The European newspapers are full of stories on Europeans who travel to the USA and who are harrassed by police, even jailed, for a behaviour that would be legal and socially acceptable in Europe (it usually has to do with alcohol, naked toddlers or changing clothes on the beach).

Simply, when you are travelling you have to know the rules. And you cannot expect to find "big signs in English" everywhere (as one poster demanded).

OP made a mistake by not knowing that in many European cities, you have to stamp your ticket to validate it (although the guidebooks write about it and the instructions on the ticket machines tell it, often even in English).

Can happen, costs 70 Euros - not a huge amount.

OP should have paid it on the spot. They would have lost 10 minutes or so and 70 Euros. Lesson learned. Like a European tourist who has parked in front of a hydrant in New York.

However, then OP started to make it worse by not accepting the rules, the mistake and the consequences. Of course, the Viennese police has better things to do than to deal with stubborn tourists who refuse to accept their misdemeanour. You cannot expect in such a case to be treated like a customer in a five-star hotel.

Obviously, some misunderstandings made the situation more complicated. Mentioning the girl from Vienna who was probably a different case did not help in this situation. When you have trouble with law enforcement because you have committed a crime it never helps pointing at others.

And then, OP made it further worse by going to the complaints office. I find it remarkable that the police in Vienna even has a complaints office. But, again, they are supposed to deal with complaints when citizens really have a point and not with tourist who still do not accept that they had broken the rules in a minor case.

I am sorry to say that OP ruined their stay by themselves. And I do not have the impression that they stayed "calmly". "Calmly" would have meant having paid the fine on the spot.

I even find it insulting to compare Viennese law enforcement with Spanish pickpocket gangs.

Vienna is a beautiful city. And, BTW, a very safe city. Just learn about the tariff regulations of public transport - as in every other city on this planet.

My advice for travellers to Europe:

Read your guidebook, especially the section about public transport tariff systems. And if you get in trouble with authorities because you have made a mistake, be friendly, deferent and contrite - then, often, the authorities will be lenient with you. Complaining never helps - neither on both sides of the Atlantic.

Bravo Echnaton

You never know, an apology and quickly tendering the 70 euros, might even have resulted in them getting a "remember in future" and being let off the fine.
I agree that the comparison with pickpockets was insulting and unnecessary.

All the people who posted "sorry but rules are rules" are obviously either German or Austrian.
The cultural norm in Germanic speaking countries to robotically apply the letter of the law in a totalitarian manner to all cases is one big reason France Spain and Italy have significantly more tourist visits each year.
Take care of your tourists if you want them to return one day.

A 70 or 103 euro fine is abusive and excessive when the persons intent is to follow the rules and pay the transport fare. It is only appropriate when the person is a Vienna resident purposefully trying to evade paying the fare.

You should draft a new law (so that it can be followed 100 percent of the time with no exceptions) that allows the metro controllers to use their discretion to apply a lower fine based on the spirit of he law and the intent of the person caught.

Lastly, the patronizing tone used by some of the Vienna locals in comments above is all the more reason to select another European spot to visit for our next vacation.

I respectfully, disagree, busco75. Every country has its rules, customs and laws. It is incumbent on the traveler or visitor to abide by them.

Friends got engaged at the top of Burj Khalifa. Excited and overwhelmed about the proposal, the couple forgot and kissed. A security officer immediately ushered them into an office where they were detained for nearly an hour and were going to eject them from the hotel. Our friends were were respectful and apologetic. They were not charged with their indiscretion and the staff permitted them to stay, even though they were an unmarried couple sharing a room.

They cut their trip short and spent the rest of it in Istanbul.

They were lucky.

The thread is over 4 years old

Hello all,
I was in Vienna for a visit. I got a penalty parking ticket that costs me to pay for €36.00.
For me, it was a great catch! No signs of anything on where to buy a parking ticket?! I remember then that somebody told me to buy a parking ticket on tobacco shops. I have searched tobacco shops in most corners nearby but it all of it were closed. So I decided to leave my car without a parking ticket hoping that if someone would give me a penalty, I could explain that all tobacco shops in the nearby parking were closed. But, then to my dismay, when I get back after an hour, the parking ticket was clipped-in my wiper.
I have asked the officer that put and gave me the said penalty ticket and replied me that I should buy the parking ticket to the nearby tobacco shops before I leave my car. But I answered him that I have searched in most corners of this area and all of it were closed. Then, he just said sorry. Of course, I still asked him why there’s no signs/information where to buy parking ticket or any automated parking machines? He just replied – We are saving! Oh my God, I was surprised by his answer! I still informed him that I lived in 2 cities in Austria; one in Graz and one in Villach. All those have automated ticket machines plus Parking signs. For a nice city of Vienna that is ridiculous not to have any?!!! Why don’t they have those Parking signs and Automated Parking ticket?! Are those penalties a “catch” for visitors?!
To my embarrassment, I drove back to Munich and did not stay any longer in Vienna!

You should read what Austrian writer Thomas Bernhard (winner of Austrian State Prize for Literature, 1967) has to say about Vienna and the Viennese!

If you do want to read a rant about the Viennese, pick up a copy of Woodcutters. You will laugh your a$$ off!

Thin, hates Vienna