DUTCH TRAM WORKERS AND FOREIGN MUSICIANS (on the tram)

DUTCH TRAM WORKERS AND FOREIGN MUSICIANS (on the tram)

Our last concert was in Amsterdam, a simply wonderful city that recalls a lot Venice. We landed in Schiphol airport after a very calm and nice flight (luckly!) and after meeting our friend Kata, we went to the apartment. Kata explained us that in Holland we must check in and out each time we take a trip wherever, tram, train, bus...

And that was ok except for the fact that we seldom remembered to check out.

On the day of the concert we got on the tram to go to Bagel and Beans in order to have breakfast. My pianist didn't have the ticket, but this wasn't a problem because you can buy it on board.

Please remember to check out!

We approached the selling ticket man, and he didn't let us say a word that he stamped his fists on the small ticket table and after emitting the ticket, instead of giving it to us, he glued OUR ticket on his forehead thanks to his "nice" sweat. So we remained speachless...but we needed the ticket, so we "surgically" removed the ticket from his forehead, we checked it and went away without saying a word. We looked each other and said "man you don't know what you risked....never challenge a nervous musician less than an hour before the concert!!!..." and then we tended to excuse him: "...you know...maybe too many joints... they can do you a lot of harm..."

So we were about to get off the tram, that one of us checked out with the wrong ticket and the door automatically closed and we were about to remain on the tram, but we started to scream at the driver that we needed to get off. The driver had pity and compassion of us and let us go.

We arrived at the concert place and played. Everything was fine and we had a lot of fun.

On the last day in  Amsterdam we were already accostumed to the check in-out system of public transport, but eventually a very funny thing happened. Approaching the Amsterdam Centraal Station the tram ticket man (not the same as the one who glued our ticket on his forehead) said on the loudspeaker: "....and please...remember to check out...otherwhise your ticket is going to explode on your wallet....or maybe you become blue!!!..." All people on the tram bursted in laghters. We checked out of course! (with the right ticket)

We went to Schiphol airport, but with a light heart!

We loved Amsterdam and its public transport system!