Article in today's (Tues 10.12.1999) Bangor (Maine) Daily News that the computer at the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles has sent out several hundred new titles for "horseless carriages," a designation still used in Maine for pre-1916 vehicles, because the computer is reading 00 as 1900. Sorry, no link yet, the BDN is late today in updating its web page. Consider it your y2k chortle for the day. This in the same state where state officials tried to suppress Price Waterhouse's y2k review of state agencies by telling the consultant not to submit a *written* report, which would then become public. They have since relented, BTW, and a written report is due soon, last I heard.

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), October 12, 1999

Answers

link: http://www.bangornews.com/News/19991012000000Y2Kbugbite.html

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), October 12, 1999.

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

http://www.bangornews.com/News/19991012000000Y2Kbugbite.html

Tuesday, October 12

Y2K bug bites owners of horseless carriages'

By Emmet Meara, Of the NEWS Staff

AUGUSTA - In one of the first glitches caused by the Y2K bug, several hundred new owners received title to their "horseless carriage'' last month.

"Y2K came a little early,'' admitted Deputy Secretary of State Peter Brazier.

The state has spent $18 million in the last four years trying to make sure computers that read dates as two digits, such as '99, would not misread '00 in 2000 as 1900.

But computers in the Secretary of State's office last month did just that, turning the clock back 100 years. As a result, startled new car owners - or their banks - got titles identifying their 2000 model- year vehicles as horseless carriages.

"We thought we had found all the Y2K problems,'' Brazier said. "It was brought to our attention after a few days by owners and banks. Some were upset that they held title to a horseless carriage instead of their cars.

The state agency issues about 450,000 titles each year.

When cars came into use after the turn of the century, they were termed horseless carriages, a designation still used for cars manufactured before 1916. Brazier said horseless carriage license plates and titles are still on the books - and therefore in the computer system - for vintage vehicles that are driven in parades or used for exhibitions and car shows.

So when the computer read '00 as 1900 on the title applications for the new vehicles, it identified them as vintage cars and issued the titles for horseless carriages.

Once the problem was discovered, the Secretary of State's office issued replacements and apologies. Since most of the titles went to banks, rather than individuals, the complaints were relatively few, according to the state agency.

Title Examiner Ron Rioux said the problem was actually discovered within a few days by a sharp-eyed employee in the mail room, even before the phone complaints began. But several days' production of new titles had already been mailed.

A few callers were upset about the mistake. "I don't blame people for being upset,'' said Rioux. "It's not funny after you have spent $20,000 for a new car. It was just one of those things and it slipped by the computer people.''

Word of the glitch was getting out as Gov. Angus King and state officials were taking heat for not releasing a Y2K status report by PriceWaterhouse Coopers. The consultant was hired to review state departments for potential Y2K problems. PriceWaterhouse was not asked to test computer systems as part of the $600,000 study, but instead conducted interviews and reviewed paperwork to evaluate how well officials were addressing the situation.

Officials said the decision to withhold the report was made to protect security at the Public Safety and Corrections departments. After Gov. King and state officials were publicly embarrassed by media reports, however, the study was released on the World Wide Web last week.

Three of the 20 departments and agencies studied - Public Safety, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Maine Department of Labor - were rated as "needs improvement.''

King and other state officials say much has been done since the study was finished on June 30 and they maintain that Maine is as prepared as it can be for the new year.

By The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), October 12, 1999.

BBWWAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !! Just in time for Halloween, dearies.

The Headless Horseman will ride! is riding now! BBWWAAHHAHAHAHAHA

-- ickabod (decapitate@society.soon), October 12, 1999.