Tickets and public transportation, Warsaw

We were told not to get a taxi from outside the airport as they were all "mafia" taxis and would rip us off. We were not ripped off once by a taxi and all the taxi journeys we took were reasonably priced. The problem with the bus arose from us not buying a ticket before we left the terminal. We werent in the main terminal so never went to the information desk to enquire about the bus to the City Centre. We thought the ticket machine for the bus would be located next to the bus stop ( it wasnt ) and we couldnt find one inside the terminal. As we got on the bus there was a driver and another uniformed man stood next to him, we thought he was the conductor who we could buy our ticket from. We werent sure so we asked the driver and told him our stop. He shrugged his shoulders and ushered us on. No problem, we must be able to buy tickets off the conductor. The conductor never moved though and the bus started to fill, we couldnt have moved to him if wed tried as we were right in the middle. By coincidence a plain clothes ticket inspector got on the bus the stop before we were to get off, ignored everyone to his left and headed straight for us in the middle of the bus, ignoring at least 20 others. I tried to get off but he stopped me and said "billet/ticket". Waiting off the bus was another inspector who spoke some English. He told us we had to pay an 84 zloty fine, about £15 EACH. We argued saying there was no ticket machine at the bus stop or in our terminal. He said we could have bought our tickets from the driver. "Oh could we now". Well how come when we got on the driver ushered us onto the bus and never asked us for any money, we werent trying to avoid the 20p fare and wed asked to pay. He never believed us and because we were proving awkward he then rang for 3 more burly inspectors which made it obvious to us that we had to pay or else. It was very intimidating. This was a definate scam, the bus driver must have rang ahead to tell the inpectors which stop to get on to catch 5 stupid tourists without a ticket.

Unique Suggestions: If you get the bus make sure you get a ticket before you get on and validate it.

Fun Alternatives: Get a taxi.

Just buying a ticket is not enough... as you enter the subway, tram or bus make sure that you validate your ticket either at the gate or in yellow terminals on board. Only after that you are safe from inspections that are not rare... No tickets needed for luggage anymore:-)

Unique Suggestions: Punch your ticktes everytime you are getting on-board:-)

Fun Alternatives: If you are going to use public transportation buy passes for a few days or a day and you only have to validate them before the first time you use it.

Pls remember when U are traveling by public bus,tram,subway etc Always validate your ticket for You and second ticket for Your big bag (over 150cm).
and watch your pocket in bus 175 from/to the airport.