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Vienna horse carriage driver charged for being drunk
You don't here often about those charged with DUI when taking tourists around on horse-drawn carriage rides.But in Vienna this week that's just what happened. A carriage -- or Fiaker, in local dialect -- driver was nailed for being drunk. How? Police gave him a breath test after his horses broke away from him and took a 39-year-old tourist and her two children on a wild ride through the Austrian capital.
The driver was just opening the carriage door to let his guests out when the horses broke free.
The Associated Press is reporting that the horses then preceded to run from Vienna's Third District over a bridge above the Danube into the city's Second District. In the process, the carriage hit two cars, which broke the horses loose. The horses continued running, while the carriage hit a third car and came to a rest.
The tourist and her children were uninjured in the incident. Police say the driver did not take proper precautions securing his horses.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Enduring Wanderlust Jan 3rd 2009 12:07PM
I once had a drunk gondolier in Venice. He even stopped the boat for a few minutes to get another Peroni!
Mary Jan 4th 2009 8:54AM
Horse-drawn carriages have no place on the streets of a busy city. As we have seen with recent accidents in Vienna, Berlin, St. Augustine, and Greenville, SC, horses spook easily and the consequences are generally severe, with often-deadly injuries to the horses and tremendous risk to humans. In Berlin, the driver was run over by the carriage and seriously injured. In New York City, where Smoothie spooked and died in September 2007, the horses stay out in inclement weather, in violation of the law; the drivers make illegal U-turns on busy streets; the horses are inadequately watered and have infrequent veterinary care; and meaningful regulation is not possible, by the ASPCA's own admission. The time for a ban on horse-drawn carriages is long overdue in New York City, and in any busy 21st-century city where horses must be on streets with automobiles, buses, and emergency vehicles.
peeba76 Jan 8th 2009 12:34AM
Oh, Mary, lying again are we? The TRUTH is that our horses get yearly vet inspections and spot inspections by the city. Ferrier care, worming, vet and dental care are all part of our routine. Our horses get vacations on farms, have temp restictions, and we are the MOST regulated business in NYC. FACTS. We have been in operation for over 100 yrs with NO animal cruelty violations EVER. We, by law, have the right of way and must make u turns in order to access our hack stands. We have 68 carriages, 2 shifts per day, 365 days a year...approx 55,000 round trips to and from the park every yr with 3 major accidents in 20 years. 100 pedestrians and 30 cyclists were killed in NYC last yr. FACTS. We do not "inadequatley water" our horses or any such thing. Your lies are rupulsive and are obvious to anyone with half a brain. Go to www.centralparkcarriagehorses.com for the truth. We can back up everything we say with video evidence. The truth is on our side.