Train 173 from berlin to prague 6/15 917am

Must have been a football match down the line.

was that last night/early this morning.only football games on are World Cup at the moment, might have been Russians celebrating their 5-0 win on Thursday night, might just be a group of guys on a stag party,. or just a load of idiots partying their weekend away.

What language were they speaking amidst their rowdy behaviour?

Why oh why is this ok? I am not a prim old lady but a divorced mom and grandson of two boys in their early 20s. Your mothers deserve this? This behavior, provocative, tossing phrases, words to females I did not understand, challenging, loutish, brutish, strolling the isles tossing beer bottles, loudly singing, angrily yelling. Not NOT OK. Why are you trying to excuse, EXCUSE it. BOYS WILL BE BOYS??? Bologney!!! They should have been thrown off the train. If on a plane, they would have been not even let on. Barbara

I don't think any body is saying its OK, but when 20 kids fueled by alcohol get together, trouble can't be far away. I'll posit that the train crew's only other option was to call the police, stop the train and have them all arrested, which have delayed the train for at least an hour. I guess they decided that discretion was the greater part of valor and just get the jerks to where they were going.

Ok. So are you guys gonna st least talk to each other and police your own behavior? Men need to let each other know - not just laugh it off and excuse it. There's a line and a young girl hid in the bathroom for a couple of hours because she was at risk. We were all afraid and powerless - thus my anger. You guys are so tough, ok, be tough on each other. Barbara, grandmother age 71. This ain't my first rodeo
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I saw and experienced something similar in 2001 on the Caen to Paris TER train, where a group of punk wanna be types got on my coach, I was solo, and they bothered the girls. Difference here is that they were not drunk. No one said anything against them just tried to ignore them, bothered me too by one of sitting next to me, basically cornering me and behind me. They were "Arab" if you want to be ethnic in describing their appearance. The solo white girls/women I did not see them bothered much although that was done a bit too.

What I noticed was that the girls closer to their appearance were bothered. more. Obviously, I felt uneasy, trying to ignore them, reacted by playing dumb. That sort of worked, (usually does). I couldn't understand a thing said to me. They quit after while since no reaction was coming from me if the intention was to provoke me, since my French then was practically zero compared to now The train guy was by himself. Whenever he appeared (hardly did), the yo-yos quieted down. "They" were riding to Paris St Lazare just as I was.

Barbara, I understand your anger, disgust, and fear, and your concern is legitmate. As a female solo traveler in your age group I can relate and, although I've not experienced this particular behavior on trains when travelling, I know I would probably react pretty much as you are.

That being said, I don't think posting on this forum is going to do much to improve the situation or to make you feel any better, unless you just needed to vent. While I don't know most of these forum members personally, I think I'm pretty safe saying they are probably not prone to traveling in groups of men, getting drunk, and annoying the public on trains (or anywhere else). Most men, the vast majority, do not act this way and do not need to be chastised here. Unfortunately your comments here will probably not reach the audience that they need to reach.

Hope you have better experiences when traveling in the future.

I have seen in the last couple of trips in Germany (this past one too) in May/June "soccer " post game behaviour by guys (maybe not 20) get on the ICE, say from Berlin to Düsseldorf was one experience, where they were loud, laughing, carousing, (certainly that!), yelling at times, semi-drunk, a few were, (not as acute as the Train 173 experience), saying comments to women, only Germans, they were not offensive, unwarranted, if you like, comments since amidst the loud, rowdy behaviour but it was not violent or perceived as such. I honed on what they were saying since my reserved seat was close by.

What is ominous on train 173 is that the girl went off to hide. Bothering other passengers was one thing different....I did not see that. Crude, rude remarks, even yelling, screaming, I've heard all that in German...all depends what is being said, which I'm eavesdropping on since you can't help but hear them carrying on.

What do other passengers do when this loud, brutish, carrying on, macho carousing is going on, most ignore it, pay no heed to it, ride it out. If the other passengers are German, ( and they are from what I have seen), but then I only saw/experienced this sort behaviour on ICE trains within Germany, the Germans know what to expect during these games in terms of loud behaviour. One time as the Berlin-Düsseldorf ICE passed by Wolfsburg, one of the guys yelled out another guy by name, "xxx, weine nicht!!" since Wolfsburg had lost.

Now, if these Train 173 guys were Russian because of the 5-0 score, I would have just tried just ride it out, ignore them as the passengers were doing. To me then that is different.

Now, if these Train 173 guys were Russian because of the 5-0 score, I would have just tried just ride it out, ignore them as the passengers were doing. To me then that is different.

Well, there you go Barbara, a man excusing the behavior of idiots based on their 'excuse' for doing it. Apparently if you're just a bunch of soccer fans celebrating a win, it's ok; but if you're of a certain ethnic persuasion, then better watch out, they probably have evil deeds on their minds.

If they were Russian because of the score, and acted that way, I would be at a distinct disadvantage since I don't know the cultural cues and the language. The cultural cues are more important than the language comprehension.

I love to travel and nothing will keep me from it til my legs or finances give out. However there needs to be more mature expectations for the behavior of others in a public accommodation. Isn't it interesting many of those who responded did so to defend male prerogative to act out and drink bully etc. ( male privilege) with very few defending the need for other travelers expectation for social order, peace and safety on a public accommodation. My goal was to begin to problem solve by reporting this here since the bahn offers no recourse (believe me I looked) with their administration. The Man in Seat 61 also was the recipient of this info because he does at times speak with train officials. The heavy cultural norm overlays in the situation led me to believe this forum was as good as any to encourage discussion among travelers and maybe result in something positive I haven't thought of. Think about it. Thanks. Barbara

I think you are reading into replies something that is just not there. I certainly have not condoned the behaviour of the guys on the train but was seeking more info from you . In my own country there is a ban on drinking on trains after 9.00pm and on certain trains during the football season.
I have experienced drunken stag parties on planes travelling to Prague but never from Prague (wonder why that is).
Sometimes it is worth seeking out the conductor and asking if they can do anything about the situation and sometimes it is just worth approaching some of the group and asking them to calm it down, unfortunately it is the joys/ horrors of travelling by public transport you just never know what is going to happen.

On the topic of no alcohol on trains in Germany: they exist.

Certain regional train companies, (can't remember their names) in North Germany prohibit alcohol on the trains, most likely in the from of beer drinking.

Signs to that effect point out that warning, ie "Alkoholverbot" or lengthier warnings in one sentence with the words "Alkohol" and "nicht gestattet" or "untersagt" are posted, more than once too. Plus, a pictogram to that effect is posted too. I saw them on this last trip when riding the regional trains from Kiel to Hamburg, or Schleswig or Flensburg to Kiel,

No drinking on the trains was news to me but then these are not DB trains.

@Unclegus: drunkards on planes to Prague but not from Prague. I think it is because Czech police is more willing to give a rubber treatment if necessary and drunkards know it. Few times I saw that happen to drunkards on train.