No dog ticket when getting off the bus Pensioner (85) fined for dog on bus - she defends herself alone in court

An 85-year-old pensioner is defending herself alone in court today. The question is whether she was allowed to let her little poodle out of the basket on the Thun bus to get off. The Postbus company had reported her.

She is 85 years old, has lived alone since her divorce and rarely receives visitors. The everyday life of the Bernese woman, whom blue News met last week in a Bernese community, is exemplary of the dreary life of elderly people.

If it weren't for her little poodle. "He's like family to me. I go everywhere with him." She doesn't want to say the pensioner's name in public. The shame is too great. She is therefore referred to as Marianne Kählin in this article.

Kählin is appearing before the regional court in Thun today, Monday at 1.30 pm. The case concerns an incident that allegedly took place in mid-April 2025: Kählin was on a bus in Thun BE at the time. From the point of view of the public prosecutor, the case is quickly told: Kählin had traveled with her poodle without buying a ticket for the animal. The PostBus company, responsible for collecting surcharges for missing tickets, filed a complaint. The public prosecutor's office then issued a penalty order for a violation of the Passenger Transportation Act.

The consequences would have been steep: a 100-franc fine, 100 francs in legal fees and 150 francs in compensation to PostBus Ltd.

But Kählin put up a fight. The facts of the case were only briefly outlined in the penalty order. From her point of view, something else is decisive: she denies that a ticket was even necessary for her dog.

Pensioner did not know the rules

This brings the case history into focus: this is not the first time Kählin and her poodle have attracted attention on public transport. "I was fined once before because of him," she says. She didn't know the rules back then. And the dog was very small at the time. Later, a conductor explained the trick to her: "If I carry the dog in a transport box, you don't need a ticket."

During the visit, Kählin shows the box in which the poodle is said to have been sitting at the time in question. "I had him in the basket. I only let him out briefly so that I could get out better. It's not so easy with stiff arms," she says. However, the inspector only saw the dog get out on its own - and checked her immediately.

Kählin tells all this without showing much bitterness. Even critical questions don't upset her: could a video recording support her account? "Yes. I'm not afraid of that." Nevertheless, the days leading up to the trial had taken their toll on her. "I don't sleep well."

The 85-year-old wants to defend herself in court. She objected to the penalty order because she felt the proceedings were unfair. "I just didn't think it was right the way I was treated that day," she says. The inspector didn't want to realize what it means to be on the road at this age. "I can't get up that quickly anymore. And when everyone rushes out at the same time, it becomes difficult for me."

Criminal code: not everything has to be punished

In fact, the fare regulations stipulate that small animals - such as dogs, cats, rabbits or birds - can travel free of charge, provided they are transported in an "animal-friendly container". In this case, they count as hand luggage. But the problem lies in the next sentence: if the animals are taken out of the container, a ticket is required. If this is missing, there is a surcharge. In the event of a repeat offense, a charge may be brought.

Kählin does not speak of "goodwill" during the blue News reporter's visit. You can hear more of a quiet shame that she has to go to court at all. It was only when she found out that the media would also be in the courtroom that she realized: "It's also about the fundamentals. How do you deal with older people?" She has seen for years that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the elderly. "It's going digital everywhere. And it has to be fast everywhere." She doesn't want to describe the development as "common as dogs", but simply wants to be seen as a human being.

It remains to be seen whether the court will classify her case as trivial. After all, the Criminal Code has a provision that allows prosecution or punishment to be waived in cases of minor guilt and minor consequences.

Kählin says she has drawn conclusions from the matter. "I have now bought a dog pass." It costs 350 francs a year - regardless of whether the dog travels in first or second class. "With my pension and supplementary benefits, that's a lot of money," she says. Her dog can travel anywhere in Switzerland. "But at my age, we rarely get out of Thun."

Whether the bill from the penalty order will remain in addition to this investment will be decided this afternoon. The regional court has reserved room 1 for this - and scheduled around two hours.

Note: The hearing has been brought forward and will take place at 1.30 pm. The article was corrected after publication.