The Mofa Curse

Village life is not as quiet as one thinks. If it's not the tractors driving past the window, the church bells or cows that wake you up on a Sunday, it's the village band oompahing around for another festival.

But by far the most annoying noise pollution comes from mofas, the 50cc motorbikes that can be driven by every brat over 16. Fuschl currently has a little gang of four or five teenie boppers who drive their hairdryer bikes seemingly non-stop, much to the irritation of residents.

Now, I don't want to deny these kids their right to get around. If I was growing up in a small town in the sticks like Fuschl I would be desperate for my own transport. It's the fact that they use their machines for every tiny pointless journey.

On a typical evening, they meet for a smoke behind the post office. Then one or two drive the 300m to the gas station for more smokes or to fill up. Another drives the 200m to the vending machine. They all drive back to the post office for more smoking, occasionally giving lip to any one walking past.

Later, two or three whizz 250m up the road to the pub where despite not being able to see over the bar, they get a drink. Back to the post office, then over to the garage again.. ad infinitum.

The noise generated is an irritating whine, much louder than a scooter. At least one of them has a hole in the exhaust, adding to the din.

As I say, it's the kids' right to drive them, and in general they don't seem to break the 10pm curfew that Fuschl like most places in Austria has on them. However, it would be nice if they used them a bit more intelligently. Driving back and forth within a radius of 400m is totally pointless and incredibly annoying for most residents.

Not only that, but why the hell aren't they exploring a bit? Every 16 year-old wants to get out of wherever their parents are at and they have the means to do it, so why are they wasting their time mooching around Fuschl?