Blue Windscreen of Death

[Bill Stewart]

A different kind of car crash

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Robert J. Berger" <rberger at ibd.com>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 17:31:11 -0700
Subject: MS Windows Crash Traps Thai Politician in Car

Crashed Computer Traps Thai Politician
Updated 14 May 2003
  http://aardvark.co.nz/daily/2003/n051301.shtml

Thailand's Finance Minister Suchart Jaovisidha had to be rescued today
from inside his expensive BMW limousine after the onboard computer crashed,
leaving the vehicle immobilized.

Once the computer failed, neither the door locks, power windows nor air
conditioning systems would function, leaving the Minister and his driver
trapped inside the rapidly heating vehicle.

Despite the pair's best efforts, it took a full ten minutes before they
were able to summon the attention of a nearby guard who freed the
two men by smashing one of the vehicle's windows with a sledgehammer.

A report (http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/13May2003_biz12.html)
published in the Bangkok Post indicates that the vehicle was Mr
Jaovisidha's own BMW 520 which was being used while his
state-supplied Mercedes, was being repaired.

BMW's more up-market 7-series range uses a computer system called
i-drive which has Microsoft's WindowsCE at its core
(http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2002/Mar02/03-04BMWpr.asp).

Did Mr Jaovisidha narrowly miss being killed by the blue windscreen of death?
--
Robert J. Berger - Internet Bandwidth Development, LLC.
Voice: 408-882-4755 eFax: +1-408-490-2868
http://www.ibd.com


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