As an American, I have very little experience with public transportation. It never made sense when I lived in America because I had to drive to whichever station I planned on using. But in Europe, and Austria specifically, things are different. The train station is walking distance from my flat (apartment for all you Americans), and once in the city, my ticket covers riding buses, trams, and the u-bahn (the underground). If these types of transportation don’t work, I have my trusty feet.
I am still learning the culture of the public transport. In general, we riders of public transport ignore one another except to move over or sit down next to a stranger. There’s no shyness about grabbing the nearest vacant seat. Feet and legs shift to ease the way for the person moving to enter or exit, and that is the extent of the greeting. Mothers with strollers often find helping hands from fellow transport riders to lift the stroller from platform to train. And it’s done with few words.
Headphones are a most common accessory as are layers upon layers of jackets. School children and business people intermix with travelers and their luggage. Old and young ride. It all runs with such perfect fluidity. And do not fear if your German is limited, it is very likely that someone nearby speaks English.
But I always worry. Even now, I am writing this while riding on the train to my little suburb city outside of Vienna. I have yet to memorize all the stops. And I have boarded the wrong train before and ridden it far out of my way, only realizing just before things got really messy. I double check everything and still don’t believe my eyes until my platform arrives.
Oh, good. A stop that I recognize. Little American me has managed to be on the right train once again.
The public transport is a mosh pit of humanity. There are many moments where I wish my shirt button might be a camera so I could capture an image of different moments to share. Like the man dressed as a green clown or the man with a stereo stuffed under his shirt blaring music. Or the girl with eyeshadow matching her vibrant orange turtleneck in a long black trench coat, clutching a bottle of alcohol. And then there are the bikers (no, not motorcycle bikers), either only for transportation or for a mountain adventure.
Truly, public transportation in Austria and Europe comes with a culture all its own.
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