Buying a Train Ticket

It was a cold Friday evening in December. I would be leaving early Sunday morning on the train – not my preference because I’d have to miss church, but inevitable by the circumstances. All day I had been telling myself that I should walk to the train station to buy my train ticket since they’re cheaper when purchased 24 hours before departure. However, since it’s a 20-minute walk (one way) to the train station, and taking a taxi would defeat the purpose of saving money, I decided not to venture out in the cold. Instead, I’d make my first attempt at buying a train ticket online.

I’d been told by another missionary that it’s much more convenient to buy train tickets online than at the station. I’d still get the early discount, and if I used a MasterCard, I would receive an extra discount.

I found the train company's website and opened an account with them. Then I logged on without a problem and found the train tickets I wanted to purchase. However, when it was time to enter my bank card information, the website informed me that my MasterCard bank card (from a bank in Romania) hadn’t been cleared for online purchases. I’d have to visit my bank’s website to set this up.

So, I visited my Romanian bank’s website, and figured out where (in Romanian) I could activate the online buying feature. (A card owner must take this extra step to activate the online-use feature in an attempt to prevent online fraud.) This step required that I enter my name, the 12-digit card number, followed by my 15-digit Government-issued Personal ID number, then followed by the first 2 letters of my last name (which I’d already entered in full), the last 6 digits of my card number (which I’d already entered in full), and the last 6 digits of my card (which I’d already entered in full). After double-checking that I’d entered it correctly, I hit submit, only to be told that I’d entered it incorrectly. After 3 unsuccessful tries, it blocked me from trying again.

Then I decided that I’d use my Visa check card from my bank in the US. I wouldn’t get the MasterCard discount, but at least I’d still have the early-purchase discount. I returned to the train website, once again found the train ticket I wanted to purchase, and then started entering my Visa information.

I don’t use my Visa check card very often – usually just for online purchases of US-based websites and at stores while in the US. In both instances, I use it as a credit card, not as a debit card. But since this is Romania, I was required to enter my PIN in order to use the card online (again, to prevent fraud). For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what the PIN was (or the last time I used it!).

So, I went to my US-based bank’s website, trying to figure out how to reset the PIN or have it emailed to me. The only information provided was that I had to call the bank to change my PIN. I plugged in my MagicJack phone and called my bank in the US. After giving them the answers to several security questions so they know I really am who I say I am, the bank representative informed me that they can’t give my PIN over the phone, nor can I change it over the phone – but they could mail it to me. When the representative sensed hesitation in my voice, he offered that, to receive it more quickly, I could stop by any branch location. (Well, they don’t have any branch locations here, so forget that idea.) I asked him to mail it to my US address.)

So, I ended up not being able to buy my train ticket online. By this point, three hours had passed, plus it was dark and even colder outside. I gave up trying to get a discount and decided that I would just wait until Sunday morning to buy the ticket at the train station.

This is where you think the story ends, but it only gets better....

On Sunday morning, I woke up early. The train I was planning to take was scheduled to leave Sighisoara at 7:20 AM. That means I’d need to get to the station by 7 AM in order to have time to buy my ticket in person. But I also knew the trains had been running late due to construction on the line. So I called the train station around 6:30 AM to ask (in my best Romanian) if the train was on time.

“There is a delay of 150 minutes,” the person on the other end of the phone informed me.

“150 minutes?” I asked, making sure I heard the Romanian correctly while calculating minutes into hours. “So…two and a half hours?”

“Yes.”

“So, 9:50 AM?” I asked, just to make sure.

“That’s correct.”

“OK. Thank you,” I said, while inwardly saying to myself: Why didn’t she just tell me that instead of making me do the math?

With my bags already packed, I climbed back into bed for an extra hour of sleep. When I awoke and after breakfast, I called a taxi which then took me and my suitcase to the train station. I arrived at 9:31 AM, plenty of time to buy a ticket and find my place on the platform before the train arrived. Knowing that the train only stops for 3 minutes at the Sighisoara station, I would have to be ready to board by 9:45.


I glanced at the Departures screen to see what the current delay was, but my train wasn’t listed! Was the train removed from the list because it had been so late? Had I miscalculated the arrival time? Did I miss the train?

While all these thoughts swirled in my head, I got in line at the ticket counter. It was then that I also began wondering if they would actually be able to sell me a ticket at 9:35 AM for a train that was supposed to have left at 7:20 AM, or if there was a safeguard in the computer system that prevented such purchases.

I inquired at the ticket counter, and the attendant told me the train had made up time and was about to pull into the station. She asked if I had a ticket, to which I replied, “No.”

I’ve never seen anyone work as quickly as this woman! She entered the information quickly into the computer, which then printed the ticket without any problem. I had the exact purchase amount ready to give her as she handed me the ticket. She told me to hurry to the platform.

Wheeling my suitcase behind me, I arrived on the platform about 30 seconds before the train pulled in. I found my assigned wagon, climbed aboard, made my way to my seat and breathed a sigh of relief. I had finally succeeded in buying my tickets – and, once again, had a good story to share.