Margaret Felber - A Short Encounter

Margaret Felber  - photo by Nigel A JAMES

On the Right track!

For some people, their passage through life is often a question of making the most of things as they come. Many are good at it, few are excellent, and those who understand this art of survival are the ones who are able to see the promise in even the lowest of jobs. For them, there is nothing too low, for, in their humbleness lies the strength of great steel. And one such person who has successfully been down the highways and byways of life is Margaret Felber.

It was after the war. Things were hard. Margaret, like many others, too, was hungry and looking for work. Vienna was rebuilding, and, at the top on the list was the getting in order of the public transport system. This was not only good for the city, but perfect for Margaret, too.

And, so it was that she became a tram conductress. In those days a very sought after job, and one with a very smart dark blue uniform, too! But, of course, there was not just the selling of tickets and smiling. There were other sides, too, and they weren’t always easy!

There are two things that stand-out in her mind. The first, and perhaps the hardest, was the uncoupling and re-coupling of the rear carriages at the beginning and end of each journey. This wasn’t so bad in the summer, but, in the winter with its icy temperatures and early afternoon darkness, the lifting of the heavy and dirty and often freezing cold hooks and chains was something that nobody envied. But that was life and all part of her daily routine.

The second thing which sticks out in her mind had more to do with amusement than anything else.

It was always the same, and late Saturday nights were the best. The route upon which Margaret worked was the line 43, the connection between the outlying wine district of Neuwaldegg and the centre of Vienna. Many (if not most) of the passengers were still over-merry as they boarded the tram for a ride-home of laughing and singing; and, more often than not, Margaret broke all of the rules and joined in with it all!

And fun makes life easy and nice. Margaret has now gathered together the threads of her life in a book. And it is very interesting. In it are the people she met and the unforgettable times which she had - and all because she kept off of the high road and travelled the low road instead!

 
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