Trams make a comeback

Earlier this month, the fortunate folk of Frankfurt were entertained by the 11th annual tram-drivers competition, with entries from 26 teams representing 20 countries across Europe. This is as crazy as it sounds, a kind of Olympiad for trams. How do trams compete, given they are not exactly flexible in terms of where they can go and cannot spin round Le Mans-type racetracks?

Well, the devisers of this contest have created a series of challenges for the teams of three – two tram drivers, one male and one female, and an assistant. The obvious tests included coming to a halt within a centimetre of a stop along a 300-metre track and rushing out, fire extinguisher in hand, to put out a lineside fire. But then there were more obscure challenges, such as tram bowling, which involves hitting a plastic ball to knock over skittles, or, most strangely, tram billiards, whereby a cue affixed to the front of the tram knocks a ball on a table, with points allocated according to where it comes to a rest.