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Nazi No-No

Vienna Tram Driver Sacked For 'Sieg Heil' Greeting

A tram driver in Vienna who welcomed passengers with the Nazi greeting "Sieg Heil" has been sacked. He said he was only joking, but passengers and the Vienna transport company didn't see the joke.

A Vienna tram driver was sacked on Monday a day after barking "Sieg Heil" down the intercom at passengers. When a number of them protested vehemently against his use of the Nazi greeting, the 35-year-old driver said in a broad Viennese accent: "Can't you take a joke?"

He apologized to them, but was nevertheless sacked without notice by the Vienna transport company which called his behavior "unspeakable." The Vienna state prosecutor's office said it may take legal action against him and was checking whether he broke a law banning "National Socialist re-engagement."

One passenger on board the Number 1 tram, which runs around the inner city, filmed the incident on a mobile phone and put it on Youtube (eds: the video has since been removed but was available for viewing for a number of days after the incident). Newspapers reported that the "Sieg Heil" call triggered boos and hooting from the guests, and that some of the passengers had defended him, saying he had only been joking.

cro -- with wire reports