Originally Posted by
gilpin
Thank you for your reply, schmare. The fact of the matter is that it is within the realm of possibility that the phrase "under 26" might be equivalent to "no more than 26" in some cultures. I think that is probably not the case (as my initial post indicated), but somebody out there must know based on their experience rather than on nothing more than their interpretation of the phrase. Certainly I do not intend to rely on the interpretation of anyone who doesn't understand the proper use of the word "dilatory".
If there is anyone who either sells the passes, or has purchased or used one in this situation, please let me know.
Well I used to sell the passes when I worked in the travel industry. This was about four years ago. I've also personally used railpasses, but that also was years ago.
In my personal experience, when they validate your pass, they look at your passport. IIRC, it was more than a quick glance. I can't confirm that they were definitely checking date of birth, but they were definitely comparing the passport details to the details printed on the railpass.
At the travel agency we did not sell youth passes to people who were going to be 26 before the pass was validated, as our sales materials indicated that "under 26" was for people who had not yet turned 26.
It is possible that in some cultures the terms "under" and "no more than" could be intrepreted as the same, but in my opinion that doesn't follow the generally accepted definitions of those words in English.
Bottom line is that you could probably buy a youth pass online if you are over 26 by entering an incorrect birthdate, but you are then relying on the person who validates your pass to either not notice the discrepancy, or to accept your argument word definitions and meanings. If you're willing to take that chance, go for it!