diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 82606be8..ad4df13a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -11,4 +11,5 @@
 
 # Eclipse
 .project
-.classpath
\ No newline at end of file
+.classpath
+/.settings/
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/problem/Skills.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/problem/Skills.java
index 6a23c154..ddc7df8e 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/problem/Skills.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/problem/Skills.java
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ public class Skills {
      * @return true if skill is included, false otherwise
      */
     public boolean containsSkill(String skill) {
-        return skills.contains(skill.toLowerCase());
+        return skills.contains(skill.trim().toLowerCase());// trim to be consistent with addSkill()
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/Coordinate.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/Coordinate.java
index 53c20147..6c1c26c8 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/Coordinate.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/Coordinate.java
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ public class Coordinate {
         return new Coordinate(x, y);
     }
 
-    private double x;
+    private final double x;
 
-    private double y;
+    private final double y;
 
     public Coordinate(double x, double y) {
         super();
diff --git a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/EuclideanCosts.java b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/EuclideanCosts.java
index 15b18704..6a9e37ae 100644
--- a/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/EuclideanCosts.java
+++ b/jsprit-core/src/main/java/com/graphhopper/jsprit/core/util/EuclideanCosts.java
@@ -60,11 +60,8 @@ public class EuclideanCosts extends AbstractForwardVehicleRoutingTransportCosts
     private double calculateDistance(Location fromLocation, Location toLocation) {
         Coordinate from = null;
         Coordinate to = null;
-        if (fromLocation.getCoordinate() != null & toLocation.getCoordinate() != null) {
-            from = fromLocation.getCoordinate();
-            to = toLocation.getCoordinate();
-        }
-        if (from == null || to == null) throw new NullPointerException();
+        from = fromLocation.getCoordinate();
+        to = toLocation.getCoordinate();
         return calculateDistance(from, to);
     }
 
diff --git a/jsprit-examples/.gitignore b/jsprit-examples/.gitignore
index d1980dba..77f4a590 100644
--- a/jsprit-examples/.gitignore
+++ b/jsprit-examples/.gitignore
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@
 .project
 .classpath
 .settings
+/.factorypath