The Austrian Police Story….

My only previous encounter with Austria was a school trip several years ago when we spent the day in Salzburg. Having decided to study in Vienna (for reasons which I will discuss in a future post), I thought it would be useful to visit the City for a week so to acquaint myself with it’s geography, culture and most importantly, find somewhere to live!

I returned from this trip almost four weeks ago. I had a fantastic time sightseeing and doing all the touristy stuff (which again, I will explain in a later ‘blog’) – I soon got bored of looking for accommodation though and ended up doing the not so Viennese thing of drinking Latte in Starbucks whilst reading Harry Potter!

Coming home was eventful! I had my trombone case examined. Rather unusually, the Airport Authorities in Vienna Airport seem not to check ‘bulky items’ in the manner with which I was accustomed; X-ray. Instead, the security guy rubbed a cloth around the inside of the case, and then tested this cloth in a machine. Red light! And so he tried again...same! After he’s made a quick phone call I ask him what the problem is... a trace of TNT explosives in my case! I thought this was highly amusing until a huge, mean police officer turns up with a machine gun! He takes out the trombone and leaves with my case, passport and boarding pass. So I'm left standing in the middle of Vienna airport, holding a trombone at 5 in the morning - bricking it, frankly! He soon came back though and it was fine after he X-rayed it! Phew!