Train Shenanigans- or How I Almost Got Deported Forever (Maybe)

Hello my friends. The last few days have been fantastic beyond any sort of belief, but for now, I leave you with just one of many stories from them.


After a relaxing day of sleeping and jet lag recovery, I was just asking for a thrill, and I got one.
It all started when Marius and I decided to visit the nearby town of Bensheim. We decided that we'd catch the 8 o'clock train to get there. I  bought myself a ticket and we headed for the platform to wait for our train. Now, at this point I should have gotten my ticket time-stamped to validate that I was going to use that ticket for this trip... but Marius decided instead that we'd play a little game called "If there's no conductor on board, you get to ride for free!". This of course was easy for him to agree to, because as a frequent traveler to Bensheim, he has a ticket that's good for as many trips to Bensheim as he wants for a year. I on the other hand, a foreigner with EVERYTHING to lose, should have probably been a little less happy-go-lucky about it.
So, we scoped the train out as it pulled up to the platform and after deciding it was safe,we boarded and found seats. It felt good to be back on the wonderful German train system again and I felt safe and comfortable. That is until about 10 seconds into the trip, when the conductor walked into the car from the other side.
 "Get up." Marius whispered to me. A little bit in disbelief I looked at him dumbfounded.
 "Get up."he whispered again. My stomach was instantly in knots. Trying not to be too obvious, I nervously rose from my seat to go and hide in the bathroom. Thoroughly panicked by the apparent absence of my one chance at a hiding place, I looked at the two teenagers next to me and managed to choke out a, "Ba... bathroom...?"
"Bathroom? Oh it should be right there, no? Then maybe its over th- OH SCHEIßE!" He'd too now seen the conductor. Instantly he and his friend bolted towards the door to the next car.
I realized that I was A: in a similar predicament, B: that the conductor now stood between me and my one idea for a hiding place, and C:  the old saying, "when in rome..." and with a shrug, sprinted after them.
"You don't have a ticket either?" one of them asked me as we ran through the isle of the first car.
"No, well, yes, but I didn't use it... or... something... I'm not sure" I responded as we opened the door to the third car. Now, assuming you've never found yourself in this particular situation...You really can't get much better than running away from trouble when it comes to adrenaline, but with strangers, in a foreign country- I don't think I'd ever ran so fast in my life.
As the train came to a stop at the one before ours, Auerbach, we hit a wall, because those who wanted to get off were now a human blockade on our path to freedom. We sat there now just waiting for our imminent doom, till we heard someone call out from behind us.
"You can stop running. We've got a group ticket with 3 free places." The voice came from a woman who was sitting several rows in front of us, and she must have heard me speak English because she too spoke in it. She was a German woman and must have been in her early 20s. With her was someone who was presumably her boyfriend. She bade us to sit down and relax so we did and shared an immense sigh of relief. Interestingly enough, I noticed a Starbucks bag among her belongings. I am sure now that it was a sign. Thank you Howard Schultz. I owe you one.
Marius caught up to us and upon seeing my shaken self he instantly burst into laughter. Within a couple of minutes, we were already at the Bensheim station. After thanking my running mates and my saviors, we continued on to the city and celebrated with a döner kebab. Needless to say, I pretty much walked away from that situation with an ego the size of a planet.
Now in reality, if I had gotten caught, the worst thing I'd probably face was a 40 euro fee for breaking the rules, and the wrath of a German train conductor. But I didn't find that out till later. Heck, in my mind I could have been deported!
Long story short, ladies and gent's, running away from train conductors in Germany, like a bause.

 Untouchable döner kebab swag.