Overall, Vienna is one of the safest cities that I’ve ever experienced. As in all cities, however, there are certain parts that I wouldn’t venture into by myself. Karlsplatz, a main U-bahn (underground/metro) station, is one of those places that I tried to avoid as much as possible. It just seems to be a magnet for the unsavory…if you’re going to be pickpocketed in Vienna, it’s most likely going to happen at Karlsplatz, and the lower level of the station (aka the underbelly) is a popular hangout for drug addicts.
The Karlsplatz drug addicts are easy to spot for a number of reasons. First of all, there’s their location – the druggies like to hang out right across from the Starbucks where the U3 and U4 lines intersect. (Why they chose to put a Starbucks in the underbelly of Karlsplatz is beyond me…but that’s another story for another time.) Secondly, there’s their bizarre behavior and dress. And then there are the blue mouths. Apparently, there’s a popular drug in the area that turns your mouth (lips, tongue, the whole shebang) blue when you use it – as if the user has sucked on about 35 Electric Blue Raspberry Fruit Roll-Ups simultaneously.
Needless to say, when my travels did take me through the underbelly of Karlsplatz, I kept my bag close, my eyes forward, and my stride purposeful. It also helped that my understanding of German was quite limited…so even if a druggie had addressed me (which none ever did, to my knowledge), I could easily ignore him/her.
Fast forward to the 4th of July this year, after I had moved back to the States. I was celebrating the 4th at a Braves baseball game with my dad, sister, and almost two-year-old nephew. Being a toddler means having a relatively short attention span, so the three adults took turns taking my nephew for walks around the stadium when he got antsy. On my walk with him, as we wended our way through the crowds (and of course stopped to inspect trashcans, giant baseballs that comprise the stadium décor, and other things that captivate a two-year-old), I began to get a vague feeling of unease that almost began mounting to panic. I noticed a number of people around us –mostly teens and tweens – with blue mouths. What is going on?! I thought. These kids are so young…where did they get the drugs?? I thought Turner Field was family friendly!
It was then that I had the “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” moment. It wasn’t drugs that were turning the kids' mouths blue...it was blue snowcones! Welcome back to the land of artificial colors and food dyes, Anne! The only thing these kids are ODing on is sugar.
