German train conductors in the state of Thuringia have been given permission not to check the tickets of foreign migrant passengers in an effort to reduce intimidating and violent behavior from asylum seekers.
A married couple who had recently traveled on a Süd-Thüringen-Bahn contacted the Thüringer Allgemeine newspaper to report that they had witnessed individuals who didn’t appear to be German not having their tickets checked while German citizens still had theirs scrutinized.
After the newspaper contacted the railway service provider, they initially denied the claim, insisting that all tickets were being checked.
However, after further enquiries, the company admitted that train conductors had been given powers not to check the tickets of passengers who posed a risk of being troublesome in order to de-escalate tensions.
If the conductors feel threatened or intimidated by approaching such individuals, they can bypass the ticket check and the individual effectively gets to travel for free.
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