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The Swiss Cheese Me Off

How about this for a disgraceful bit of work.

Good old Switzerland, land of clocks, yodelling and gold traffickers, has really hung out the welcome sheet for the Australian families of victims of the 1999 Interlaken canyoning tragedy.

Fourteen Australians died - along with seven others - when a torrent of water smashed into their tour party.

An inquiry slammed the tour operators and guides and now a manslaughter trial has started with eight owners/employees of the now-bankrupt business in court.

While that's good news, the fact that the Swiss have not provided interpreters for the foreigners is not.

Yup, one of the world's richest nations - home of the gnomes of Zurich - cannot afford to assist grieving families listen to what is happening.

According to officials, interpreters would distract from people paying attention to the proceedings.

Then why, Herr HoleycheeseHeidiGerStonkenStrudle, are there several people whispering away to foreign news organisations????

Okay, you're right, it is probably a very different matter. I mean, who the heck do those who lost sons and daughters think they are? How dare they think they have a stake in the trial, or even justice.

No, you guys are right. Right a-holes, actually.

Those families deserve to be treated well and you scumbags should be bending over backwards to make their painful stay as tolerable as possible.

Mind you, what can you expect from a country of bean counters and bankers!

If there is something that has really got up your nose, let Grumpy Old Coot know at grumpy@webwombat.com

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