Yeah I found that in Austria. The one time I tried to ask a bus driver for a ticket in mangled German, he got well angry at me, and said to just ask him in English as he didn't have time to figure out what I was trying to saythe problem i've found with rocking up in germany and trying to learn off the locals is they're all trying to use you to practice their english, which unfortunately they're already well enough versed in that it's the easiest tool to use for communication
In fairness I was probably completely butchering his mother tongue
e: Haha I remember something about a ruckfahrkarte, but Google translate suggests that is a "jerk card"... maybe that's why he was angry