"Fahrschein, bitte"

I ran into the undercover ticket checkers yesterday on the tram. As you would expect in Switzerland, the trams in Basel operate on the honor system. It is assumed that you will buy a ticket before riding a tram, but you technically could risk it because chances are there won't be anybody on board who will check it. I've been checked a number of times since living here, which isn't surprising considering how often I ride trams. I always find it to be a rather exciting experience. It always happens just as you leave a stop. All of a sudden a plain-clothed man will stand up and say something loud (which is very unusual for the orderly Swiss). I never have no idea what they say, considering it's in Swiss German, but I generally figure it out and follow the lead of the crowd as they all open up their wallets and show their tickets. I don't know why, but I always get nervous as the ticket checker walks around the tram, even though I carry an annual pass and have no chance of being fined for riding without a ticket. It's probably because it reminds me of my days of living in Vienna during my semester abroad in college. Public transporation was also on the honor system, and so many of my friends frequently rode without paying (as American college students might do...). I was always too paranoid about hearing "Fahrschein, bitte" (that's how they asked for the tickets in Vienna) so I chose to be honest and I always bought a ticket. Must be those good midwestern values.