France to Strike on Thursday

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by pchang
I have encountered very lazy SNCF workers. In one case, they made me wait in a security line before boarding the TGV because they were all on a break. I ended up missing the train and had to get another connection (I ended having to find a local from Calaise to Lille).

I can remember one time where I encountered outright laziness to a point that it hurt the service, so you weren't lucky (I took French trains once every few weeks for the last 5 years). But I too missed a train at Lille because of their atrocious "security" screenings

It wasn't due to laziness, but to the fact that it was impossible to buy the ticket in the train, and that I had no time anymore to buy one in the station

[Giancarlo]

Isn't laziness a part of being communist?

[Sava]

Originally posted by Giancarlo
Isn't laziness a part of being communist?

the same way massive brain dysfunction is part of being a capitalist

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Sava
the same way massive brain dysfunction is part of being a capitalist

Massive brain dysfunction? Laziness? I think I'll go with the massive brain dysfunction.. afterall we capitalists invent things for you lazy masses.

[Sava]

what have you invented?

[Lawrence of Arabia]

the TGV needs more non smoking wagons - the last two times i took them, they were all sold out, and i had to sit in the smoking compartment. of course, every frenchman and his brother didnt light up until after the train started rolling (you would think they woulda done it on the quai)

[Spiffor]

IIRC, there are now no smoking wagons in the TGV anymore. Don't quote me on that, though, I haven't taken the TGV in more than a year

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Dauphin

Tried out British trains? They make you wait because there are a few leaves on the lines.

He's a nice song about the London Underground. It sums up my feelings.

Listen to track #8.

[Saras]

Originally posted by St Leo

Originally posted by Saras
We (re-)declared it on March 11, 1990, silly, unlike our sissy northern cousins

Ah. I am pwned. You are my deity.

kill your idols

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Giancarlo


I think I'll go with the massive brain dysfunction..

Shouldn't you have used the past tense ?

[RGBVideo]

Personal attacks

2. The strikes doesn't come from a bizarre pleasure of blocking the economy (which you'll see in Sava's and Odin's posts rather than mine, btw). They come from several causes, the main one being the strong social malaise happening in France at the time.

Strikes don't solve society-wide economic malaise. They make it worse. You should let Chirac do his best in solving the crisis and give him a boot during the elections if he fails in it. How is the president supposed to solve anything if a large portion of the society makes their common problems worse just to show him how much he sucks? The problem with France has been and is currently is ultra-partisanship: Everything has to be politicisized.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by VJ
Personal attacks

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by VJ
Strikes don't solve society-wide economic malaise. They make it worse. You should let Chirac do his best in solving the crisis and give him a boot during the elections if he fails in it.

That's what we do, when there are elections (such as last year). Unfortunately, Chirac didn't change his tune despite having had his ass handed something fierce. Considering that the voice of the voter doesn't stop him in his destructing spree, the voice of the worker has to.

How is the president supposed to solve anything if a large portion of the society makes their common problems worse just to show him how much he sucks?

The strike barely contributes to worsening problems. France remained a functional country despite the strile, and it's not like we can kiss 1/365th of our GNP goodbye because of it. Yet it was serious enough for Chirac now to seriously reconsider some og his policy. Because unlike elections, strikes can happen at any time. It's not like he has 3 years without having to respond to the unions whatsoever The voters don't have such power.

The problem with France has been and is currently is ultra-partisanship: Everything has to be politicisized.

I would say that the fall of purchasing power, and the general uncaring attitude toward the "France of the bottom" (to quote our PM) is the kind of issue that deserves politicization. Unfortunately, it's also the ind of issue where the voters are shat upon, and where the unions have to act.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

france is feeling bad about itself, maybe thats why they dont wanna go to war in iraq.

[Giancarlo]

Tell me (to any frenchman here).. how does it feel that unions have more power then voters even though they represent less then 10% of the population? You guys should change how the system works, reduce their power...