Older owners of older diesel vehicles still know what "preheating" actually means: not getting drunk at home before going out so that the evening is at least financially reasonable, but turning the ignition key to the right, but not over the stop turn out so that a light comes on and only when that goes out start the engine by turning the key back and then again firmly to the right past the stop so that the familiar tractor sound is heard and the engine actually starts, visible in the soot clouds.

Oddly enough, this procedure, which is not too cumbersome, but requires patience, i.e. valuable time and ultimately money, is called "compression ignition", in contrast to the Otto engine or "petrol engine".

In the meantime, you only have to wave a key-like plastic something from a great distance and the parked, locked vehicle comes to life, even the diesel-powered one, it flashes in every nook and corner, even the horn sounds tentatively.

One more button pressed or the plastic key held against the ignition lock and off you go.

Sing the starter yodel

The fact that starting the engine, from primevally strenuous cranking to today's starting devices, has become less and less complex and less physical should not hide the fact that it does not happen all by itself, without human intervention - unlike switching off.

You don't even get asked here.

Sometimes it seems as if the engine is turned off as soon as a stop sign comes into view.

Ecological reason plus paternalism of a citizen who is thought to be free.

When using a non-mobile computer, the runtime is also specified – if you don't press a button on the PC or laptop for a moment, the thing switches to standby.

So type in your password again, accept cookies again, you could start playing the old “starter yodel” (Fredl Fesl).

After all, you're "in" again (Boris Becker).

Ah, first let's see what's new to order, you can still work then.

After all, the computer knows best

In this way, if no money, at least energy is saved?

But it's because of "data protection"!

The user may have to go to the toilet for a moment, and the computer will also take a break, who knows who else might be tampering with it.

After all, he knows best what is best for his user, for the environment and ultimately for mankind.

Perhaps this unsolicited, hasty switch-off also contains a secret, less consumer-friendly message: The fact that it has become technically impossible to run pointlessly empty is possibly just the preliminary stage to total renunciation - you shouldn't want to do it in the first place!

Bartleby for everyone in a way.

The next step would be to ditch the power button on anything that guzzles energy.

Otherwise nothing will happen with the climate.