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→Getting caught
* As a last line of defense, conductors can call the police and legally keep you from leaving to prevent you from "illegally obtaining a service". Most commonly, however, you can get a fine printed that is valid as a ticket to your declared destination, or you may simply be kicked out at the next stop.
* For persons neither citizens nor residents of Germany, the penalty cannot and will not be enforced. (is that really sure?) As mentioned above, if given your ID, many conductors will print a fine valid as a ticket to your intended destination, making this a useful method for visitors to blackride. Beware, however, that not all conductors will agree to this, and they may insist that you get off at the next stop.
*If you get fined and you don't pay your fine they might put you to court. Blackriding is a crime in Germany and you are likely to be sentenced certain amount of day penalties. That means you etither need to pay certain amount of money (depending on your income) or you go for this amount of days into prison. Usually they don't make the courtcase for first fine but if you collect more it is likely to be put to court. It is unclear how it is with foreigners.You might be tempted to give them wrong adress or to not give any adress but it is probably not a good idea. If they don't have your adress they will make the process with you anyway and instead of sending you the letters they hang them publicly in the courthouse (or city hall?) and then it is concidered as delivered. So if you give them your real identity it is actually better to give them adress where you can be reached. Otherwise it might happen that they make a courtcase against you, you don't know about it, they sentence you and eventually when getting caught by cops you will be put to prison. It is bit unclear how it works for foreigners who don't live in Germany and just sometimes pass by. But anyway in this moment when you read the article there are thousands of people sitting in German prisons for blackriding. It is very common to end up in jail for it. So keep blackriding but maybe try to avoid them getting your identity.
* When they ask you for ticket you can speak English to them and honestly tell them that you have no ticket and no money. Sometimes they ask you for ID and if you say you have none they usually tell you to get of the next station. I was kicked mostly from ICEs,but also REs, RBs and S-bahn in total about 10 or 15 times and only one conducter called the cops. Usually if you are not unfriendly they have no reason to make it complicated so they just tell you to get off next stop and take care that you do. Easy job for them and an hour or two waiting for next train for you.
