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Fleet Intellect's James Langley answers Barker's Dozen
Date: 28 July 2008
BusinessCar's deputy editor Paul Barker puts 13 testing questions to Fleet Intellect's James Langley
1. What was your first job? Technical apprentice in the machine tool industry
2. What was your first company car? Vauxhall Cavalier 1300 five door in champagne beige. I loved it and polished it regularly
3. What did you listen to on your last car journey? Radio Four and Blondie
4. What one thing do you wish you could do better? Play the piano, though some friends would suggest that my golf requires much more improvement than my keyboard skills.
5. What's your biggest achievement? Setting up the hands free telephone functionality in my car without needing to refer to a thirteen year old for technical guidance. Finding a great deal of personal fulfilment in the things I do, doing them well and doing them to the satisfaction of others.
6. Who are your role models? My son - he has very successfully established his own thriving business and has developed a set of exemplary personal values. I am also a great admirer of our great industrial pioneers, Matthew Boulton and James Watt.
7. What's the stupidest thing you've done? At a very young age I set fire to the railway embankment adjacent to our home. A number of fire engines attended to deal with the blaze and when approached by the Fire Officer, my father explained that it must have been caused by a spark from a passing steam engine. This seemed a satisfactory explanation but Dad knew the reality and as soon as the engines had gone I got a severely smacked bottom.
8. What was the most hotly debated topic at your last meeting? Getting all the drivers in a fleet to realise the impact their driving habits have on fuel consumption.
9. What's in your garage? My car, currently a Honda Civic. It also is home to a serious quantity of wine, lots of gardening equipment and enough power tools to start an overstocked tool shop.
10. What's the worst thing about your job? Having to be the IT specialist.
11. What one law would you make or change? My Mother forbade us from eating or drinking in public places. I find the amount of food and drink based litter in our streets and on public transport quite depressing and I'd welcome a real zero tolerance approach.
12. What keeps you awake at night? Not much, I've long since realised that worrying doesn't change outcomes.
13. Who is your ideal celebrity date? If I had to have a date with what passes today as a celebrity I think I'd lose the will to live but from yesteryear it would be Admiral Nelson and from this era I'd choose William Hague.
