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Klaus-Peter Sabotta

Klaus-Peter Sabotta

Klaus-Peter Sabotta was an extortionist who sabotaged German railways in 1998, only six months after the Eschede disaster. He claimed to represent former employees of the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn who had been made redundant, and demanded a ransom of DM10 million. The first act of tampering, near Wilmersdorf was detected and repaired before any train passed, while a second attack on the InterCity Express line at Uchtspringe failed to derail its intended target. The third act of sabotage, near Anklam resulted in the derailment of a freight train heading north. Had a passenger train due at the time not been half an hour late, it would have run into the wreckage of the freight train. As he attempted to collect the ransom at a filling station in Bavaria, he was ambushed by police. On February 4 2000 he was convicted of attempted murder and attempted extortion, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Sabotta Sabotta Sabotta

Extortion

Extortion is a criminal offense, which occurs when a person obtains money, behaviour, or other goods and/or services from another by wrongfully threatening or inflicting harm to this person, reputation, or property. Euphemistically, refraining from doing harm is sometimes called protection. Blackmail is one kind of extortion -- specifically, extortion by threatening another's reputation with the disclosure of incriminating statements (true or false) about him. Even if it is not criminal to disclose the information, it constitutes extortion to demand money or other consideration not to disclose it. [http://www.lectlaw.com/def/b105.htm] Extortion is distinguished from robbery. In robbery, the offender steals goods from the victim whilst threatening him with immediate force. In extortion, the victim willingly turns the goods over to avoid a threatened later violence or other harm. The term extortion is often used metaphorically to refer to usury or to price-gouging, though neither is legally considered extortion. Libertarians and Objectivists consider taxation a form of legalized extortion. The great increase in often-frivolous lawsuits in recent times has led to situations where some feel that others are abusing the legal system in their own extortion schemes, threatening to sue (for instance over alleged trademark infringement or defamation) in cases where the prospective defendant did no wrong, but feels compelled to settle and make a payment anyway to avoid expensive litigation.

External links

- [http://www.fbi.gov The Federal Bureau of Investigation]
- [http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5161209.html Recording Industry Association of America extortion scheme] Category:Crimes Category:Illegal occupations

Sabotage

]] Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy through subversion, obstruction, disruption, and/or destruction.

Origin

The name derives from the early industrial age, when powered looms could be damaged by displaced weavers (proto-saboteurs) throwing their wooden shoes (known in French as sabots) into the machinery. Literally it means, "clattering in sabots". Radical trade unions, such as the IWW, have advocated sabotage as a means of self-defence and direct action against unfair working conditions. One of the tasks of security guards is therefore the prevention and detection of sabotage.

Sabotage in war

In war, the word is used to describe the activity of an individual or group not associated with the military of the parties at war (such as a foreign agent or an indigenous supporter), in particular when actions result in the destruction or damaging of a productive or vital facility, such as equipment, factories, dams, public services, storage plants or logistic routes. Unlike acts of terrorism, acts of sabotage do not always have a primary objective of inflicting casualties. Saboteurs are usually classified as unlawful enemy combatants, and like spies may be liable to prosecution and criminal penalties instead of detention as a prisoner of war.

Sabotage as part of a crime

prisoner of war]] Some criminals have engaged in acts of sabotage for reasons of extortion. For example, Klaus-Peter Sabotta sabotaged German railway lines in the late 1990s in an attempt to extort DM10 million from the German railway operator Deutsche Bahn. He is now serving a sentence of life imprisonment.

Sabotage online

"Sabotages" are practical joke websites, in which the user is subjected to a scene or series of scenes, to lull the viewer into a false sense of security, only to have a scary or disturbing picture and/or screaming sound effect pop up, thus "sabotaging" them. They may also come under the name of screamers.

References

- Emile Pouget, Le sabotage; notes et postface de Grégoire Chamayou et Mathieu Triclot, 1913; Mille et une nuit, 2004; English translation, Sabotage, paperback, 112 pp., University Press of the Pacific, 2001, ISBN 0898754593.

External links, Resources, and References

- [http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Opening/7482/ciaintro.html Central Intelligence Agency sabotage manual]
- [http://www.reachoutpub.com/osh/ Ozymandias Sabotage Handbook]
- [http://www.uncc.edu/ragiacal/sabframes.html Employee Sabotage]
- Brian Martin, [http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/pubs/01nvc/nvcp08.pdf Sabotage], Nonviolence versus Capitalism [PDF] Category:Activism Category:Crime Category:Military tactics Category:Warfare

Eschede train disaster

The Eschede train disaster was the worst train accident since 1939 in German history. It happened on 3 June 1998, near the village of Eschede in the district of Celle, Lower Saxony. (Coordinates of accident: .)

Chronology

The ICE high-speed train "Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen" was on the route from Munich to Hamburg. After stopping in Hanover at 10:30 am, the train continued its journey northwards. Six kilometres south of Eschede, near Celle, a wheel rim lining a wheel on the third axle of the first car broke, peeled away from the wheel, and punctured the floor of the car, where it remained embedded. What followed was a chain of events that unfolded in seconds and yet would later take investigators months to piece together. As the train passed over the first of two track switches, the embedded wheel rim slammed against the guide rail of the switch, pulling it from the railway ties. This steering rail also penetrated the floor of the car and became embedded there, lifting the axle carriage off the rails. At 10:59, one of the now derailed wheels struck the points lever of the second switch, changing its setting. The rear axles of car number 3 were switched onto parallel track, and the entire car was thereby thrown into the bridge pylons of a 300 metric tonne roadway overpass, destroying them completely. Car number 4, likewise derailed by the violent deviation of car number 3 and still travelling at 200 km/h, passed intact under the bridge and rolled onto the embankment immediately behind it. Three railway workers who had been working near the bridge were killed instantly. The tearing of the wagon hitches caused automatic brakes to engage and the undamaged cars 1 to 3 (as well as the front locomotive) came to a halt at the Eschede train station, some 3 km down the track. As the second half of car number 5 passed under the bridge, it collapsed, flattening the car completely. The remaining cars folded into the rubble in a zig-zag pattern, as the collapsed bridge had completely obstructed the track: Cars 6 and 7, the service car, the restaurant car, the three first class cars numbered 10 to 12, and the rear locomotive all derailed and slammed into the pile. The resulting mess was likened to a partially collapsed folding ruler. An automobile was also found in the wreckage. It belonged to the three DB railway technicians and was probably standing on the bridge before the accident. The crash made a sound that witnesses later described as "startling", "horribly loud", and "like a plane crash". Nearby residents, alerted by the sound, were the first to arrive at the scene. At 11:02 the local police declared an emergency; at 11:07, as the magnitude of the disaster quickly became apparent, this was elevated to "major emergency". More than 1000 rescue workers from the regional emergency services, fire departments, rescue services, police and army were dispatched. Some 37 emergency physicians, who happened to be attending a professional conference in nearby Hannover, also gave their assistance in the early hours of the rescue effort. While many passengers and the driver survived in the front part of the train, there was almost no chance of survival in the rear carriages. One hundred and one (101) people died in the disaster, including the three railway workers who had been standing under the bridge.

Causative factors

Wheel design

The first generation ICE (ICE 1) trains were equipped with single-cast wheels, known as "monoblock" wheels. Once in service it soon became apparent that this design could, as a result of metal fatigue and out-of-round conditions, lead to resonation and vibration at cruising speed. Passengers noticed this particularly in the restaurant car, where there were reports of loud vibrations in the dinnerware and of glasses "creeping" across tables. In trying to solve the problem, engineers decided that the suspension of ICE cars could be improved with the use of a rubber damping ring between a metal wheel rim and the wheel body. A similar design had been employed successfully in streetcars, though at significantly lower speeds. This new rim, dubbed a "wheel-tire" design, consisted of a wheel body surrounded by a 20 mm thick rubber damper and then a relatively thin metal wear rim. The new design was not tested at high speed before it was commissioned and brought into service, but proved successful at resolving the issue of vibration at cruising speeds. At this point in time, no facilities existed in Germany to physically test the failure limit of a wheel and so complete prototypes were never actually tested. The design and specification relied heavily on available materials data and theory. Very few laboratory and rail tests were carried out, and the few that were did not measure wheel behaviour under extended wear conditions or outside of cruising speeds. Nevertheless, over a period of years the wheels proved themselves apparently reliable and, until the accident, had not posed any major problems. The Fraunhofer Institute was charged with the task of determining the cause of the accident. It was later revealed that the institute had told the DB management as early as 1992 about its concerns vis-à-vis possible metal wheel rim failure. In the months leading up to the accident, the Hannover transit authority reported that the metal wheel rims employed in its trains were failing far earlier than expected based on the failure limit estimates; it unilaterally decided to replace the wheels much earlier than was legally required by the specification. In doing so, it reported its findings in a warning to all other users of wheels built following similar designs, including the German Federal Railway. It was soon apparent that dynamic, repititive forces had not been accounted for in the statistical failure modelling done during the design phase, and the resulting design lacked an adequate margin of safety. The following factors, overlooked during design, were noted: # The metal wheel rims are flattened into an ellipsoid as the wheel turns through each revolution (approximately 500,000 times during a typical day in service on an ICE train), with corresponding fatigue effects. # In contrast to the monoblock wheel design, cracks can also form on the inside of the metal wheel rim. # As the metal rim gets thinner due to wear, the dynamic forces are exaggerated and the microfine cracks become larger. # Flat spots and ridges or swells in the rim surface dramatically increase the dynamic forces on the assembly and greatly accelerate wear. "Wheel-tire" designs have a long history of problems going back to the dawn of rail travel. Needless to say, they are no longer used in Germany.

Other factors

Valuable time was lost when a passenger tried to warn the train crew about a large piece of metal coming up through the floor. The train manager refused to stop the train until he had investigated the problem himself, saying this was company policy. Too much time was lost. Conventionally, railways apply a stop and examine policy when there is strange behaviour or noises from a train. The design of the overbridge may have also contributed to the accident because it had two thin piers holding up the bridge on either side, instead of the spans going from solid abutments to solid abutments. The Granville train disaster of 1977 had a similar weakness in its bridge. The bridge built after the disaster is a cantilevered design and does not suffer this deficiency. Another contributing factor is the use of welds in the carriage bodies that "unzipped" during the crash (see Modern Railways December 2004, p16).

External links

- [http://danger-ahead.railfan.net/reports/eschede/index.html The Eschede Reports]
- [http://www.railfaneurope.net/ice/ice.html The ICE/ICT pages]
- [http://www.ndt.net/news/2000/eschedec.htm ICE Train Accident in Eschede - Recent News Summary] Category:Railway accidents Category:1998 Category:Lower Saxony

Employee

Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. In a commercial setting, the employer conceives of a productive activity, generally with the intention of creating profits, and the employee contributes labour to the enterprise, usually in return for payment of wages. Employment also exists in the public, nonprofit and household sectors. In the United States, the "standard" employment contract is considered to be at-will meaning that the employer and employee are both free to terminate the employment at any time and for any cause, or for no cause at all. To the extent that employment or the economic equivalent is not universal, unemployment exists. Employment is almost universal in capitalist societies. Opponents of capitalism such as Marxists oppose the capitalist employment system, considering it to be unfair that the people who contribute the majority of work to an organization do not receive a proportionate share of the profit. However, the surrealist and the situationist movements were among the few groups to actually oppose work, and during the partially surrealist-influenced events of May 1968 the walls of the Sorbonne were covered with anti-work graffiti. Labourers often talk of "getting a job", or "having a job". This conceptual metaphor of a "job" as a possession has led to its use in slogans such as "money for jobs, not bombs". Similar conceptions are that of "land" as a possession (real estate) or intellectual rights as a possession (intellectual property).

Employer

An employer is a person or institution that hires employees or workers. Employers offer wages to the workers in exchange for the worker's labor-power. Employers include everything from individuals hiring a babysitter to governments and businesses which hired many thousands of employees. In most western societies governments are the largest single employers, but most of the work force is employed in small and medium businesses in the private sector. Note that although employees may contribute to the evolution of an enterprise, the employer maintains autonomous control over the productive base of land and capital, and is the entity named in contracts. The employer typically also maintains ownership of intellectual property created by an employee within the scope of employment and as a function thereof. These are known as "works for hire". Within large organizations the management of employees is often handled by Human Resources departments.

Employee

An employee is any person hired by an employer – typically, a worker hired to do a specific "job". Typical examples include accountants, solicitors, lawyers, photographers, among many other worker categorizations. There are differing classes of employee. Some are permanent and receive a guaranteed salary, while others are hired on short term contracts or as consultants. In this respect, it is important to distinguish independent contractors who are treated differently both in law and in most taxation systems. The employee contributes labour and expertise to an endeavour. Employees perform the discrete activity of economic production. Of the three factors of production, employees usually provide the labor. Some companies feel that a happier work force is a better one and thus offer extra benefits to improve team spirit and performance. However, other employers try to increase profits by giving low wages and few benefits. To resist this, employees can organize into labor unions (American English), or trade unions (British English), who represent most of the available work force and must therefore be listened to by the management. This is the source of considerable bad feeling between the two sides, and sometimes even violence.

Alternatives

An individual who entirely owns the business for which he labours is known as self-employed, although if a self-employed individual has only one client for whom he performs work, he may be considered an employee of that client for tax purposes. Self-employment often leads to incorporation. Incorporation offers certain protections of one's personal assets. Laws of incorporation vary from state to state with California having the most incorporated businesses of any state in the U.S. Workers who are not paid wages, such as volunteers, are generally not considered as being employed. Someone who works under obligation for the purpose of fulfilling a debt without pay is known as a slave and slaveowners are also not considered employers. Some historians suggest that slavery is older than employment, but both arrangements have existed for all recorded history.

Employment Research and Education

[http://www.ilr.cornell.edu Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations] [http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/lwp Labor and Worklife Program] at Harvard Law School

Films

Death on the Job, Filmmakers: William Guttentag and Vince DiPersio,1991 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/ Office Space], written and directed by Mike Judge.

External links

- [http://www.asian-nation.org/employment.shtml Asian-Nation: Employment & Occupational Patterns of Asian Americans]
- [http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073858790&topicId=1073858787&furlname=employment&furlparam=employment&domain=www.businesslink.gov.uk Comprehensive overview of employment law and best practice for the United Kingdom]
- [http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm United States Department of Labor report on the current employment situation]
- [http://www.ozfreeonline.com/jobs/ OzFreeOnline.com: Australian Job Search Listing]
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- [http://www.GoYocal.com/ GoYocal.com: UK Job Listings]
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- [http://london.GoYocal.com/ London.GoYocal.com: London Job Listings]
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- [http://Birmingham.GoYocal.com/ Birmingham.GoYocal.com: Birmingham Job Listings]
- ja:雇用

Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn AG (German Railway Corporation; abbreviated DBAG or simply DB) is Germany's main railway operator, providing passenger and goods services over federally owned tracks. The successor of the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the former East Germany, it has operated since January 1 1994. DBAG refers to itself as "Die Bahn" on all public advertising.

Corporate structure

1994.]] DBAG is fully owned by the Federal Government, but is autonomous and expected to operate as a for-profit business. It is hoped that the privatisation and opening of German tracks to other railway companies will promote competition and efficiency, and eventually lead to higher standards and lower costs. DBAG has been subdivided into various semi-independent divisions:
- DB Netz: manages the railway network
- DB Station+Service: manages station buildings, ticket sales and general service
- DB Fernverkehr (previously DB Reise&Touristik): operates long-distance trains, restaurant cars and food service inside stations
- DB Regio: operates short and medium distance trains as well as commuter services
- DB ZugBus: provides bus services and owns many smaller bus companies
- Railion (previously DB Cargo)
- BRG (Bahnreinigungsgesellschaft): provides cleaning services
- BSG (Bahnschutzgesellschaft): employs safety patrol personnel for railway stations and trains, mostly at night
- DB Immobilien: manages all real estate
- DB Fuhrpark: owns all corporate cars

Chief executives of Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Bahn AG

Railion
- Heinz Maria Oeftering (1957-1972)
- Wolfgang Vaerst (1972-1982)
- Reiner Gohlke (1982-1990)
- Heinz Dürr (1991-1997)
- Johannes Ludewig (1997-1999)
- Hartmut Mehdorn (1999-present)

Codeshare with airlines

In conjunction with American Airlines, Emirates, and Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn operates rail services (AiRail Service) between Frankfurt International Airport and Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Freiburg, Hamburg, Hanover, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, and Stuttgart. Deutsche Bahn has the IATA designator 2A.

External links

- [http://www.bahn.de DB - Web site for travellers, including a rail travel planner for all Europe, including the Trans-Siberian railway]
- [http://www.db.de DB - Corporate web site]
- [http://railroad-eras.eisenbahn-epochen.de Railroad Eras in Germany]
- [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/92/92616.html Yahoo! - Deutsche Bahn Aktiengesellschaft Company Profile]
- [http://www.sh1.org/eisenbahn/s.htm A Website giving english explanations and examples of German Railway signalling systems]
- [http://home.att.net/~rw.rynerson/papiere.htm "Documents" - Travel on the Allied Military Trains Berlin - Magdeburg - Helmstedt - West in 1969]
- [http://rails_to_berlin.home.att.net Rails to Berlin - observations in reunified Germany] Category:Companies of Germany Category:Railway companies ja:ドイツ鉄道

Redundancy (law)

In UK employment law, redundancy is the dismissal of an employee when his or her job becomes unnecessary. UK redundancy law allows three reasons for redundancy: #Total cessation of the employer's business (whether permanently or temporarily) #Cessation of business at the employee's workplace #Reduction in the number of workers required to do a particular job. The law requires the employer to make a statutory redundancy payment, which is tax-free and is based on the employee's length of service, as long as the employee has served a minimum of two years. The employee is not allowed to claim redundancy if he or she was offered an alternative position with similar salary, status and responsibilities. Category:Employment law

Deutsche mark

The Deutsche Mark (DEM, DM) or German mark was the official currency of West and, from 1990 onwards, unified Germany. It was first issued under Allied occupation in 1948 replacing the Reichsmark, and served as the Federal Republic of Germany's official currency from its founding the following year until 1999, when the mark was replaced by the Euro; its coins and banknotes remained in circulation, defined in terms of euros, until the introduction of euro notes and coins in early 2002, after which they were quickly withdrawn. The Deutsche Bundesbank or services like GFC has guaranteed that all DM cash may be changed into Euro forever. One euro was set to be equivalent to DEM 1.95583. One Mark was divided into 100 Pfennige; in colloquial German, the 10 Pfennig coin was also called a Groschen.

History

A mark had been the currency of Germany since its original unification in 1871. Before that time, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16 2/3 grams of pure silver. Although the mark was based on gold rather than silver, a fixed exchange rate between the Veriensthaler and the mark of 3 mark = 1 Vereinsthaler was used for the conversion. The first mark, known as the gold mark, was introduced in 1873. With the outbreak of the First World War, the mark was taken off the gold standard. The currency thus became known as the Papiermark, especially as high, then hyperinflation occurred and the currency became exclusively made up of paper money. The Papiermark was replaced by the Rentenmark in late 1923 and the Reichsmark in the following year. In the former GDR the East German mark (Mark der DDR, unofficially Ostmark) was used. The Deutsche Mark was introduced in 1948 by the Allied powers once the post-war division of Germany into East and West seemed permanent. The move, intended to protect West Germany from the second wave of hyperinflation and stop the rampant barter and black market trade (where American cigarettes acted as currency), angered the Soviet authorities in East Berlin, who regarded it as a threat and promptly cut off all transport (road, rail and canal) links from West Germany to West Berlin. This led to the Berlin Crisis of 1949. The mark was issued by the Deutsche Bundesbank and earned a reputation as a strong store of value at times when other national currencies succumbed to periods of inflation. It became a source of national pride and an anchor of the country's economic prosperity, particularly during the years of the Wirtschaftswunder in the 1950s. In the 1990s, opinion polls showed a majority of Germans opposed to the adoption of the euro; polls today show a significant number would prefer to return to the mark. The deutsche mark played an important role in re-unification. It was introduced as the official currency of East Germany in July 1990, replacing the Ostmark, in preparation for unification on October 3. Bank accounts were exchanged at a rate of 1:1 for the first few thousand marks, which many economists criticized as being too generous, and a key cause of the subsequent economic problems in the new German states.

Coins

Image:Dmark-coins-front.jpg The image displays the obverses of all regular coins, with the values of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00 and 5.00 DM (there is no 0.20 coin, and no 0.25 coin, and originally there was no 2.00 coin either). 0.01 and 0.02 are copper-colored, 0.05 and 0.10 are brass-colored, the rest are silver-colored. The reverse displays an oak twig (0.01-0.10), a woman planting an oak seedling (0.50), the Bundesadler (German eagle; 1.00 and 5.00) and faces of the German politicians and scientists Konrad Adenauer (Chancellor), Theodor Heuss (President), Franz-Josef Strauss (Minister of Defense), Ludwig Erhard (Chancellor), Kurt Schumacher (Leader of the SPD), Willy Brandt (Chancellor) and Max Planck (Physicist) (2.00). There is a considerable number of commemorative 5 and 10 DM coins, which actually had the status of legal tender but are rarely seen outside of collectors' circles.

Banknotes

There were three series of DM banknotes:
- One issued in 1948 by the Bank deutscher Länder, an institution of the western occupation government. The designs were similar to the US Dollar, French franc, and British pound, as the job of designing and printing the different denominations was shared between the occupying powers.
- One issued in 1960 by the Bundesbank, depicting neutral symbols and famous paintings and buildings. There were 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 DM denominations.
- One issued in 1989 by the Bundesbank to counter advances in forgery technology. The notes depicted German artists and scientists together with symbols and tools of their trade. This series added a 200 DM denomination, to decrease the use of 100 DM banknotes, which made up 54% of all circulating banknotes, and to fill the "gap" between the 100 DM and 500 DM denomination. However, the 200 DM was very rarely seen and was not accepted by the public. In the latter two series, the 5 DM denomination was rarely seen, as were the ones with a value greater than 100 DM.

Banknotes of the third series (1990-2002)

forgery ([http://www.germannotes.com http://www.germannotes.com])]] The design of German banknotes remained unchanged since the 1960's. Since then, forgery technology made significant advances, so in the late 1980's the Bundesbank decided to issue a new series of Deutsche Mark banknotes. The colours for each denomination remained unchanged to the previous series, but the design underwent a significant change, and a 200 DM denomiation was newly introduced. Famous national artists and scientists were chosen to be displayed on the new banknotes. Interestingly, male and female artists were chosen in equal numbers. The buildings in the background of the note's obverse have always a close relationship to the person displayed (e.g. place of birth, place of death, of work), as well as the second background picture (Lyra and the musician Schumann). The reverse of the note refers to the work of the person on the obverse. The new security features were: A windowed security-thread (with the notes denomination in microprinting), micro-printing, itaglio-printing, colour-shifting ink (on the 500 and 1000 DEM denominations), a see-through register, and UV-visible security features. First to be issued were the 100 and 200 DM denominations on 1 October 1990 (although the banknote shows "Frankfurt am Main, 2.Januar 1989"). The next denomination was 10 DM in March 1991, followed by 50 DM in autumn the same year. Next was the 20 DEM note in March 1992 (printed on 2 January 1991). The reason for this gradual introduction was, that public should become familiar with one single denomination, before introducing a new one. The change was finished with the introduction of the 5, 500, and 1000 DM denominations on 1 October 1992. The latter three denominations were rarely seen in circulation and were introduced in one step. With the advance of forgery technology, the Bundesbank decided to introduce additional security features on the most important denominations (50, 100, and 200 DM) as of 1996. These were a hologram foil in the center of the note's obverse, a matted printing on the note's right obverse, showing its denomination (like on the reverse of the new €5, €10, and €20 banknotes), and the EURion constellation on the note's reverse. Furthermore, the colors were changed a bit to pastel to hamper counterfeing.

Spelling

The currency is called the Deutsche Mark in German, not "Deutschmark". When using the plural (e.g., 10 DM), Deutsche Mark is used as well, not Deutsche Marks.

External links

- [http://www.bundesbank.de/bargeld/bargeld_faq_dm.en.php http://www.bundesbank.de/ — Pictures and descriptions of all the notes and coins]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/business/2001/euro_cash/spent_currencies/mark.stm Overview of German mark from BBC online] Mark, Deutsche Mark, Deutsche ja:ドイツマルク

Wilmersdorf

Wilmersdorf is an area of Berlin, formerly a borough but since 2001 part of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. The Kurfürstendamm runs through the area. Wilmersdorf was a village near Berlin (Deutsch-Wilmersdorf) and was made a part of "Greater Berlin" in 1920. The borough with the name of Wilmersdorf included also the areas of Schmargendorf and Grunewald. Category:Districts of Berlin

InterCity Express

The InterCity Express or ICE is a type of high-speed train operated by DB Fernverkehr in Germany and neighboring countries, for example to Zürich, Switzerland or Vienna, Austria. ICE-trains also run at lower speeds to Amsterdam, Netherlands and to Liège and Brussels, Belgium on the Belgian highspeed way. The Spanish railway operator RENFE also employs these trains, and the Russian state ordered 60 for new high-speed routes between St Petersburg and Moscow. The new management of the Russian railways is reviewing the order and apparently plans to reduce it to six trains. Another 60 trains were ordered for the Chinese Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail line.

Equipment and specifications

Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail ICE equipment is manufactured by an industrial consortium led by Siemens AG. ICE trains require special high-speed tracks to run at high speeds, but can run on normal tracks at normal speeds. The first generations were derived from the then-new class 120 electric locomotives. The powerheads of those units are in fact upgraded 120s with a more aerodynamic lining. Passenger cars can be coupled and uncoupled for maintenance, enabling the operator to run trains of different lengths. First-generation trains are currently undergoing a major redesign, including a standardization of train lengths. The third generation ICE has a completely different concept: The entire traction equipment is fitted underfloor, with a larger number of less powerful motors. A ICE 3 unit consists of eight cars, four of which are powered, while the others carry other electrical equipment, including the pantographs. This design allow seats in all parts of the train, including "lounge" seats at both ends separated from the driver by a glass wall only. The ICE 3M (class 406) is a multisystem variant of the ICE 3 that currently serves routes into the Netherland and Belgium. Licensing for French LGVs started in 2001 and has been described by engineers as a "clash of cultures". Problems included flying gravel and trackside equipment ripped loose by the ICE's magnetic brakes. Admission of the ICE 3M for regular service into France is expected late 2005 or early 2006.

ICE-T

pantograph Simultaneously to the development of the ICE 3, DB demanded new tilting trainsets to be able to serve conventional tracks that couldn't be upgraded to higher speeds. Originally these trains were to be called IC-T (InterCity-Triebzug), but just prior to their introduction, DB decided to charge ICE fares for these trains and renamed them ICE-T. These trains are constructed to a concept of distributed traction similar to the ICE 3. Three different types were ordered:
- electric train with 7 cars (class 411)
- electric train with 5 cars (class 415)
- diesel train with 4 cars (class 605) Units of either of these types can be coupled with one or more unit of the same or any other type within a few minutes. The electric units, equipped with tilting technology of the ETR 460 bought from FIAT, entered service in 1998. A second order for additional series 411 ICE-Ts. These units, known as ICE-T2, were delivered in 2004. The main difference to the original ICE-Ts are several cost-cutting measures, giving those trains a "cheaper" look and feel. For the diesel units, called ICE-TD, Siemens developed their own tilting technology, based on the aiming system of the Leopard 2 main gun. These trainsets became something of an embarrassment. They were to be delivered in 2000, but braking problems caused delays, so they entered service in spring 2001. Their first year in operation was overshadowed by software failures and problems with the tilting technology. One of the 20 trains fell off a maintenance platform and had to be written off. When those problems were fixed and the train finally ran without apparent problems in December 2002, a train derailed because of a broken axle. The trains were temporarily pulled out of service by the federal rail authority. When Siemens had fixed the problem, DB refused to take the trains back, claiming they weren't meeting specifications. It is speculated that besides technical difficulties, these trains were an economical burden as well. Source claim that even when filled to capacity, income from fares would be below the operating cost.

Network

Leopard 2 Unlike the French TGV network, which is centered around Paris, the ICE network has multiple nodes. The ICE network is not a replacement of the InterCity network, but an upgrade. ICE and IC trains usually share the same tracks. The main difference being the higher speed: While the ICE trains drive at the maximum speed of the line, IC trains are limited to 200 km/h. The only line that is not shared with other traffic is the 300 km/h Köln-Frankfurt line due to its steep grades. In fact, it is limited to ICE3 trainsets, even the older ICE types have to take the longer route through the Rhine valley. The second 300 km/h line between Nuremberg and Ingolstadt, due to be opened in Mid-2006, will not have these restrictions. Since the early 1970s, hundreds of kilometers of existing tracks have been upgraded to 200 km/h. As a result, ICE trains are able to use most conventional lines without losing too much time in the process. This allowed a rapid growth of the ICE network without the need to build several thousand kilometers to new high-speed lines. Actually, even two of the high-speed lines (Köln-Aachen at 250 km/h and Hamburg-Berlin at 230 km/h) are in fact upgraded conventional lines.

North to South

The network includes three main north-to-south corridors that start in Hamburg:
- via Bremen, Dortmund, Köln, Frankfurt and Stuttgart to Munich (branch Frankfurt - Karlsruhe - Basel)
- via Hanover, Kassel and Nuremberg to Munich
- via Berlin, Leipzig and Nuremberg to Munich

West to East

Three main west-to-east routes exist in the network:
- Bonn - Köln - Hamm - Hanover - Berlin
- Köln - Dortmund - Kassel - Lepzig - Dresden
- Saarbrücken - Frankfurt - Leipzig - Dresden

International lines

Several ICE lines cross the German borders into neighboring countries:
- Frankfurt - Köln - Duisburg into the Netherlands to Amsterdam
- Frankfurt - Köln - Aachen into Belgium to Liège and Brussels (Köln-Liège-Brussels also Thalys)
- Frankfurt - Stuttgart into Switzerland to Zürich via Basel
- some trains to Basel continue into Switzerland to Interlaken and Chur
- some trains to Nuremberg continue via Passau into Austria to Vienna.
- some trains to Munich continue into Austria via Kufstein to Innsbruck. Starting in 2007, a new line will be opened from Frankfurt and Stuttgart into France to Paris, which will be served alternatingly with ICE and TGV trains.

History

The ICE originated as a concept for new land-based high-speed public transportation for Germany, competing with the Transrapid monorail system. The ICE succeeded in being adopted nationwide in Germany, but development on the Transrapid system has also continued. It is argued that the ICE prospered in part because of its ability to run on conventional tracks (albeit not at full speeds - on tracks near stations they are known to be passed by commuter trains, especially by S-Bahn trains). The shared use of old tracks also means that conventional trains often have to wait for late ICEs to pass, leading to further delays. In 1998, a large ICE train accident occurred - Germany's worst ever passenger train disaster. The accident was due to the steel "tire" being separated from the rest of one of the train's wheels, breaking the track and causing the rest of the train to derail and collide with a concrete bridge that spanned the track. At the time, the ICE trains used a two part wheel with a steel tire separated from the rest of the steel wheel by an elastomeric ring designed to better absorb noise and vibration. But the elastomeric separator allowed the steel tire to flex, eventually leading to metal fatigue that fractured the tire. While common in low-speed use, this two-part wheel design had never before been used on high-speed trains. ICE service was resumed only after an investigation found the root cause of this broken wheel and after all ICE train wheels were modified to use a more conventional solid-wheel design.

Controversy

The initial development of the ICE was somewhat controversial, due to the existence of the French TGV, which had already been in operation. Arguably, the Deutsche Bahn/German state could have bought TGV technology or trains. Proponents of the decision to go ahead and develop the ICE contend that the ICE is technologically superior, and that the development of such technology by German companies was an important investment in the future of a German high-tech industry and knowledge economy. While most international competitions were lost to the TGV consortium, technologies developed for the ICE have been applied to the construction of conventional trains with significant economic success. Critics argue that the project was a waste of tax payers' money, since such a similar end product could have been bought "off the shelf" (referring to the option of buying TGV trains). There were also claims that it was a nationalist exercise, and that the go-ahead for ICE development constituted the then German government subsidizing certain large companies. This argument, however, subsided and the ICE has persevered to provide a large scale, nationwide service in Germany.

Trivia

- All seats have an audio minijack, allowing passengers to plug in headphones and choose from about 7 music/entertainment channels and radio stations. Basic headphones can be purchased on the trains.
- On most ICE trains, there is at least one (usually 1st class) carriage where individual seats are equipped with LCD screens, built into the backrest of the seat in front. Usually there are two video channels to choose from, which typically show feature films. There are no speakers, but the corresponding audio is available via the audio minijack (see above).
- ICE2, ICE3 and ICE-T trains have power outlets for electrical devices such as laptops; these are hidden under the tray tables; in ICE3 second-class carriages, they are located between seats just above the floor.
- An electronic 20-character display above each seat indicates the locations between which the seat has been reserved. Passengers without reservation are permitted to take the seats with a blank display, or the seats with no reservation on the current section.
- At both ends of ICE3 trains there is a passenger compartment (one end 1st and the other end 2nd class) with a view of the tracks, through a transparent glass wall separating the compartment from the driver's cabin. In special circumstances the driver can make the wall opaque by the press of a button.
- There is a compartment with a play area for children.
- Bicycles are not permitted on any ICE trains.
- All ICEs have repeater carriages. These are equipped with technology to enable mobile phone use, since the metal coating on the windows normally makes this impossible. These carriages are marked with a symbol depicting a mobile phone.
- In certain silent carriages use of laptops, mobile phones and other "noisy" equipment is prohibited. These carry a sticker displaying a whispering symbol.
- Three specially-built washing-bays for ICE trains exist at Hamburg-Eidelstedt, Frankfurt-Höchst and München Hbf (Munich main station)

External links

- [http://www.railfaneurope.net/ice/ice.html ICE fan site (in English)]
- [http://www.ice-fanpage.de/ German ICE fan site (in German)] Category:Named passenger trains Category:Transportation in Europe Category:Siemens products ja:ICE ko:인터시티 익스프레스

Anklam

Anklam_in_Germany.png Map of Germany showing Anklam

Anklam or Anclam (Polish: Nakło nad Pianą)is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, situated on the banks of the Peene river, 8 km from its mouth in the Kleines Haff, and 85 km northwest of Stettin, on the railway to Stralsund. It is the capital of the district of Ostvorpommern. Population: 16,500 (2001). The fortifications of Anklam were dismantled in 1762 and have not since been restored, although the old walls are still standing; formerly, however, it was a town of considerable military importance, which suffered severely during the Thirty Years' and the Seven Years' Wars; and this fact, together with the repeated ravages of fire and of the plague, has made its history more eventful than is usually the case with towns of the same size. It does not possess any remarkable buildings, although it contains several, private as well as public, that are of a quaint and picturesque style of architecture. The church of St Mary (12th century) has a modern tower, 482 m high. The industries consist of iron foundries and factories for sugar and soap; and there is a military school. The Peene is navigable up to the town, which has a considerable trade in its own manufactures, as well as in the produce of the surrounding country, while some shipbuilding is carried on in wharves on the river. Anklam, formerly Tanglim, was originally a Slavic fortress; it obtained civic rights in 1244. In 1283 it became a member of the Hanseatic League. Although the town was a rather small and uninfluential town compared with other Hanseatic cities, the membership brought wealth and prosperity to Anklam.

image:anklam.jpg

The decline of Anklam began with the Thirty Years' War, when Swedish and Imperial troops battled almost twenty years for Anklam. After the war the town became a part of Sweden (1648), but in 1676 was retaken by Frederick William I. of Brandenburg, and in 1713 it was plundered by the Russians. The southern parts of the town, were ceded to Prussia by the peace of Stockholm in 1720, while the parts north of the Peene river remained Swedish. Anklam was a divided town until 1815, when the rest became Prussian as well.

References

Category:Towns in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Freight

Cargo is a term used to denotes goods or produce being transported generally for commercial gain, usually on a ship, plane, train or lorry. Nowadays containers are used in all intermodal long-haul cargo transport.

External link

- [http://cargolaw.com/gallery.html The Gallery of Transport Loss -- Photos & Lessons of Disaster] Category:Commercial item transport and distribution Category:Transportation ja:貨物

Filling station

A filling station, gas station or petrol station is a facility that sells fuel and lubricants for road motor vehicles – usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel. Some stations carry specialty fuels like liquified petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas, or kerosene. In recent times filling stations have added shops to their primary business and convenience stores are now a familiar sight alongside pumps. The term "gas station" is mostly particular to the United States and Canada, where petrol is known as "gas" or "gasoline." Elsewhere the form "petrol station," "petrol pump," or the old-fashioned term "petrol garage" is used. In Australia, the term service station ("servo") describes any petrol station. American filling stations usually have a mechanic on duty, but this is uncommon in other parts of the world.

History of American filling stations

As automobiles became popular in the United States, the need for gas stations arose. The mass-production techniques for automobiles by Henry Ford allowed consumers to purchase cars at an affordable price. This increase in car ownership resulted in a greater demand for filling stations. The first gas station was built in 1907 by Standard Oil of California (now ChevronTexaco) and were known to motorists as "filling stations. Standard Oil began erecting roadside signs of their logos as advertising for their gas stations.

Historical stations

Weaver’s Antique Service Station

Types of filling stations in the US

Weaver’s Antique Service Station There are generally two types of filling stations in the US: premium and discount brands. Gas stations with premium brands are often international brands that include Esso, Exxon, Chevron, Mobil, Shell, Sinclair, BP, and Texaco. Non-international premium brands include Petro-Canada and Pemex. They accept credit cards and often issue their own company cards. These stations often charge higher prices. However, the stations are numerous in locations with more pumps available. They are also tend to be more modern, cleaner and with brighter lighting. For ease and convenience, these stations where possible have fully automated pay-at-the-pump facilities. Premium gas stations tend to be highly visible from highway and freeway exits as they use tall signs to display their logos. Discount brands are often smaller regional chains or independent stations that offer lower prices on gasoline. Most purchase wholesale gasoline from independent suppliers or even the aforementioned major petroleum companies. In some cases, discount brands typically accept cash only and some may accept credit cards. The customer would have to walk inside the store or up to the window to pay and obtain a receipt later. Many discount stations have few locations and, in some cases, appear outdated (i.e., non-digital readouts on pumps) and rundown. In addition, these discount gas stations are often located well away from the highway and freeway exits; many are obscurely tucked away in commercial and residential neighborhoods. An exception to these trends is the discount brand ARCO (part of BP), which has a combination of modern and dilapidated stations. Examples of discount gas station chains in the USA are Valero, Rotten Robbie, and USA Gasoline. Lower price gas stations are also found at some supermarkets (Albertsons, Kroger, and Vons), convenience stores (7-Eleven), mass merchandise stores (Wal-Mart) and membership warehouse stores (Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's). At some stations (such as Vons, Wal-Mart, Costco, BJ's, or Sam's Club), a special membership card is required to receive the discounted price.

Filling stations outside the US

Some countries have only one brand of petrol station. In Mexico, where the oil industry is nationalized (state-owned) and prices are regulated the country's main operator of petrol stations is called Pemex. In Scandinavia the main operator is Statoil. In Malaysia, Petronas is the dominant player and is also moving overseas targetting to become a multinational brand. Most multinational brands such as EssoMobil, Shell use their brand worldwide except Chevron which use its inherited brand Caltex in Asia Pacific, Australia and Africa and its Texaco brand in Europe and Latin America.

Price at the pump

Gasoline prices in North America

Texaco Nearly all filling stations in North America advertise their often-changing prices on large signs which is typical of the very competitive market. In the United States and Canada, federal, state/provincial and local sales taxes are usually included in the price. Gas taxes are often meant to fund transportation projects such as the maintenance of existing roads and construction of new ones. In the United States, the states of California and Hawaii have the highest prices of gasoline. In Canada, prices are the highest in the provinces of British Columbia and Québec and the lowest in the oil-producing province of Alberta. The provinces of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland have laws regulating the price of gasoline. At times, PEI will actually have the lowest cost of gas in the country due to this. Individual gas stations in the United States do not have much control over gasoline prices. The wholesale price of gasoline is determined according to area by oil companies supplying the gasoline, and their prices are largely determined by the world markets for oil. Individual gas stations are unlikely to sell gasoline at a loss, and the margin typically between 7 to 11 cents a gallon that they make from gasoline sales is limited by the fact that gasoline is a commodity and a gas station which charges significantly more than the wholesale price will lose customers to other gas stations. Because of this, most gas stations sell higher-margin food products inside their convenience stores. Boycotts against individual gas stations to protest against perceived high gas prices have largely failed. During many holiday weekends, when American road travel is at its peak, gas prices tend to soar and then drop as the holidays come to a close; this is due to the fluctuation in demand. Even with oil market fluctuations, prices for gasoline in the United States are among the lowest in the industrialized world; this is principally due to difference in taxes. While the price of gasoline in Europe is more than twice that in the United States, the price of gas excluding taxes is nearly identical in the two areas. It is not unheard of for Canadians and Mexicans close to the US border to drive into the United States to purchase cheaper gasoline at gas stations in border communities.

Petrol prices in Europe

holiday] In European Union (EU) member states, gas prices are much higher than North America due to higher fuel excise or taxation, although the base price is also higher than in the US. The high fuel prices can be unpopular (particularly after inflationary or retail increases), and have led to harsh criticism of taxation policy from some quarters. Occasionally there are some national protests, although in the UK a large scale protest in the summer of 2000, known as 'The Fuel Crisis', caused wide-scale havoc not only across the UK, but also in some other EU countries. The British government eventually backed down by indefinitely postponing a planned increase in fuel duty.

Petrol prices elsewhere

In other energy-importing countries like Japan, petrol costs are higher than in the United States because of fuel transportation costs or taxes. On the other hand, some of the major oil producing countries such as Iran, Venezuela, or Indonesia provide subsidized petrol at well below market prices. This has the tendency of encouraging inefficient consumption. Hong Kong has some of the highest pump prices in the world but most customers are given discounts as card members which are also some of the deepest in the world.

Features of gas stations in the US

Payment methods

In small towns and rural areas, gas stations generally allow customers to pump gas first and pay afterwards. Due to the higher incidence of crime in large urban areas (especially driving away without paying), customers must generally pay first and then pump fuel. Modern gas stations have pay-at-the-pump capabilities – in most cases credit, debit and ATM cards are normally accepted. At some stations, cash is also taken at the pump, although change must be collected by going to a cashier window which is often bulletproof.

Full service versus self service

Traditionally most United States filling stations have offered a choice between full service -- in which an attendant operates the pumps, often checks the vehicle's oil and wipes the windshield, and then collects payment (and perhaps a small tip) -- and self service, in which the customer pumps the gas. Until the 1970s full service was the norm, and self service was rare. Nowadays not all stations offer full service and those that do charge more for the full-service fuel. It is also less common for the attendant to offer to check the oil, although most will still do so (and even check tire air) on request. 1970s All stations in New Jersey and Oregon, however, are full service; attendants are required to pump gas because customers are explicitly barred by statutes in both states from pumping their own gas. Both states prohibited self service back in the 1940s due to fears that foolish customers would handle gasoline improperly. Although modern gas pumps are largely very safe, and smoking is going out of style, both states have retained their existing statutes as a kind of full employment measure. The constitutionality of the full service statutes has been challenged. The Oregon statute was challenged in 1989 by ARCO and the New Jersey statute was challenged in 1950 by a small independent service station, Rein Motors. Both challenges failed. Interestingly, in both New Jersey and Oregon, it is legal for customers to pump their own diesel (although not every station permits diesel customers to do so; truck stops typically do). The rationale is that diesel has a much higher flash point and is thus safer.

Other goods and services commonly available

Many gas stations are also convenience stores that sell food, beverages, cigarettes, lottery tickets, motor oil, and sometimes auto parts, among other things. Prices for these items and others tend to be higher at convenience stores when compared to a supermarket or discount store. In many US states beer, wine, and liquor are sold in gas stations, though this varies according to state law. Some states such as Massachusetts do not allow any alcohol to be sold in a gas station, while Nevada allows the sale of beer, wine, and liquor--even the operation of slot and video poker machines at a gas station. Many gas stations also provide squeegees, towels, and toilet facilities for customer use, but a large number of discount gas stations do not provide these amenities. As with many public facilities the world over, the cleanliness and standards of gas station toilet facilities vary. Many gas stations have air compressors with tire gauges and water machines. Some machines are free of charge and some charge a small fee to use (usually 25 cents to US$1). In many states of the US, free air must be provided for paying customers as required by law. In most cases, a token provided by the attendant is used in lieu of coins. Some gas stations are equipped with car washes. Car washes are sometimes free of charge or given a discounted price with a certain amount of gas purchase. Conversely, car washes operate a gas station to supplement their businesses. There are a number of gas stations with a smaller fast food outlet inside, such as McDonald's, Jack in the Box, Pizza Hut, Sbarro, Taco Bell, or Wendy's. They are usually express versions with limited seating and limited menus, though some may be regular-sized and have spacious seating. In Canada, it is common to find a small Tim Hortons outlet inside gas stations.

Service stations

Tim Hortons In the US, a filling station that also offers such services as oil change and mechanical repairs to automobiles is called a service station. Until the 1970s the vast majority of gas stations were service stations; now only a minority are. This kind of business provided the name for the U.S. comic strip Gasoline Alley, where a number of the characters worked. In the UK, a 'service station' refers to much larger facilities, usually attached to motorways (see Motorway service area (UK)) or major trunk routes, which provide food outlets, large parking areas, and often other services, such as hotels, arcade games, and shops in addition to 24-hour fuel supplies and a higher standard of restrooms (UK: toilets). Fuel is typically more expensive from these outlets due to their premium location. UK service stations do not usually repair automobiles. In parts of the US this arrangement occurs on some toll roads and is called an oasis or rest area. In many cases, these centers might have a food court or cafeteria, In the US, the Travel Centers of America is one of the largest full-service chains. In many states (e.g., California), such configurations are illegal or against public policy. Often, the state government maintains public rest areas directly connected to freeways but does not rent out space to private businesses. As a result, such areas often provide only minimal services like restrooms and vending machines. In turn, private entrepreneurs develop additional facilities like restaurants, gas stations, and motels in hodgepodge clusters on private land adjacent to major interchanges. Because these facilities are not directly connected to the freeway, they usually have huge signs on poles several hundred feet high. This way, travelers will be able to spot them several minutes in advance and exit accordingly. Sometimes, the state will also post small official signs (normally blue) indicating what types of gas stations or restaurants are available at an upcoming exit, and businesses can add their logo for a fee.

Octane

In the United States, all gasoline is unleaded and is available in several grades, which are differentiated by octane rating: 87 (Regular), 89 (Super Unleaded), 91 (Premium) are typical grades. In certain regions, fuels rated at 92 and 93 Octane can also be found. Minimum octane levels are often lower in the Mountain States, where regular unleaded can be rated as low as 85 octane. A lower octane fuel is sufficient in the Mountain States because the higher altitute in these states reduces the need for a higher octane fuel. Fuels in the U.S. are described in terms of their "Pump Octane", which is the average of "RON" (Research Octane Number) and "Motor Octane Number". Labels on gasoline pumps in the U.S. typically describe this as the "(R+M)/2 Method". Some nations describe fuels according to the traditional "RON" or "MON" ratings, so Octane ratings cannot always be compared with the equivalent U.S. rating by the "(R+M)/2 method". In most of Europe, petrol is unleaded and available in 95 (Eurosuper) and 98 (Super Plus) octanes; in some countries 91 octane petrol is offered as well. Some stations offer 98 RON with lead substitute. In the UK, leaded 99/100 RON petrol has been reintroduced (legally) on a very limited basis for use by classic car enthusiasts and racers by the independent oil company Bayford Thrust (also the UK licensees of the famous Gulf Oil brand).

Differences in gas/petrol Dispensers

In Europe, the customer selects one of several color coded nozzles depending on the type of fuel required. The filler pipe of unleaded fuel is smaller than the one for leaded (substitute) ones. The tank filler opening has a corresponding diameter. This is to prevent filling the tank with the wrong fuel. Leaded fuel damages the catalytic converter. In some European countries, leaded fuel is no longer generally available, or LRP (lead replacement fuel) may be the only such fuel available. In most stations in the USA and Canada, the pump usually has a single nozzle and the customer selects the desired octane grade by pushing a button. Some pumps require the customer to first pick up the nozzle, then lift a lever underneath it. Others are designed so that lifting the nozzle automatically releases a switch. Some older stations do still have separate nozzles for different types of fuel. Also, where diesel fuel is provided, it is usually dispensed from a separate nozzle even if the various grades of gasoline share the same nozzle. An emerging problem in Europe is motorists mistakenly putting gasoline into a diesel car (the converse is almost impossible because diesel pumps have a large nozzle which does not fit the filler, and diesel in a petrol engine, while creating spectacular amounts of smoke, does not normally cause permanent damage if it is drained once the mistake is realised). Even a gallon of petrol added to the tank of a modern diesel car can cause irreversible damage to the injection pump and other components through a lack of lubrication. In some cases the car has to be scrapped because the cost of repairs exceeds its value. The issue is not clear-cut as older diesels using completely mechanical injection can tolerate some gasoline - which has historically been used to "thin" the fuel in winter.

Smoking, static electricity and mobile phone use

It is forbidden to use open flame and, in some places, a mobile phone on the forecourt of a gas station. This is because of the risk of igniting gasoline vapour. The safety issue with mobile phones, however, is disputed. While mobile phones can distract people and increase the chance of an accident occurring, there is no significant danger from the radio waves emitted. In fact, many petrol station display towers in the UK act as relay transmitters for the mobile phone networks. Although it has been claimed that a faulty mobile phone can cause sparks or a build-up of static electricity in the user, this was never shown conclusively, and one is more likely to get a spark from wearing nylon clothing than from a mobile phone [http://bbcworld.com/content/clickonline_archive_44_2004.asp?pageid=666&co_pageid=3]. Also, the static charge acquired by a person as he leaves the car (due to triboelectric charging from friction between the persons clothing and the car seat) is thought to be the culprit in a great deal of fires which occur during refuelling. Usually, when a person leaves the car they must open either the gas cap and door covering it, thus dissipating any static charge through a small shock as they are "grounded" to the car's metal body. However, if the person has set the pump to continue filling automatically, returns to the car, then leaves the car again to check the pump before it has fully stopped, an explosion could easily result. This is because after they have left the car for the second time, they are likely remain electrically charged up to the point they touch the nozzle, at which point the concentrated vapour expelled from the tank can be ignited by sparks jumping from the person's hand to the nozzle. It is therefore always good practice, especially in arid climates, to safely ground oneself by touching any part of the car away from the gas tank port before filling the tank or touching the filling nozzle. The effect has also been noted in several instances where portable gasoline tanks were filled in the back of a pickup truck which had a plastic "bed liner". These tanks should always be removed from the vehicle and filled while on the ground.

Miscellany

Gas station maps

U.S.A. gas stations previously offered free road maps as a strategy to build brand loyalty, but the oil companies stopped distributing free maps in the 1970s. Currently, stations sell maps produced by the American Automobile Association (AAA), Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), and other auto clubs in the world, as well as professional mapmaking firms like Rand McNally and tiremakers like Michelin.

Gas stations in film and TV

- The Andy Griffith Show - In the show, Gomer Pyle and his cousin Goober are gas station attendants and mechanics.
- Back to the Future & Back to the Future Part II - Three versions of Texaco stations (i.e., product placement) are shown: a contemporary self-serve station (1980s), a 1950s version with several full service attendants, and a futuristic version where a fully-automated station services flying cars.
- Breakdown - Kurt Russell's character is adding oil to his Jeep at a Texaco station when he meets his "redneck" antagonist.
- Christine - a service station is the setting where the villains who smash Arnie Cunningham's Plymouth Fury meet their demise.
- Corner Gas - A Canadian sitcom set primarily around the only gas station in a small town in Saskatchewan.
- Nothing to Lose - Tim Robbins' character daydreams while pumping gas before realizing he's overfilled too much gas in his SUV. In other scenes, several gas stations are robbed.
- RoboCop - A bookish Shell gas station attendant is robbed at gunpoint. RoboCop appears on the scene. Later, the station ends up in a fiery explosion.
- The 1996 adaptation of Romeo + Juliet begins with a conflict at a station.
- South Park uses a character,Starvin' Marvin, named after the Starvin' Marvin gas station.
- Zoolander - Three characters die in a "freak gasoline-fight accident" at a gas station.

Well-known gasoline/petrol station brands

- Agip — Germany and Italy
- Aral — BP's brand in Germany, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.
- ARCO — BP's brand on the US West Coast and in British Columbia, Canada
- ASDA — United Kingdom
- BP — International, except Germany, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, US West Coast and British Colombia
- Caltex (Texaco) — Asia and Australia
- Challenge — New Zealand
- Chevron — US and British Columbia, Canada
- Citgo — US
- Emo — Ireland
- Eneos — Japan and China
- Esso — International
- Gasoline Alley Services (G.A.S)— New Zealand
- Galp — Portugal
- Gull — Eastern US, Australia, New Zealand (North Island)
- Gulf Oil — US, United Kingdom, Netherlands, India
- Hess — Northeast US
- Husky — Canada
- Idemitsu — Japan
- Ipiranga — Brasil
- Irving — eastern Canada
- Maxol — Ireland
- ExxonMobil (Merger of Exxon and Mobil) — International
- Murphy USA/Murco — US [in association with WalMart] and United Kingdom
- Pemex — Mexico
- Petrobras — Brasil
- Petro-Canada — Canada
- PetroChina— China
- Petrol Ofisi, PO — Turkey
- Phillips 66 — US [Now known as Conoco Phillips]
- Q8 — International
- Quiktrip — Midwest and Southern US
- Sainsbury's — United Kingdom
- Sinopec — China
- Shell (main brand of Royal Dutch Shell) — International
- Speedway SuperAmerica — US
- Sheetz — Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
- Sunoco — US and Canada
- Sinclair — Western and Southern US
- Statoil — Norway, Ireland, and 7 other countries
- Starvin' Marvin's — US
- Tesco — United Kingdom and Ireland
- Texaco — International
- TOP— Ireland
- Total — France and United Kingdom
- Ultramar — US and Canada
- Union 76 — Western US
- Valero — Southern US (Recently acquired Diamond Shamrock)
- Wawa — Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey

External links

- [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092400255_pf.html Petrol station cost structure]
- [http://www.e-personalfinances.com/?cat=24 Why are gas prices so high?]
- [http://www.e-personalfinances.com/?cat=25 Gas saving tips]
- [http://www.keeptrackofit.com KeepTrackOfIt] - Updated daily gasoline prices in the United States and Canada using Google Maps
- [http://www.gaspricewatch.com GasPriceWatch] - Latest gasoline prices in the United States and Canada
- [http://www.gasbuddy.com GasBuddy] - Portal to a network of local gas price sites
- [http://www.fuelmeup.com Fuel Me Up] - Gas prices site
- [http://www.egasrate.com eGasRate] - Local gas prices
- [http://www.gassigns.org Gasoline Signs] - Signs and logos of gas stations in the United States
- [http://gaswatch.energy.gov U.S. Department of Energy's Gas Price Watch Hotline] - A US government site to report alleged gas price gouging in the United States.
- [http://www.coolstock.com/public/images_pub.php?sectionid=-2&pagenum=1&picsperpage=12&bool_search=Y&query=gas+station Gasoline Station Photographs] - Vintage gas station and fuel dispenser photography, link courtesy of [http://www.coolstock.com Coolstock]
- [http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb199394.htm Petrol Station Management Software] - Future Trends in Petrol Retail Outlet Automation and Software solution for Petrol Pump with Services Station and Convenience stores.
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February 4

February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 330 days remaining, (331 in leap years).

Events

- 211 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus dies, leaving the Roman Empire in the hands of his two quarrelsome sons, Caracalla and Geta.
- 1454 - In the Thirteen Years' War, the Secret Council of the Prussian Confederacy sends a formal act of disobedience to the Grand Master.
- 1703 - In Edo (now Tokyo), 46 of the Forty-Seven Ronin commit seppuku (ritual suicide) as recompense for avenging their master's death.
- 1783 - American Revolutionary War: The United Kingdom formally declares that it will cease hostilities with the United States of America.
- 1789 - George Washington is unanimously elected to be the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
- 1792 - George Washington is unanimously elected to a second term as President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
- 1794 - The French legislature abolishes slavery throughout all territories of the French Republic.
- 1801 - John Marshall is sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States.
- 1810 - British Navy seizes Guadeloupe.
- 1859 - Codex Sinaiticus discovered in Egypt.
- 1861 - American Civil War: In Montgomery, Alabama the Confederate States of America is formed by delegates from six break-away United States.
- 1862 - Bacardi, one of the world's largest spirits company, is founded as a small distillery in Santiago de Cuba in eastern Cuba.
- 1899 - The Philippine-American War begins.
- 1915 - Germany establishes a submarine blockade around the UK and declares any vessel in it a legitimate target.
- 1927 - The first talkie is released - The Jazz Singer starring Al Jolson.
- 1932 - World War II: Japan occupies Harbin, China.
- 1932 - 1932 Winter Olympics open in Lake Placid, New York.
- 1932 - Asteroid 1239 Queteleta discovered by Eugène Joseph Delporte.
- 1934 - Asteroid 2824 Franke discovered by Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth.
- 1936 - Radium E. becomes the first radioactive element to be made synthetically.
- 1938 - Thornton Wilder's play Our Town opens (New York City).
- 1938 - Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, and it went on to become a major box-office success, making more money than any other motion picture in 1938.
- 1941 - World War II: The United Service Organization (USO) is created to entertain American troops.
- 1943 - Battle of Stalingrad ends.
- 1945 - World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin begin the Yalta Conference.
- 1948 - Ceylon (later renamed Sri Lanka) becomes independent within the British Commonwealth.
- 1957 - USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine, logs her 60,000th nautical mile, matching the endurance of the fictional Nautilus described in Jules Verne's novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".
- 1960 - Lorraine, Quebec is founded.
- 1962 - Ian Fleming's The Living Daylights first published
- 1966 - All Nippon Airways Boeing 727 jet plunges into Tokyo Bay, killing 133
- 1968 - Bowie Kuhn becomes the fifth commissioner of Major League Baseball, replacing William Eckert
- 1969 - Yasser Arafat takes over as chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
- 1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnaps Patty Hearst in Berkeley, California.
- 1976 - In Guatemala and Honduras an earthquake kills more than 22,000.
- 1976 - 1976 Winter Olympics open in Innsbruck, Austria.
- 1977 - Fleetwood Mac releases one of the biggest-selling albums of all time, Rumours.
- 1980 - Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini names Abolhassan Banisadr as president of Iran.
- 1984 - The Youth of the Left Socialists (VSU) founded in Denmark.
- 1991 - The Baseball Hall of Fame votes to ban Pete Rose.
- 1996 - Major snowstorm paralyzes Midwestern United States, Milwaukee, Wisconsin ties all-time record low temperature at -26°F. (-32°C)
- 1997 - O. J. Simpson is found to be civilly liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
- 1997 - En route to Lebanon, two Israeli Sikorsky CH-53 troop-transport helicopters collide in mid-air over northern Galilee, Israel killing 73.
- 1997 - After at first contesting the results, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević recognizes opposition victories in the November 1996 elections.
- 1998 - An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale in northeast Afghanistan kills more than 5,000.
- 1999 - Hugo Chávez Frías, Venezuelan military and politician, is elected President of Venezuela.
- 1999 - Unarmed West African immigrant Amadou Diallo is shot dead by four plainclothes New York City police officers on an unrelated stake-out, enflaming race-relations in the city.
- 2000 - USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) launched.
- 2000 - German extortionist Klaus-Peter Sabotta is jailed for life for attempted murder and extortion in connection with sabotage of German railway lines.
- 2003 - The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is officially renamed to Serbia and Montenegro and adopts a new constitution.
- 2007 - Super Bowl XLI will take place from Dolphins Stadium in Miami, Florida. <

Klaus-Peter Sabotta

Extortion

See also

External links

Sabotage

Origin

Sabotage in war

Sabotage as part of a crime

Sabotage online

References

See also:

External links, Resources, and References

Eschede train disaster

Chronology

Causative factors

Wheel design

Other factors

See also

External links

Employee

Employer

Employee

Alternatives

Employment Research and Education

Films

See also

External links

Deutsche Bahn

Corporate structure

Chief executives of Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Bahn AG

Codeshare with airlines

See also

External links

Redundancy (law)

Deutsche mark

History

Coins

Banknotes

Banknotes of the third series (1990-2002)

Spelling

See also

External links

Wilmersdorf

InterCity Express

Equipment and specifications

ICE-T

Network

North to South

West to East

International lines

History

Controversy

Trivia

External links

Anklam

See also

References

Freight

See also

External link

Filling station

History of American filling stations

Historical stations

Types of filling stations in the US

Filling stations outside the US

Price at the pump

Gasoline prices in North America

Petrol prices in Europe

Petrol prices elsewhere

Features of gas stations in the US

Payment methods

Full service versus self service

Other goods and services commonly available

Service stations

Octane

Differences in gas/petrol Dispensers

Smoking, static electricity and mobile phone use

Miscellany

Gas station maps

Gas stations in film and TV