RER, Transit Strikes, October Skies in the Paris Suburbs

copyright 2011 Lisa B. Falour, B.S., M.B.A. all rights reserved LISA, INC. (EURL) cutecatfaith.com

Strikes on the transit systems in France are set up so that workers can get to their jobs in the morning but cannot get home. It is done to appease the employers. We are left to twist in the wind after we get to where we need to be in the mornings. The employers get their workers and don't care if they don't get home or not, and the transit workers get maximum stress and irritation from the public. Check about these strikes before you come here. They happen fairly often. I am not generally opposed to organized labor but you have to plan for this sort of thing and take it in stride. Generally speaking, strikes, demonstrations and even riots are signs of economic upticks in France, a very strange country indeed.

I do not care for the RER system. I would say avoid it. You can use city buses. They are cheaper and safer. Buy ten packs of tickets for a big savings.

I hear jackhammers every morning at 8 am and there are huge infrastructure projects all around me here. I know it is necessary but it is often a huge inconvenience, as I am disabled, and this is not a disabled friendly country, not by a long chalk.

This is the scenery you will see when you travel from Paris to the CGD Roissy airport. It sure is ugly. I see shantytowns and so much ugliness here, but this is Paris, always has been, always will be.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• RATP
• RER
• SNCF
• strike
• grève
• tramway
• Paris
• expat
• chemtrails
• metéo
• weather
• handicap
• public
• transportation
• infrastructure
• French
• tram
• 93
• Aulnay
• Seine-Saint-Denis
• travel
• tourism
• voyages
• construction
• bus
• corruption
• ville
• city
• Ile-de-France
• CDG
• Roissy
• airport
• aéroport
• labor
• ouvrier
• bidonville
• shantytown
• SDF
• homeless
• demonstration

[grangersmith]

I really like your little clips of everyday life in your neck of the woods, it's interesting! Your vids also really make me appreciate living in the my own culture! The history and culture there is complex/intense,seeing it through your eyes, (a American living years in France) has given me insights into life in France/Europe I would be clueless about without your vids! Thanks ;D

[slobomotion]

@grangersmith Thank you, cuz even though I am often bitter about having to leave the USA, I want people to know that even though I love it here and it has been a wonderful learning experience, people absolutely MUST learn to appreciate WHERE THEY ARE NOW. It is far better to STAY and IMPROVE where you ARE! I understand people long for faraway places, I really do. But I would kill to see a firefly or hear a robin or have a decent Asiatic meal! xo

[djgrooveline]

nice to see america isn't the only one who suffer from the riff raff putting graffiti everywhere

[slobomotion]

@djgrooveline I know, isn't it gross? It is not typical of France IN GENERAL. I live in the most densely populated area in the greater Paris region, and it has a bad rep, wow a lot of it is so grungy! I take it back, I have seen SOME graffiti elsewhere but people in the "93" are very destructive, and slobs, and demoralized in this region. I am glad you saw this. This is Paris! Just on the way to the airport, the near suburbs where I live. Pretty ugly, eh? xo

[vention4wh]

Both the gray skies and the unintelligible graffiti look just like they do here in western Washington.

[slobomotion]

@vention4wh I was not in a good mood when I did this, but I thought, calm down and make a clip, show people slice of life! There is plenty here even in this grungy region which is LOVELY but I like to show the reality, too, cuz it is real. Many visitors here develop SYNDROME DE PARIS, a recognized mental illness in Japan for example, cuz they are so bummed that Paris is very rough in parts. I have a clip in mind I might share with you. It is so real, sad and TRUE. xo

[grangersmith]

@slobomotion In general where there is a lot of poverty, it shows. Anger, disrespect of self/others, general anger,hate violence is shown through garbage, destruction and graffiti, that's my view of it anyway.Although being poor, jobless etc is no excuse for this ever..You can be poor and still have pride and respect for your community, fellow humans and mother earth.. Depression, anger,repression oppression, fear, hopelessness spreads like any disease,too bad for us all...

[grangersmith]

@vention4wh I was thinking the same thing about the weather, since I live in WA state too, Olympia.The gray skies always get to me after 9 months of it, and I am a 3rd generation Washingtonian, but was not raised here, and family is from Yakima & Spokane ( rarely lived there a few years or so) region.The weather is better in that area but I really wouldn't want to live in Yakima valley ever. We don't have the graffiti like that though!

[qualqui]

wow, great mass transit ya all have over there, here only buses.

[carefulcarpenter]

Do people recognize you-- do they know you as the YT artist?