Press
In this country, only a few people know what it means, but in Vienna the expression “Oida” is almost considered good manners. Almost – as one young man had to learn.
Vienna – Language is changeable. If you didn’t know this, let Susanne Daubner confirm it. Every year, the Tagesschau presenter presents the norms for the youth word of the year. The word “Oida” has not yet crossed her lips. Probably because it is a term from the neighboring country. “Old man“ (in German: “age”) is in Austria Universally applicable: as an exclamation of astonishment or enthusiasm, to emphasize what has been said before, to address someone or simply as a filler word.
The term is apparently less suitable for communicating with police officers. Officers recently ordered a 28-year-old Viennese man to vacate his spot on a lawn in a park in the Ottakring district. In disbelief, he asked: “Hey, Oida, are you serious?” Spoiler: The officers were not in a joking mood. The young man must now go to prison.
Viennese man asks policeman “Well, Oida, are you serious?” – and has to go to prison
The 28-year-old told the Austrian media heute.at that he had met at the Congress Park in Vienna when the police arrived because of some rowdy youths. During the police operation, the officers asked him and his friends to leave the lawn where they were sitting. The Viennese man then responded in a rather unfriendly tone with the words mentioned above. But this was apparently too much of a reluctance for the officers – according to heute.at they would have recorded his data and announced that he would receive mail from the authorities.
A few days later, the promised letter arrived. “You violated public decency by committing the following act: calling the police officers who intervened ‘Oida’ and mocking the police’s official actions,” the letter read, according to the report. The result: a 100 euro fine. Money that the young man apparently does not want to pay.
“I’m not paying the sum because we Viennese use the word ‘Oida’ in every sentence,” commented the 28-year-old, according to the Austrian daily newspaper. Instead, he will now have to go to prison for 24 hours, the report continues. You should also watch your tongue in traffic – thoughtless expressions can be expensive.
Chain of unfortunate circumstances? Request to the press office of the responsible police authority
If it happened as the Viennese man told the newspaper, a prison sentence is an extreme outcome of his case. However, the information provided by the 28-year-old to the Austrian newspaper cannot be independently verified. The report also does not reveal which specific statements or actions are the basis for the police’s accusation of “mocking the police’s official actions”. A request from IPPEN.MEDIA to the press office of the responsible police authority remained unanswered.
However, if you want a clearer verbal derailment towards police officerscan expect to be charged with defamation. And that too can end in prison.
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