Once again Happy Strike Day...

September 23 -24, 2010

The reason for the strikes this time around is the new retirement age. France is having a similar problem that the USA has with their social security: people are living longer after they retire and there is not enough money to support them! So that's why the government is interested in raising the age of retirement to 62 from 60.

Therefore, tons of people are upset about it, note the 3 million people who went on strike in the beginning of September for two days to the same amount of people doing the same this week.

The only reason I don't like the days are because the train when it arrives at Noisy le Sec (my stop) is already packed like literally not a single person can get on. I knew the times of the trains thanks to the handy paper and signs in the station. So I knew in order to get to work on time I needed to get there at 8:40 to scope out the train at 8:48. Of course it was packed no real way of getting on. I waited for the 9:07 train, a little better so I pushed and squeezed on. I said pardon when ever I bumped into anyone expecting one from them, but one never came. And it was worst at night. One woman stood in front of me and then she grabbed the handle and pulled her way in, not even saying pardon. It made me mad, but I tried to stay calm and suck it up.

A quote from my earlier blog in March about strike day:

This is the day that I love (please note the sarcasm) a day when every person who takes the transports has the "right" to get upset be cause there are no trains or the lack of trains, like 3 in 1 hour! A day where your face is pushed into the glass and someone's hand just happens to touch your butt too long, or a roller coaster effect would take place if the train moved a little bit faster or pushed a little to hard on the brakes, causing you and the 5 people next to you to crash and fall down. Thus an argument starts about how you stepped on someone's Prada shoe or that your elbow is in someone's way, or why is there a big gap in the middle when it happens to be a baby stroller, etc. A really fun and great way to spend your day!

And I don't understand the real reason for the strike if the only thing the adminstration is going to do is let the strike happen but doesn't handle the situation.



from le parisien

 Have you ever experienced a strike in Paris/France during a trip? How did you feel?