In this edition we join up with Captain Dietrich Petersen, who is retiring as pilot at the harbor of Hamburg. We also examine a project in Rhineland-Pfalz that offers a chance to young people from low-income families. Plus: a look at the everyday life of emergency doctor Jörg Beneker, the last hope for people in need.
Topics
A New Service for Holidaymakers: Floating Snack Stands
The lakelands of Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern attract thousands of people during the summer. There has been a problem for years, however …
Many of the more isolated lakes had no tourism infrastructure. Even finding a snack was often a very difficult and time-consuming task. The situation was eventually discovered and resolved by resourceful young entrepreneurs. They come to the tourists on the lakeside beaches - by boat. These boats offer everything from cold drinks to sausages. Four floating snack gondolas now travel the Schwielowsee and Fahrländersee lakes back and forth.
Hotel Reviewer
Hotel managers across Germany are wary of Peter Schmidt; he’s a full-time professional reviewer for a major hotel guide.
The big question: are a hotel's advertising claims honest, and does its service match its prices? Especially during the holiday season, many travelers rely on Peter Schmidt’s opinion. To get a genuine impression, he disguises himself and visits a wide range of hotels all over Germany. We accompanied him on an inspection tour together with a hidden camera.
A Captain Goes Ashore for Good
Dietrich Petersen is a living legend. He has been a captain for 50 years and has worked as a harbor pilot in Hamburg for 31 years.
No one has guided as many container ships as Dietrich Petersen. Now that he’s set to retire, we went along with him for his final working days – a departure tinged with sadness.
Last Chance – An Educational Project for Under-privileged Youths
These young people have little chance of getting an apprenticeship.
In order to provide chances for teenagers from low-income families who rely on unemployment benefits, the state of Rhineland-Pfalz has launched a special training program. PFW, for example, is an aircraft maker and has 38 apprentices on a three-year training program for plant and machine operators. Their progress is tracked by social workers once they have found a job afterwards. The program has a dropout rate of just ten percent, with practically all apprentices going on to find work.
Flashback: 1953 - The Introduction of Alcohol Restrictions
In our Flashback series we go back to the year 1953, when breathalyzers were introduced in West Germany.
In 1953 a Lübeck company invented the “Alcotest” – a device that enabled the police to determine the alcohol content in a driver’s breath in a very short period of time. In the mid-1990s the breathalyzer was revamped, with a digital display being used. Police officer Fritz Hilbert experienced the introduction of alcohol test in the mid-1950s, and the dangers of drunk driving remain today.
Germany First-Hand: Air Rescue Squad - Part 3
In the last episode in our series about the rescue helicopter “Christoph Berlin”, we accompany flying doctor Jörg Beneker on an assignment.
This time, Jörg Beneker has to transport an unconscious girl to a hospital as fast as possible.
