Last week a gas station in Germany accidentally sold gas for next to nothing. Long queues formed, with many customers leaving their beds to get the cheap gas.
A computer error led to the cheap prices. The computer was supposed to increase the price of gas by three cents (NT$1.4) a liter. Instead, its mistake led to customers being charged three cents per liter. Gas prices in Germany are around 1.40 euros (NT$67) a liter.
Erwin Bald, the owner of the gas station in Iserlohn, was not happy.
PHOTO: AP
"Human error was not to blame," Bald said.
"The computer simply misunderstood the instructions keyed in."
News of the cheap gas spread quickly. The error, which occurred late in the evening, cost the owner around 10,000 euros (NT$478,000).
The gas station was closed with the help of the local police after more than five hours.
(STAFF WRITER, WITH DPA)
上週德國有一間加油站意外地出現幾乎是免費的汽油價格,許多人不睡覺也要排長龍等候加油。
這次廉價汽油起因於電腦程式錯誤,原應每公升漲價三分(相當於新台幣一點四元),卻因程式錯誤而讓消費者以每公升三分的價格買到汽油;德國每公升汽油的價格約一點四歐元(新台幣六十七元)。
加油站老闆爾文.拜耳德可開心不起來。這間加油站位在伊謝爾倫市。
「這不是人為失誤,」拜耳德說。
「完全是因為電腦誤解了輸入的指令。」
廉價汽油的消息很快地傳播開來,這個在深夜發生的錯誤造成加油站老闆約一萬歐元(新台幣四十七萬八千元)的損失。
五小時後,這間加油站在當地警方的協助下暫時歇業。(德通社/翻譯:袁星塵)
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