The main character of the story is Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi), who is working in the Metro system, checking tickets. He is known to have a previous job but the movie doesn't expand on that. He eats and sleeps underground and never sees the sunlight. He is a member of a ticket inspector team (the others are played by Zoltán Mucsi, Csaba Pindroch and Sándor Badár). His team struggles to check riders' tickets because people revile and hate them to the point where ticket inspectors are assaulted daily. When not on duty late at night, Bulcsú explores the abandoned or under-construction sections of the subway tunnels.
Among the ticket inspectors on the same shift there is a conflict between Bulcsú's team and another team. Bulcsú is challenged to "rail running" by this other team's leader. "Rail running" is an event similar to the running of the bulls. Once the last passenger train leaves the station, the contenders must run through the tunnels and exit before the last 'express' train, which does not stop at any station. Bulcsú exits the tunnel first with his opponent close behind. Bulcsú pulls the opponent off the track just in time to prevent the train running over him.
While Bulcsú is on a ticket inspection, he meets a woman, Sofie (Eszter Balla), who is dressed as a bear and never buys a ticket for the metro. No direct explanation is ever given as to why she is dressed as a bear, however, it is implied that the costume is part of her job. Bulcsú falls in love with Sofie, and much later he discovers that she is the daughter of his good friend Béla (Lajos Kovács), a metro driver (the family of public transport workers don't need to buy tickets in Hungary). Béla is an alcoholic; he used to drive trains on the surface until he crashed a train due to "lack of braking distance".
