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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

It wasn't my fault


Stadtpark - the way I like it best

As ESB Boston has predicted – the air conditioning is running better after a few days on cool. Which is just as well because summer has arrived early in Vienna and as I write this at 6:00 PM it is 29° outside.

This would not be a problem if we were in a different apartment but we are on the top floor and have lots of skylights. Wonderful in winter – not so good in summer.

I get worse hay fever in Vienna than I did in Sydney and I don’t know why - because in Australia we have wattle and all kinds of hay fever inducing stuff. But worse it is - and I have to take a lot of tablets to combat the effects - which include a lot of sneezing and someone rubbing sand into my eyes.

However – it was not hay fever which caused me to back into an oncoming car in the car park at my favourite shopping centre at Simmering yesterday.

It was one of those situations where I was parked next to a gigantic 40 tonne Koala-crusher (The ideal car in Vienna) so had no view to my right rear.  I hate this. You have no idea what is coming and the only way you can find out is to edge your car out and hope for the best.

So I started ever so gently to sneak out – having no idea what was coming – and scraped a car which was whizzing up behind me.

They took it very well - and – after a fashion – the exchange which followed proceeded as well as could be expected. Herr Winkler (no relation to The Fonz) did not thump me – and prevailed upon his wife not to do so. I told them I was from Australia – hoping that this would mitigate their feelings of animosity.

As Herman had no English - the proceedings were somewhat laboured and we used terms unfamiliar to me - but Frau Winkler filled out the forms and we parted company on fairly good terms – in fact Herr Winkler shook my hand before leaving and Frau Winkler softened her glare.

There was no damage at all to Billy.

Not that Billy remains in pristine condition.  He has had quite a few minor scrapes in our horrendous car park  which requires supremely high levels of skill, judgment and  dexterity in order to slot a car into a spot which is only inches wider than the car.

I don’t know what happens next. I imagine I will have to pay a lot of money and do time – although I am hoping to get off with a good behaviour bond.

5 comments:

  1. I'm glad you're ok!

    The weather has been blistering hot here, too...and it's only going to get worse.

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  2. I am amazed it is your first incident, the driving I saw in Europe especially in Austria was scary. The car parks were hilarious compared to the US, I must say even China had larger car park spaces and room to turn.

    Perhaps only a wee fee and a scolding.

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  3. sorry about the accident, I hope it doesn't get complex.
    as for the allergies, my theory is that you get used to the specific pollens where you grew up, and when you move to a different climate zone you're back to square one (says the girl from Minnesota living in Texas) zyrtec is my friend lol.

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  4. Smedette: It has cooled down today. Yippee.

    fmcgmccllc: Yes the car parks are tiny here. Don't understand it.

    li'l Muppet-lhead: Yes I think that's it. I have not gotten used to Vienna's wide variety of pollens.

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