A seemingly ordinary train journey on the route Vienna-Meidling – Tullnerfeld, Austria, turned into a traumatic experience for Renate G., a 58-year-old woman who suffers from panic attacks and has a disability of 50%. She was fined €130 after sitting for several minutes in a first class compartment, trying to calm down during a severe anxiety attack.
“It all came out of nowhere”Renate G. told the Heute publication. “My heart started pounding and I felt nauseous as soon as I got on the train. I couldn’t find any free seats and it got worse”explained the woman.
In an attempt to calm down, she sat down on an empty seat in a first class compartment. “It was about two minutes at most“, she also said, emphasizing that she did not intend to travel to a class for which she did not have a ticket.
At that moment, a controller appeared to scan his pass, and an argument broke out between the two. “He sent me to second grade. I tried to explain that I had just had a panic attack and needed a few moments to calm down.”the woman reported. Renate complied and returned to second grade, thinking the incident was over.
Fine and summons to pay
A few weeks later, however, the woman received a fine of 130 euros. Three weeks after that, a payment summons arrived from a debt collection company, in the amount of 70 euros.
Shocked by the situation, Renate G. lodged a complaint with the customer service of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB). “I have done nothing wrong and therefore request that the summons be quashed“, she said.
Position of the Austrian Federal Railways
However, ÖBB representatives claim that the penalty was applied correctly. According to company spokesman Christopher Seif, the comptroller issued the fine “for uncooperative behavior and breaking the rules”. He stated that, according to the documents prepared, “there was no mention of a medical emergency, such as a panic attack.”
“Otherwise help would have been requested”explained Seif. He also emphasized that “kindness and respectful interaction are very important to us”however, in this case, no compromise can be made. Thus, the fine and additional costs remain valid.
