Job Discussion Forums

[Hod]

No link. Google it.

If you drive a car in any developed country, you get a test every year or two to check all’s roadworthy. The garage tests the brakes, lights, bodywork, etc., and emissions. The latter is no biggie, but older cars lose efficiency and need adjustments to meet emissions limits.

VW found their brand new diesel cars won’t pass any emissions test on earth. Rather than fix that obvious and h-u-m-u-n-g-o-us problem, an equally humungous team of software engineers developed a program to detect when a car was in a test environment, i.e. vehicle stationary, steering wheel stationary, driver seat empty and seat belts unfastened. When in this state, the engine power was restricted and thus the emissions reduced to test passing levels.

Not surprisingly, this façade was discovered in a cloud of soot and carbon monoxide. VW’s Chief Exec resigned, VW have a huge bill and an even bigger team of “engineers” fixing the problem.

It’s just a one off, right? Why not fly to nearby Berlin and take a look? Moment mal, wait. BER Berlin Airport was due to open in 2010. Twenty-six days before the planned opening date, it was announced the airport wasn’t "quite" ready yet. Can you imagine the financial losses and hardship to individuals and their families in logistic companies, the taxi drivers, business owners, staff and, oh yes, the airlines, to be told this four weeks before? How can anyone be so cruel and uncaring to so many people’s livelihoods?

The airport still isn’t due to open until 2017 or 2018. This isn’t a couple of sub-standard toilets we’re talking here. We’re talking eight years late, huge construction work. So many people knew there were problems in 2010, but not one spoke up. Same as VW in 2015 and a couple of other examples I could mention.

Two reasons I never made a single German friend in eight years there: One, I tell the truth about how many German friends I have, and the other is I’m a very good judge of character.

[grahamb]

[Hod]

With that level of research and time on your hands, apply for a job at VW perhaps? Odd.

[Knedliki]

If someone can live in a country for eight years and not make one friend they need to take a look in the mirror to see where the problem is.

[grahamb]

He hasn't had much luck after twelve years on Dave's ESL Cafe, either. It's all our fault, obviously.

[Hod]

[scot47]

Germanophobia is quite common amongst the English.

[Hod]

and now environmentalists.

Maybe Germans measure friendship in the same way they measure diesel emissions.

[grahamb]

The scandal isn't about how Germans measure diesel emissions; it's about a German company manipulating emissions tests.

Blaming a whole nation for the misdeeds of one company is rather harsh. And to think that less than a year ago Hod was singing the praises of the Teutonic ones!

[Hod]

If you don't mind, I won't comment on my old posts you've spent time reading. I should be flattered, but I find such behaviour disturbing.

Congratulations, however, on your return to the land of topic.

[Hod]