Do not operate heavy machinery...

May 10, 2004 8:26 AM

Forklift training video. Poor Claus just can't get the hang of this furshlugginer contraption. WMV file, German language--things start getting interesting around 2:30. (via, via)
posted by adamrice (23 comments total)

We slashdotted it. Or maybe we mefied it up, I'm not sure.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 8:44 AM on May 10, 2004

a mirror
posted by Pretty_Generic at 9:03 AM on May 10, 2004

Wow. I just watched it this friday, and now it shows up here. What wacky coincidence.

I have to say that the everything ties together much more tightly than any of the power equipment videos I was forced to watch. Having driven pallet jacks and loaders, but never forklifts, I can't feel but a little left out on some of the fun this guy's having.
posted by codger at 9:20 AM on May 10, 2004

Klaus, Sie sollen das nicht tun!
posted by thecaddy at 9:23 AM on May 10, 2004

Who says German's don't have a sense of humor
posted by ElvisJesus at 9:24 AM on May 10, 2004

I thought it was real right up till the blood-splattered alarm bell brained the foreman. I guess that's my prejudiced opinions of German comedy coming forward...

Superb.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 9:26 AM on May 10, 2004

r
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 9:31 AM on May 10, 2004

I did a little looking and found that it's a short movie (from Germany obviously), and it's actually won a lot of awards. There's an English site for it here.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 9:40 AM on May 10, 2004

Hehe. Death is funny.
posted by JeffK at 9:53 AM on May 10, 2004

The muted sound for the guy with the ear protection headphone things on is what just did me in. Thanks, adamrice.
posted by lobakgo at 9:59 AM on May 10, 2004

Driving a forklift sure is tougher than it looks.
posted by shepd at 10:13 AM on May 10, 2004

Is this what they mean by forkfehgnugen?
posted by ElvisJesus at 10:15 AM on May 10, 2004

NSFW if your boss isn't a fan of you consumed with gales of laughter.

Of course, I watched it with my boss, so that wasn't a problem.
posted by kavasa at 10:16 AM on May 10, 2004

As Mel Brooks said, "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall down an open manhole and die."
posted by SPrintF at 10:18 AM on May 10, 2004

Excellent! Just ordered the DVD from freshgroundpepper's link.
posted by chrid at 10:22 AM on May 10, 2004

you get to see that video in nearly every forklift training here in germany. freshgroundpepper already mentioned that the film has won several prizes, it was also sponsored by the "filmstiftung nrw" (which is a government fund).
posted by tcp at 11:51 AM on May 10, 2004

[This is... uh...]

Wow. That's something you won't forget.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:09 PM on May 10, 2004

[this is bloody good]
posted by dg at 4:43 PM on May 10, 2004

Note for non German speakers: "You could fix that with two left hands!"

Also, in case it's not clear, it's Klaus' first day on the job.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 5:37 PM on May 10, 2004

ElvisJesus: that reminds me. I don't know why Germans have an undeserved reputation for lack of humour, but I have a couple of theories.

1. Normal German intonation, particularly in the north and west, just strikes English speakers that way. Dutch and Afrikaans speaker also sound like this to English speakers.

2. While there are plenty of yahoos in Germany, a higher of politeness is the norm.

3. A lot of German humour (though not this film, obviously) depends on word-play or intonation and therefore is easy to miss and hard to translate well.

Was anyone else reminded of early Peter Jackson?
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 7:56 PM on May 10, 2004

Chainsaw + sexy woman + speeding forklift = trouble.

I learned something today.
posted by gottabefunky at 9:49 PM on May 10, 2004

I like the part where the lower part of a blood-splattered alarm bell fell off in sympathy when the old guy got cut in half from the waist.

Best to watch this on an empty stomach though.
posted by of strange foe at 9:23 AM on May 11, 2004

sung: He tried to kill me with a forklift...
posted by Busithoth at 9:35 AM on May 11, 2004