RAINER'S RAMBLINGS
Better late than never
By RAINER ARNOLD

I am constantly amazed at the fact that it is never too late to learn things. For instance I have been coming to Austria for the last four years and every year I bought a Vignette. That is a permit to drive on the highways in Austria. That little piece of paper is stuck to the inside of the windshield and costs about $8 per week. So If I stay for 3 weeks I pay $24. Really that is not too much money but if you multiply that by millions of drivers it does add up.

Well, the other day I was visiting with some Austrian friends, sitting 30 feet from the Danube, and the topic of the Vignette came up. I told them I had to go get one that day because I did not want to drive around without one and be fined. The friend laughed and said that I did not need one.

He then explained the only time you need a Vignette is when you drive on the Expressways in Austria. So all this time I spent money that I did not need to. If you want to drive on the Expressway, buy one for a day. Much cheaper. The other roads in Austria do not require a Vignette and the scenery is much nicer. So I did not buy a Vignette. I will wait until Thursday when I drive to Germany for my trip back to the Good Old USA. I will get one for one day and save me a little money.

Then I had gotten many letters from Austria Telekom. Those are the people that have the

land phone lines in Austria and are the leading internet provider. Last year I signed up for a phone and internet service so I could work from Austria with my laptop. Just like I am doing now.

When I returned to the U.S.A. I decided to cancel the phone service and the internet since I did not need it. I realized that I would have to pay some sort of a penalty but that was OK. Upon arrival I checked my mail and had many Austria Telekom bills. So, I asked a friend about where the closest office was for that company. I found out and then went there.

They were very nice but told me that I had apparently canceled the phone service but not the internet. It takes a separate form. They are big on forms. So, I asked how can I be charged for internet when the phone line is turned off and the internet runs through the phone line. The reply was simple. I needed to officially turn off the internet. It was required to do it separately. So, I had it turned off retroactive and I am out of hot water and saved a little more money.

So, you can see that it is never too late to learn some more about how things work in a foreign country. It really is fascinating how things are done differently in different countries. It also makes you wonder how foreign visitors feel when they come to America and how we do things.