While in Wien...

So today was a strange day. I got up early, like too early and headed to the bus station in Prague. I had been having trouble making withdrawals, so luckily I had enough euros to switch to Czech Kc to buy the ticket to get outta town AND by a Kinder Bueno candy bar. Phew!

As I mentioned earlier the bus had some weird problem so we had to switch to another. The new one was fine though, and I slept the whole way- 4 hours! Once we got to Vienna I left the bus station and wandered for a minute. Oh, they call it Wien here, and use the word Wiener instead of Viennese. Try not to laugh. Anyway, the area around the bus station looked like the outskirts of some industrial town, modern and deserted looking. I was like, “Ok, where is all the Mozart stuff? And the Wiener Schnitzel?”

I decided I better ask someone where the trains to city center were. By this time I’m running REAL low on dough, and starting to stress. PLUS most trains in Europe are kind of trust-based, and I really wanted to sneak, but I didn’t. I bought the ticket and headed to the main square, Stephansplatz. When I came up I was totally blown away. BEAUTIFUL! Totally looked like what I thought Vienna should. But nevermind that, I was broke!

I found the nearest ATM- rejected. invalid. unauthorized. broke ass AMERICAN! ouch. I tried about 10 others then went inside Bank Austria. The tellers were mean and rude and since I hadn’t signed the back of my debit card, they wouldn’t help me. Plus, they didn’t like when I signed it with THEIR pen and then kind of put it a little too close to their faces to show off my autograph. Whatev. Then I tried calling the international toll free number on the back of my card, but it was out of service..?

Then I went to a third bank. This nice old man helped me and I started to have hope. Then he was like, “sorry I’m not authorized to work with Visa. Go to that bank.” He totally pointed to the one where ONLY assholes work. I swallowed my pride and put on my game face.

When I walked in I think I was actually doing the old “punch one hand with other fist” move. It seemed to intimidate this one queeny, fab-looking teller. So I went in for the kill. I was all, “I need to be connected with an International Visa Card Member Representative- IMMEDIATELY!”

And he totally snapped to it! They connected me with Visa Customer Services, who had some suggestions, but then just connected me to JP Morgan Chase directly. They told me that they just wanted to make sure I really was traveling and using the card abroad and all before they authorized more charges. I told them it was all good, and they made my card work within 5 minutes! AMAZING!

When I left the bank I actually started to appreciate the beauty of the city that I hadn’t noticed as I ran frantically from ATM to ATM. I looked around and kind of whimpered. I think I looked “moved” to the people around me, because I happened to be staring at a church, but I was like, “No, it’s that I’m RICH now!” But they didn’t speak English so I just smiled and pointed at the church- I mean, I was moved after all...

After this ordeal, I was relieved. But then I was like, how come the banks are so concerned about me now. What about when my address change was making credit card payments bounce? Or when a pending charge, which was a refundable deposit, over-drafted me? Yeah, none of that was my fault but IIIIII paid..? Least they could do is bitch out those Wiener bankers for me....

-H*

Pics from Vienna: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2144383&l=dc479&id=22001348