Vienna Warning or Danger Tips by morgenhund

Along the main shopping streets you will find people selling magazines - a wide range of current affairs, fashion and lifestyle magazines and also a large number of ehem... adult magazines. They carry a lot of foreign titles, e.g. Vogue or Cosmopolitan. If you do think about buying a magazine, you are better off going to a news stand. The magazines sold by street vendors do not have their price regulated - often a copy of British Cosmopolitan will cost in excess of EUR10, and also there is no guarantee that the issue will be the current one. You are better off heading to somewhere like Morawa.

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Karlsplatz is probably one of Vienna's busiest underground stations, with three underground lines converging here. It is also a haven for drop-outs, drugdealers and alcoholic vagrants. Whilst some keep themselves to themself, others can be confrontational. The police is aware of the problem but does not seem to be able to keep it in check - they scoop up many but it is like cutting the heads of the hydra. The establishment of a protection zone surrounding the nearby school has really only caused the problem to move back inside the station. There are security cameras throughout the station, but vigilance is recommended when walking through the station, especially towards the Resselpark end at night. Keep your belongings well concealed, and walk briskly and confidently through the station. Do not stop if someone asks you for change, food etc.

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Vienna is a generally safe city, although it does, like any city of close to 2 million inhabitants, have its seamier side. The 10th district, Favoriten, is probably the roughest district - it is a residential area, although most popular with the lower echelons of society. It has a more cosmopolitan feel than other parts of town which can be verging on the twee, but ultimately it is the only part of Vienna I would have to suggest that it is not a wise idea to walk around at night. There are few severe violent attacks, but there is a lot of petty crime, and you may put yourself at an unnecessary risk. As my tongue-in-cheek title suggests, there are a lot of problem teenagers in the 10th.

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Whilst the horses that pull the Fiaker are now required to have a bag to catch their droppings, you are still advised to watch you step. A far bigger problem though is the fact that Viennese dogs seem to be poorly toilet-trained - sadly their snooty and uppity owners don't have the decency to use one of the (scarce) dog loos, but think it fine to allow their pets to foul. Take particular care in parks - I had to berate an ignorant old biddy that letting her dog foul near a children's play area was irresponsible. She went off grumbling and muttering that it was a trek to the nearest dog loo, but at least was better informed.

Fortunately since October 2006 there has been a new initiative launched with posters advising to "Nimm ein Sackerl für mein Gackerl" (Take a sack for my cack!).

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