Energy Warning From Basel Land; Doggy Drink Drama; Train Trauma

News For 16 August 2022

European leaders and energy departments have been warning their populations that energy shortages caused by the war in the Ukraine may lead to blackouts or reduced service. It seems Switzerland is also not immune to the effects of the conflict and the anticipated knock-on effects in the energy industry. The canton of Basel-Landschaft has set up an information portal to help its citizens plan for phased outages in electricity that may occur if energy shortages do in fact happen during the upcoming winter. Among the recommendations: withdraw and stockpile small bank notes as your vendor's card scanners may not work. In addition, authorities plan to "pull the plug" on neon signs, escalators and saunas, which have all been deemed non-essential energy consumers by the latest plan.

**********

Late last month, a woman and her dog sat down at a local restaurant only to find that the proprietor was not willing to provide the dog with a bowl of water despite the hot weather. Which begs the question: are restaurant owners in Basel-Stadt required to provide the service to their patrons? According to Maurus Ebneter, president of the Basel Stadt Innkeepers' Association, restaurateurs are not required to provide service or more specifically, water to their patrons' pets despite the culturally acceptable practice of bringing one's pets to dine with their owners in public spaces. Mr. Ebneter did however caution that it is recommended, as a sign of good service and courtesy to accommodate their patrons' pooches. It seems the only regulations that apply are meant to prevent pets, or animals in general from entering the food preparation or other hygiene-sensitive areas in a restaurant. 

**********

Early last week, an accident on the railway lines between Basel and Liestal brought rail traffic to a halt. Where possible, trains were diverted or cancelled causing delays throughout the travel system. According to authorities, train travel had resumed normal operations by 11 am after a two-hour delay.