Günter Dinhobl (Hrsg.): Sonderband 7. Eisenbahn/Kultur – Railway/Culture (2004)

I. Für eine Kulturgeschichte der Eisenbahn / Towards a cultural history of railways - Heidelinde Lindorfer: Train Ride With Closed Eyes

TRAIN RIDE WITH CLOSED EYES

Heidelinde Lindorfer

Palpable energy pumped by sturdy heart, impatient to set off.

Vibrations overlap shakes like Parkinson’s cogwheel arm movement I’m pulled on the right, pushed from the left, slide in my seat, changing direction.

Four paws and a clinking leash walk by, a child’s voice shoots like a machine gun through a babble of languages.

A Christmas bell announces the next stop:

,, Strebersdorf”.

Unscrewed coke bottle hiss, engine idles, doors open, cloud of fresh air, footsteps and new voices. Doors beep, slam shut,

I’m pushed into my seat.

A sharp fingernail folds a piece of paper. Somebody laughs through his nose. Bleeps of a slowly dialled cell phone number, a Nokia tune.