Can I travel with you?

In a smart way nicely cheap by train, who wouldn't want that? It's too simple and uncontrolleable. Bit strange, huh... at the NS it really is possible! There are many people who have an NS subscription and in the off-peak hours they travel with 40% discount, but there is also a travel discount and this is useful for all kinds of people.

Last week I was on the train again and to my surprise I hear a decent young man asking a somewhat older woman where she will travel and if he can use her off-hour ticket. The woman once looked at him skily and agreed. The young guy held his public transport card in front of the ticket machine and clicked on a travel discount, again his public transport card against it, and it was beeped. He could travel from Groningen to Zwolle with 40% discount. Of course, I wanted to stay close and could get a spot, two seats behind them. Apparently, you have to stay close to each other. At the conductor's check, both passes were scanned and said nothing else...

A few days later I was on my way to Hoogeveen with my mother and yes, I used her card for my 40% discount and when I checked the conductor I asked him how it was, because what does he see on his ticket control machine? He couldn't see anything on it, just that my mom checked in and so did I.

Just before we arrived in Hoogeveen, a young woman rushed down the aisle and asked left and right if anyone had an NS subscription. In front of us she had bit and relieved she popped down next to the older gentleman and thanked him extensively with a color on her cheeks and said: 'Yes, the woman I was travelling with earlier must unfortunately get out here in Hoogeveen and I have to go to Utrecht. ' 'Well, nice, 'said the man, 'I too.' How their conversation continued, I have no idea. Probably as most travelers do, glands on their phones and either listen to music or an audiobook with caps in their ears. Real conversations aren't in there nowadays.

Walking in Hoogeveen I thought about it more deeply and in my opinion the only thing you need is to travel with us for 40% discount in off-peak hours, find someone with an NS subscription and ask for permission to check in at a discount. That's the best way, but give them the cost that first put the 40% discount on their card and then walk through the train asking for someone with an NS subscription and pop next to it.