schwarzfahren

You use it just like the verb fahren. You can say ich fahre schwarz (I am riding without a ticket). In the past tense, you say ich bin schwarzgefahren. It is a separable-style verb in practice. You can also use the noun Schwarzfahrer for the person doing it. It fits perfectly when talking about your commute. Use it when you forgot your wallet at home. Or use it when you are feeling a bit rebellious.

Use it when discussing public transit. It is perfect for telling a story about a close call. You might use it if you see a ticket inspector. It works well when complaining about high ticket prices. You can use it with friends or colleagues. It is common in casual chats about city living. Even news reports use this term. It is the standard way to describe this specific act.

Do not use this for private cars. You cannot schwarzfahren in your own vehicle. It does not apply to bicycles either. Don't use it for other types of 'stealing' services. You don't schwarzfahren at a restaurant if you don't pay. That is Zechprellerei. Also, avoid using it in very formal legal documents. Lawyers might use the term Erschleichen von Leistungen instead. That sounds much more serious and boring.

Germany has an 'open' transit system. There are usually no turnstiles or gates. You just walk onto the train. This relies on the 'honor system.' Because of this, schwarzfahren is quite easy to do. To stop this, cities hire plain-clothes inspectors. They look like normal passengers in hoodies. Suddenly, they stand up and shout 'Fahrscheine bitte!' (Tickets please!). This creates a unique German anxiety. Even people with tickets sometimes panic for a second.

The most common variation is the noun der Schwarzfahrer. If you do it often, you are a Wiederholungstäter (repeat offender). Some people call the fine das Schwarzfahrgeld. Officially, the fine is called an erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt. That is a 28-letter word! No wonder everyone just says schwarzfahren instead. It is much easier to pronounce.