They do check

No one takes your ticket when you ride the U-bahn, buses, or trolleys. You just get on and ride. There are machines to buy tickets, but you don't see anyone buying them. There are places to get your ticket stamped, but you never see anyone stamping tickets. It looks to all appearances like, well frankly, it's free. But to my horror this morning there where these yellow-vested uniformed authorities on my car asking random (random? yes as far as I could tell random) people for a ticket. It was one of those panicky moments like I experienced in fourth grade when the teacher says 'hand in your homework' and you know you don't have it (if you know my grade school history you'll know I suffered this angst almost every day). I could not believe it. I'd never seen this before. No one else seemed surprised, a few people pretended they were asleep and that seemed to be enough to keep the ticket conductors at away, but I was standing up and an obvious mark. Sure enough they headed straight for me. I really was panicked. A whole bunch of wild ideas rushed through my head--pretend I was asleep standing up, that seemed work for the people sitting; Pretend I didn't speak German, oh right, I do and had a B+ to prove it (maybe they wouldn't bend down to read the transcript I'd pinned to my chest); Or maybe, I suddenly remembered, I should just give them a ticket. Yes foolishly before I realized no one seemed to pay I had bought a monthly pass and incredibly I had it with me! Saved! I pulled the ticket from my Franklin Planner (which device elicited not a few wry smiles of curiosity) and showed it. He said, 'Danke' and left the car without asking scores of people standing behind me. Now I've got to buy one every month. I'm so disappointed.