“Host kan genierer?” This slogan is intended to ensure that there is peace on public transport in Vienna. And more consideration is given to each other. The campaign will be featured on posters and social media in the coming weeks, and there will also be a song interpreted by Lorenz Ambeek in the style of Georg Danzer’s “I am a Kniera,” which addresses the topic of consideration.
The focus of the campaign is on artificially magnifying the nuisance – specifically a cell phone, a backpack and a liver loaf roll. Subtitled “It doesn’t matter to you, it’s a huge pain for others.” Around 800 people were previously asked what particularly bothered them. 86 percent of those surveyed said that talking on the phone with a loudspeaker or listening to music loudly bothered them. 92 percent think it is important that this is precisely what is avoided.
“Once awareness is created, it leads to increased social control,” says Ulli Sima, the city councilor responsible for public transport. This has already been seen, among other things, in the “Take a bag for my cack” campaign against dog excrement. It should now work similarly in the subway, tram and bus.
City councilor Ulli Sima (center) with a giant cell phone. Erich Kocina
Raise awareness, warn – “and after a few months we will see whether further measures are necessary,” says Sima. In fact, it would already be possible to impose a fine of 50 euros for violations of the Wiener Linien house rules. With the ban on eating in all subways since 2019, you don’t have to do this too often, says Wiener Linien managing director Alexandra Reinagl. “And if insults don’t work, we can also implement the house rules differently.”
However, the fact that passengers are called to order via a campaign is not new. There have already been a few similar attempts. In 2012, for example, a poster campaign was launched that discussed getting in and out quickly, keeping door areas clear, treating fellow passengers respectfully and also being considerate when eating, drinking, listening to music – and even smoking. “This youth of today!” was one of the slogans; two older women were shown being offered a seat by a young man in the subway.
In 2013, the “Respect has priority” campaign was directed against, among other things, listening to loud music, eating and picking your nose. “Do what you want, but please not here,” was the slogan that was spread.
As early as 2013, Wiener Linien warned that loud phone calls were not welcome on public transport. Vienna lines
It was emphasized at the time that this was not a “ban on eating or kissing”. The consumption of food is still permitted, said the press spokeswoman at the time, Anna-Maria Reich. But you shouldn’t dirty the vehicles. But even then it was pointed out that a violation of the house rules could result in a fine of 50 euros. It was said at the time that only those passengers who did not change their behavior after repeated warnings had to pay.
At the start of the “Respect has priority” campaign, the Wiener Linien staged a show with a chic stub, a hot dog and a cell phone (at that time it still had buttons). Wiener Linien / Thomas Jantzen
A few years later everything was different, because in 2018 the ban on eating in the subway was introduced. Initially it only applied to the U6, but in 2019 it was expanded to all subway lines. And it was also promoted with a campaign. The focus was once again on a humorous approach, for example with slogans à la “PizzaKrimie”, “Tatort Leberkäs” or “Nudelfall unsolved”.
“We try to do this with a bit of a wink and not just wagging our index finger seriously,” said the city councilor Sima, who was already responsible at the time. The posters said something like: “Your food smells so criminal that eating it in the U6 is now forbidden.” A cinema spot was even filmed for it at the time.
A campaign launched in 2016 had nothing to do with eating, making phone calls or listening to music. The main focus here was on the fight against door blockers. The title of the campaign was “Stress di ned” and included cropped images of people at the subway doors.
Stickers on subway trains draw attention to the blocking of subway doors. Wiener Linien/Johannes Zinner
However, the mother of all Viennese consideration campaigns has nothing to do with public transport – “Take a bag for my cack” started in 2006, initiated by the then city councilor for the environment, Ulli Sima. This campaign was widely parodied, but also taken seriously. And the stands in the ground on which the slogan including the dog could be seen were repeatedly stolen. They can still be found in many gardens today – even outside of Vienna.
