Y2K News from Spain ad the Canary Islands

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FYI to those interested in Y2K and Europe.

We left Denver for the Canary Islands a few days ago. Some might find the following information to be interesting:

We took the Metro Taxi from our home to Denver International Airport. The driver was very friendly and broached the Y2K bug subject. We answered that we were interested in developments and he divulged the following: About a week or so ago Metro Taxi uploaded a Y2K upgrade for their computer dispatch system. This system is connected to all the taxis in the state. Well, since that upload the system failed and Metro Taxi had to reload the old software in order to continue business.

From Chicago, we took an Iberia Airlines plane to Madrid. As part of their on-board video presentation, all passengers (the flight was packed to the max) were shown a five minute piece that showed their October 29th Y2K test. The following is taken, not only from their in flight video piece, but from the December 1999 Iberia flight magazine:

SUCCESSFUL Y2K TEST ON A PASSENGER PLAN

Last 29 October 51 passenters - "representatives of Spain4s ministries of Development and Public Administrations, Aena and Iberia-traveled into the future aboard an Iberia A-320 plane that took off and landed at Seville4s airport. The flight, designed to test possible problems of the so-called Y2K effect that could occur on computers on 1 January of the year 2000, was a total success.

Iberia4s informatics system, along with those of the Seville airport, the Air Traffic Control Centre and the plane itself, were modified and sychronized to simulate the key date. The company and Spanish aeronautics bodies are adapting their computer systems to avoid any problems when they reach the year 2000.

There is some anticipation, but hardly any real concern, in the Canary Islands, re: Y2K. And lest anyone say otherwise, the Canaries are as up-to-date in technology as anywhere else in the world. It has become a tour destination for thousands of europeans. Please be apprised that many europeans vacationing here have little to no concern for Y2K. They are here to party, drink and go wild. The Canarians tolerate it, but are very tired of the "guiris" (visitors).

One last item: Since my wife is Canarian-born, we visit her family in Tenerife every year. Every year Iberia loses our luggage, either somethere in France (we don4t know how the hell it gets there), or gets stuck at Barajas, Madrid4s beautiful airport. But not this year. We received our luggage in toto at Aeropuerto Sur in Tenerife, and we were stunned. Perhaps the Spanish HAVE remediated systems at their airport.

We4ll see. When we return to America sometime in January, we4ll see if we come with or sans luggage.

Try to have a happy holiday!

-- kalani & katiuska (kalani_hanohano@hotmail.com), December 21, 1999

Answers

GAWD!!! Well OF COURSE Spain is 100% ready for 2000!! How could you even QUESTION that???!!!!

Does katiuska mudwrestle?

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.cum), December 21, 1999.

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