An Ode to the Older Ladies of Graz

They have ovaries of steel. To wit: today, I saw a lady who looked about 70 jaywalking across a busy street very, very slowly. A) jaywalking is a big no here and b) she absolutely had to walk past a crosswalk in order to get there. But that isn't the best example I've seen. It just reminded me of something that happened a couple of weeks ago.

I was walking home, and had to cross another very busy street. (This one, there's no way you could jaywalk it.) There was a woman, about 60 years old, standing next to the button you press for the walk sign. She was close enough that I would have had to get creepily close to press it, so I just stood next to her. Finally the light changed, and the street was clear...but the walk sign didn't come on. We stood there and waited. Finally, I asked her very politely, "Haben Sie es gedruckt?" (Did you press the button? in German).

She said, very indignantly, "Doch ich habe es gedruckt!" (Of course I pressed it!) Then she pressed it anyway, and the cross sign instantly came on. It is at this point she gained my eternal admiration, at much the same level and for the same reasons as Miss Piggy.

Without the slightest irony or self consciousness, she demanded, "Warum hast du nicht frueher gefragt!!" (Why didn't you ask me earlier!!)

Wow, lady. Just wow.