Driving in Vienna

Please note that I did not say Austria. I will stick to Vienna's city limits for now since I know that driving on Austria's highways is similar to driving on US highways.

We received our vehicle last week.  The Cat drove it home and it sat there until this week when we had a few functions at the school and decided to drive because the bus that goes up that way only comes around every hour.

Driving in Vienna is far from similar. Don't get me wrong. Roads are far superior to what we found in Warsaw. But, in retrospect, driving in Warsaw was far easier even with no stop signs, triple lane U turns, traffic circles (which I think are awesome), the common practice of jumping medians when traffic wasn't moving fast enough and my favorite - parking on sidewalks! Rules seemed to be guidelines.  Not following them did not get you in much trouble. In 3 years, I never got a ticket in Warsaw nor did I get into an accident. It was lawlessness at its finest.

In Vienna, things are different. For one, there are too many rules and, unlike Warsaw, they are enforced. The most important one is do not speed. This is not a difficult concept unless you consider that most speed limits are between 30-40 kilometers which is between 15 and 25 miles per hour! With those speeds, you may be inclined to push a bit further in that pedal. Don't. The Austrians have rigged speed cameras throughout the city that are obstructed from view. Sometimes they are out in the open, but they blend into their surroundings so well that if you don't pay attention, you may just miss them as you speed by.  Diplomatic plates may help you in the sense that the polizei may decide not to stop you because they know the interaction will be just as frustrating for them as it will be for you (language barrier and all). But, the cameras don't care. So you may be speeding along thinking nothing of it since no one is in front or in back of you and a few weeks later, you receive a ticket in the mail, or like some unfortunate acquaintances, several tickets. Oh, and with diplomatic plates, the tickets get sent to the Embassy so everyone knows you got a ticket.

Parking can also be a challenge.  There are plenty of parking garages in some areas that are free.  These are great because there are signs pointing you in their direction that indicate how many free spaces are at each garage. Inside the garages, each parking space has a little green light (free) or red light (taken) above the space.  No more wandering down each aisle hoping to find a spot.  But as you move away from the inner city to the outlying districts, there may only be street parking.  We have a parking garage underneath our house, but while our CRV fits, it is a tight fit.  Therefore, we will only be parking there when it snows.  In our district, it is not required that you buy a parkscheine (parking voucher) to park on the street. The problem is that some districts require while others don't and its a bit of a guessing game to figure out if you need to use one. These parkscheines are purchased at the local tobacco (Tabak) stores for minutes to up to 4 hours. You place them on your windshield after circling the date and time you are leaving your car. Don't circle the date or time or place on the windshield an you get an automatic ticket. Some people buy a bunch at a time and just keep them handy.  When in doubt, put it on your windshield.

Back to driving....the most troublesome aspect of driving here has to do with the trams.  Vehicular traffic and tram traffic share certain roads, usually the main ones.  So you are not only trying to look out for the cars around you, but also for the trams, the cyclists and the pedestrians.  Crosswalks at tram or bus stops are throughout the city and drivers are expected to stop if anyone is waiting to enter a crosswalk.  

The other curious aspect of driving around here is that besides traffic lights, there are hardly any stop signs.  Instead, there are yield signs at intersections.  If no one is coming, you don't have to stop.  This is the same concept as traffic circles, which at one time scared me to death.  I now embrace them because they keep the flow of traffic going.

I remember going to New York City with friends when I was 20 years old (some of you may remember joining me).  We drove there from DC and we also drove all over the city.  I was the driver. Despite, the massive traffic and the notoriety of NY drivers, I was not nervous about driving in NYC. In Warsaw, I don't recall being nervous about it either.  But, perhaps, since I am a bit older, with my fully developed frontal lobe, I see this as riskier than it once was.  I am pretty sure this is the reason that auto insurance rates drop once you turn 25. 

This week, I stuck to the streets where only buses travel because this is what I am used to.  I know one day, the Cat will call me to say that we have packages at the Embassy and I will have to wander into the Gürtel. Until then, I will take the excellent public transportation the city has to offer and keep the car and myself in one piece.