If groping or being groped is your thing, you’ll be in seventh heaven on the Paris metro today. My guess is it’s a veritable gropathon.
The French unions have gone ahead with their ill-timed general strike, regardless of the fact that the Olympic Comittee are in town today. Metros, trains, buses, airports, radio stations and the postal service are all affected. Mr Frog had it on (what we thought was) good authority from a station employee only last week that there was no need for him to change his train tickets, as the strikes would be called off at the last minute. Not so. The strikes are very much on, and his train has been cancelled.
I often wonder where reporters find the people they film for the eight o’clock news saying that yes, they have had problems getting to work, but despite this they do fully support the strikers’ demands. I challenge a roving reporter to shove a TV camera and/or microphone in my face. On second thoughts, just give me five minutes so I can look up the phrase “shooting yourselves in the foot” in the English/French dictionary first.
I am however sufficiently in touch with my French side to have opted for an extra long lie-in this morning, using public transport disruption as a smokescreen for my sloth. If anyone asks, I waited patiently for a metro which was not forthcoming before abandoning ship, mixing my metaphors, waking the slumbering Mr Frog and begging him to drive me to work on his trusty steed Piaggio. We weaved (wove?) in and out of the dense morning traffic, a chill wind blowing up my coatsleeves, and I arrived at work a mere half an hour late. The fact that we left home at 9 am is irrelevant.
Upon inspection of the RATP internet site I note that one in three metros are actually running on my line. Shhh! Don’t tell my boss, or Mr Frog, as he has agreed to come and collect me at 5 pm.
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petite anglaise 
sometimes i’m ashamed to be french… goodness, if only they could realize how good they have it and that going on such stupid strikes like that will only make things become like they are in the US and elsewhere in the world…
Comment by miss lulu — March 11, 2005 @ 4:41 pm
Petite – Being French, I suppose disagreeing is in my blood. I was just trying to do it without sounding overly patronizing. :wink:
Comment by ontario frog — March 12, 2005 @ 2:44 am
Oooooh Miss Lulu. Don’t be naive. Nothing is a given.
It’s because they have they don’t want to lose it.
This wonderful concept of “Market Economy” is not based on fair redistribution. Why should it be?
Well, maybe the redistribution gap between the top and the bottom could be an index of the sanity and the well being of a country.
I have a hard time not making any correlation between 10% of unemployment, factory relocation and large profit increase of many French corporations.
In the US, the Unions got so fat and cosy with the bosses they forgot who they were supposed to support.
The result is a tragedy.
The new model for the american economy?
Wal-Mart
Tonight, I finally found a good Indian reataurant in Chicago. After 10 years, it was time…
L8er,
Chicago
Comment by Chicago — March 12, 2005 @ 4:53 am
Oh, groping in the metro. What a fine country.
Comment by Emily — March 13, 2005 @ 12:12 am
“The French unions have gone ahead with their ill-timed general strike, regardless of the fact that the Olympic Comittee are in town today.”
What do you mean ‘regardless’ they did regard (ou regarde) the presence of the IOC, for some it was the reason for choosing that day to strike, many unions handed out t-shirts supporting the olympic bid.
Why do the strikers receive so much blame, without any mention of blame for the government? surely its in most peoples interests to be able to work less hours for the same pay?
we should be free to enjoy ‘sloth’, at the expense of the exploitative, rich minority.
Comment by dean — March 14, 2005 @ 11:22 pm