Expat readers of the former Budapest Sun will recall the most frequent complaints of tourists and locals to our fair city: the rudeness and intractability fo the Kontrollers, those horrid little people who check our tickets for the Metro, trams and buses. Mainly the Metro, of course, as they were the most visible. Most of them spoke little or no English, much less
other languages.They may have said, "Jó napot kivánok," but they really meant, "I hate you and am going to fine you just because I can." They were singularly unhelpful when an honestly-confused traveler tried to ask them where to buy a ticket and how to transfer lines. They wore blinders whenever someone made an honest mistake and came up with the wrong or no ticket. They were the scourge of Budapest, and locals as well as tourists were appalled at their rudeness and nastiness when dealing with Metro travelers.
Well, ladies and gentlemen of the expatriate and tourist persuasion, have I got news for you. It appears the powers that be have finally awakened to the fact that these Kontrollers were actually causing more problems than they were worth. Being nasty and inconsiderate to tourists especially caused visitors to go home and tell all their friends never to visit Budapest.
Otherwise happy and contented visitors only had to have one nasty experience with these little gods of the Metro and the word spread quickly that Budapest was an unfriendly, mean place to visit and everyone would be much better off going to Prague.
In recent weeks I have actually seen - with my own two eyes, mind you - Kontrollers being nice and helpful and considerate to Metro travelers. One Kontroller actually took a tourist over to the Budapest map and pointed out where the person wanted to go and how to get there. Several - and I really mean several - Kontrollers actually smiled at travelers getting on the Metro. And their face didn't break! It also seems many more of the Kontrollers now speak at least rudimentary English and appear to be happy - nay, eager - to help people find their way around the Metro. Have I woken up to find myself in Oz?
In short - which I never am - it sure looks like the Kontrollers' attitude has done a complete 180, and these formerly-rigid, uncompromising, unhelpful people have now turned into The Nicest People You'll Ever Meet on a Metro. Certainly nicer than Paris. And so, to the managers of the BKV, I, at least, say, "Well done! Thank you for helping make Budapest Metro travel easier and much more pleasant. Thank you for waving your magic wand and turning the Kontrollers into generally helpful, pleasant people. Expats and tourists alike salute you."
No more nasty complaints in the Budapest Sun. (Of course, no more Budapest Sun, but that's beside the point.) Tourists will now go home and extol the many virtues of our lovely city and tell all their friends to come visit. And they'll also remark that the Kontrollers on the Metro seemed unusually nice. And isn't it about time?"
By Gary Lukatch for XpatLoop.com
24.06.2009