I wrote on October 23, 2010 saying that I wasn't really affected by the strikes and that I hadn't felt the impact - at least not in the same manner that everyone had...
however, 6 days later- I felt the strike all right. I can say that the protesters put me, the average commuter, in a disastrous commute to work on the 29th of October, 2010- the last but full force day of the October 12th, 2010 strike.
My morning commute went like this:
I leave my house at 7:15am hoping to get the 7:20 train then transfer to a metro, arriving at the Embassy around 7:50 in time for a nice 1 hr workout, a shower, and up to my desk for 9am. But no....
1- The 7:20 train was canceled- so was the next one.
2- I take a 15 minute bus ride to the nearest metro station- in general the metros run very frequently. This bus ride was PACKED- barely got on the bus squeezed in with other morning commuters.
3- Get to the metro and have to wait about 10 minutes for it to arrive- normally they run about every 3 minutes.
4- Get on the metro- running smoothly until we come to a stop at a station. An announcement comes on saying that we will be staying at the station momentarily and thanked us for our patience. I figure I'll wait- this line would take me quite close to work.
5- Five minutes later another announcement comes on saying that he suggests we take a corresponding line because this train will NOT be going anywhere.
6- I take out my metro map and see that line 6 is at this station too- okay, I can take line 6, then transfer to line 9 a few stops later.
7- I get on line 6 which takes me to station Trocadero- for my transfer to line 9.
8- I get on the train- line 9. The doors aren't closing. An announcement comes on, "This train will NOT be going anywhere."
GREAT.... There are no other corresponding trains.
9- I am close enough that I can walk to work... thankfully I had a small street map book in my purse that day- I have no idea why it was in my purse because normally I don't carry it!
10- I walk through the streets and stumble upon a familiar path which takes me to my work.
11- As I am frantically trying to find my way, cussing and cursing about the strikers and the inability for me to get to the gym and my morning shower... a man put the cherry on my cake. A construction worker passes me and says in french, "Ca c'est une face que se leve tot!" AHHHHHHHHHHHH GRRRRRRRRRRR... translation: Now that is a face that wakes up early!
I was SOOOOOOOO mad, it didn't register until the moment he was behind me, otherwise I would have given him the middle finger for that one!!! But then a few minutes later I was laughing about it... and I probably did not have a friendly looking face due to the circumstances.
I ended up getting to work at 8:50pm- enough time to wash my face, pretty it up a little, and get my morning coffee.
I felt the impact of a strike in France alright....
That same day I went up to Haussmann- Gallery Lafayette to grab a present for a coworker who was leaving the Embassy. As I get out of the train station I find myself in a crowd of protesters!!!!!
This was the order:
-Protesters screaming and causing havoc ( I didn't catch up to the massive crowd)
-Dozens of police men following them
-Street cleaners cleaning up their mess.
All doing the same march....
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