram inspectors lurking suspiciously in groups of three at tram stops, (No they dont wear shiny hats and dark jackets:-)))and therefore cleverly wait for the next one .However do bear in mind they will likely be lurking another three stops down the line....ach all these trade secrets
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I'm surprised Cancze, from your picture I wouldn't have thought you would be the "type" of foreigner the police would be interested in. Just goes to show you never can tell. You might be right about the doctor's though.