Berlin Mitte

I have not yet really described the area of Berlin where the Goethe Institute lies. It is in Berlin Mitte, the incredibly hip center of Berlin. Here there are many expensive but really hip clothing shops, including an American Apparel shop (for those of you unfamiliar with American Apparel, they are based in California and they make a point to pay their workers a fair wage. They're anti-sweatshop.) There is also a natural foods store on the corner, many varieties of restaurants, galleries, boutiques, etc. It is really a paradise for shopaholics. Fortunately I'm not. My money is limited and my luggage is already full.
It is interesting to me, all the different ways people make money on the U-bahn.Some play music and panhandle. Others find tickets from people who have bought a day ticket and not used the entire thing and resell them. The thing is, that they don't check your ticket on the U-Bahn. There are signs saying that if you get caught travelling the U-bahn without a validated ticket, you will be fined $40 Euro. However, I have travelled the U- and S- Bahn, and bus lines at least twice a day, sometimes three or four times for almost two weeks now and my ticket has only been checked twice.