Strikes and disruption

Well, it made the US news today, did not sound good. What we are being told is this is doe to the French not taking some proposed reforms well unlike others in Europe and elsewhere. It also points out one of the downfalls of a Socialist or Welfare state when there is a decrease in paying workers per thsoe on retirement.

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/10/18/pm-why-are-the-french-rebelling/

I fear that worldwide we all need to look up the term austerity for the next few years...

Spule 4 wrote:

I fear that worldwide we all need to look up the term austerity for the next few years...

I did but I found this........

I had one of those way back in Triang oo

We ventured out again today for our fortnightly shopping trip to La Rochefoucauld.

The queue was two cars long for Fuel at Le Clerk )normally one, but no problems filling up, did notice that AVIA was out of Gazole (diesel) on the way through.

Interestingly we saw half a dozen different fuel tankers at various times on the D13. This is a local back road but runs parallel with the N141 Angouleme to Limoges dual carriageway. We hardly see traffic on this road let alone fuel tankers, so I'm guessing they're avoiding blockades or some such?

Well I am hoping they get it all sorted out by a week on Thursday as I have a 10 day trip back to the jolly old UK then. Let’s hope they don’t start blockading the ferry ports, but then without the holiday traffic to disrupt they may not feel it news worth enough.

Let’s see how it affects the French hopping for there autumn break next week.

Poor old Oscar is due to go out for a school trip on Sunday

It's getting very strange and tense.

No diesel around here for 40 kms except for the motorway services and one filling station that was only open for business customers and service users. I spoke to a taxi driver who had abandoned his taxi at the closed pump and was waiting for a tanker to arrive.

I managed to sneak in and get 10 litres of petrol which may last me now until mid next week. If this ridiculous selfish nonsense is still going on after that we'll be house bound. I stand to lose 500 euros next week through no work.

The students were revolting again today and I told them so.......

I like many sensible French people I speak to are getting a tad fed up with the lazy 'French way of life'.

Oh and one last thing, because the train timetables are all screwed up my wife was coming back from Paris on a train today which failed to stop at Evreux the principal intermediate town in Normandy leaving scores of angry passengers having to get out at the next station Bernay half an hour away.
Worse still were the lies that the train controller said.
"Sorry passengers.... but if you get out here there will be a bus to take you back to Evreux....just go and see the station manager."
The station at Bernay was in total darkness, no manager, no bus and a very long dubious wait for a return service.

The errant train duly departed before he was lynched.

...and it gets worse.....

Our main Total garage chez nous has now closed. No petrol or diesel.
I worked in Evreux today and there was no fuel on the main road from there to Lisieux a distance of some 80 kms. Every filling station showing signs 'VIDE'.

There are sporadic deliveries to certain places in the centre of towns and it is a now a lottery getting any fuel at all. I managed to find Lelerc open for a limited period selling a maximum of 15 litres per car.

Some of the shops are having problems with deliveries of certain products and there maybe disruption with power supplies too.

Another 2 days of 'action' are planned. But the 'action' is actually ongoing.

Getting seriously fed up with this.

I hope it's better where you are.

Any good news?

No rubbish bin collections here.The Mayor has sent out a circular stating that to conserve fuel there will be no more collections till further notice.Also we have only had one TER pass our house over the last couple of days,where there is usually twelve a day.

Good news is the weather has been great,outside in t/shirt only.

Nothing to report here - rubbish collected as usual yesterday.

Bread man still on schedule - schools open and school bus running.

Neighbours reported 25 Euro limit at two fuel stations.

First hard frost last night, great weather today and loads of Ceps in the forest!

Not too bad here/ LeClerc has no restriction on amount but no bidons. Local garages restricting to 30 euros. Rubbish as usual. but its cold here now!

mikey

I'm just off to the lycée now for the last day before the holidays.

I wonder what the mood will be like today and if I can avoid conflict.

I will let you know later......

I survived....
just.....

I had to throw two out today after confrontations.
One insulting 14 year girl old stood up and said to me that it wouldn't matter if I wrote to her parents about her bad behaviour and insolent attitude as they have same attitude and that her father would laugh before coming to the school to beat me up.

What a sweet charming girl.

Now perhaps I can get on with some teacher-friendly trains......

We had less train, but I managed to use some bus since it's started.
Collecting the children from scholl was the tricky bit, but with internet you could find what train and bus to take.

Some petrol station were empty, people get mad about having no petrol, I noticed that the BP station arround where never on the dried list.

Just drove from London via Calais to St Romain. Started with a full tank.Topped up twice: Baie de Somme (A16) - no queue, no limit; diesel 1.27 Euros/litre (no difference from London - £1.19); Sarthe/Touraine (A28) - no standard diesel, only premium @ 1.38 Euros/litre and 30 Euro limit. A28 even more empty than usual. Some queuing at service stations on A10 around Tours. Students had taken over toll booths at Poitiers Sud and were waving traffic through for free...not a cop or motorway employee in sight.

philkelly wrote:

Just drove from London via Calais to St Romain. Started with a full tank.Topped up twice: Baie de Somme (A16) - no queue, no limit; diesel 1.27 Euros/litre (no difference from London - £1.19); Sarthe/Touraine (A28) - no standard diesel, only premium @ 1.38 Euros/litre and 30 Euro limit. A28 even more empty than usual. Some queuing at service stations on A10 around Tours. Students had taken over toll booths at Poitiers Sud and were waving traffic through for free...not a cop or motorway employee in sight.

I'm glad you got there safely and without any hassle Phil.

How many students did you run over going through the tolls?
I'll give you 5 litres of diesel for each one.

I was about to employ the useful trick of pretending not to speak French, but Dorothy wouldn't play and got a fairly polite explanation of why students were worried about pensions (not a high priority for any student I've met in the past few years). We drove past the collection buckets - and so did everyone else - no gratitude, some people (!)

Department of complete co-incidences: an accident blocked the A28 and we were diverted off between J13 and J14 - completely unsignposted, but the bewildered satnav (after trying to get us to go back on to the A28 at J13) eventually took us on a route through - Boisney. But we there at about 2.30, when I guess you were having your conversation with that delightful young lady...

There's a lot of weeds on my tracks, but it's dark now - reports tomorrow.

I just read the French Senate voted to approve the retirement age changes. Does the fertilizer hit the fan now? Is there another Napoleon waiting in the wings when this republic collapses?

Carl- I'm curious - do the students treat you with contempt because you aren't French? Do they treat their other teachers similarly?

philkelly wrote:

Department of complete co-incidences: an accident blocked the A28 and we were diverted off between J13 and J14 - completely unsignposted, but the bewildered satnav (after trying to get us to go back on to the A28 at J13) eventually took us on a route through - Boisney. But we there at about 2.30, when I guess you were having your conversation with that delightful young lady...

I should coco...How funny.... Did you go on the N13 and pass a Citroen garage? You probably passsed within 300 metres of house. At least you know where we live now so no excuse for not 'popping in' next time.
There was still a lot of main road traffic at about 1600 when arrived back.

And yes 2.44 to be precise was the time I noted that I sent her to the CPE.

KleineDicke wrote:

I just read the French Senate voted to approve the retirement age changes. Does the fertilizer hit the fan now? Is there another Napoleon waiting in the wings when this republic collapses?

Mais Oui....Le merde va voler maintenant.

Quote :

Carl- I'm curious - do the students treat you with contempt because you aren't French? Do they treat their other teachers similarly?

That is a very astute question Bill and an interesting one to answer.
I could write a lot about the student/teenage psychology.

In a simple anwser they treat all teachers with contempt.
To be fair it is not the case at all schools.The lycée last year was much better and with which you kindly helped me with a film.
They were okay as students.
The lycee that I am at now is a lycée professionel. Don't be fooled by the name (although I was). It means it offers more practical courses rather than intellectual courses hence the 'clientelle' are of modest upbringing and in general are more difficult to deal with as they have serious communication problems even French.
That leads on to the next bit in that although I speak passable French it is far from perfect and the students see that as a weakness which they try and exploit.

It doesn't worry me and I don't get stressed or wound up which disappoints them even more.

I just think it's so sad and frustrating that they can't appreciate any of this free training. Yet at the same time it is an ongoing challenge to try and teach them something.

I try and do a lot of interesting things beyond the usual photocopied exercises but it's all wasted on them. They just want a 'good note' (mark) without doing any studying or work. Less than 15% have anything like a decent mentality. Some of it is frustration, lack of confidence, fear and just spotty face hormone problems.

At this lycee the overall level of respect and appreciation from students is minimal.

Here's an exmaple.
I took a (Bachman) G scale tram in with some track and catenary to the TBPE (Terminal Bac Pro Electricien) final 18/19 year olds to explain electricity to them in English.
About 10% of the class showed some mild interest but most thought it a great wind up if they tried to smash it because it belonged to me. Some threw pieces of rubber at it and one even picked it up and shook it about and said "Je peux le casser très facilement monsieur".

I gave them photocopied excercises the following lesson and therafter.....

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Did you go on the N13 and pass a Citroen garage? You probably passsed within 300 metres of house. At least you know where we live now so no excuse for not 'popping in' next time.

Just checked on my Michelin: must have been N138 and N13. There's a crossing keeper's cottage (I can spot 'em a mile off) on the N138 - where is that exactly and where did the line go? Then past Brionne Station - which line is that? and looking at the map - right past the turn off to your place. No excuse next time!

You know Carl, your lycee sounds like a great place to start the experiment to bring back corporal punishment

As a further thought. As your lycee is a technical college, get together with the woodwork and metalwork masters and start erecting a guillotine in the yard. When the students ask the obvious question state that as law and order is breaking down in France it is planned to be used as the form of ultimate corporal punishment... That should keep the 'little' sods in order!

Mike

If only...... Mike.

One 'student' I have was expelled for a week after setting off a firework in another poor teacher's class. I explained to him in bestest French where that ideally shaped rocket might be inserted about his person should he do that in mine.
...and that I spent a lot of olive-drab-time 'playing' with rather more lethal devices.
He hasn't turned up for any of my lessons since.

The headmaster gave me some advice.

He said keep your distance with them for several reasons.

Don't be too familiar as that breeds contempt.
Watch out for the crafty tactile temptresses.
and ....if you don't get too close you won't be too inclined to hit them.

Fortunately when I return after the holidays I will just have one class to deal with and I may not any be taking any further contracts as I hope to have some more adult teaching work coming up.
Then I can spend more time on trains.

I managed to top up my fuel tank at Intermache yesterday, so have enough to get to the ferry port, let’s just hope they don’t picket the docks or the Dockers don’t go on strike on Thursday.

philkelly wrote:

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Did you go on the N13 and pass a Citroen garage? You probably passsed within 300 metres of house. At least you know where we live now so no excuse for not 'popping in' next time.

Just checked on my Michelin: must have been N138 and N13. There's a crossing keeper's cottage (I can spot 'em a mile off) on the N138 - where is that exactly and where did the line go? Then past Brionne Station - which line is that? and looking at the map - right past the turn off to your place. No excuse next time!

If you came off at Junction 13 you would have mostly likely gone on the N438 (not N138) This goes to Brionne and takes you round and under the railway where once it crossed the railway with a level crossing.
The road then runs parallel with the railway on the left and the impressive but a little dejected Brionne station which is now in private hands.

This line carries passenger services from Rouen to Caen hauled mostly by modern x73500 dmus. This non-electrified line goes via Elbeuf where there is junction with the freight only line to Honfleur and south towards Serquigny where it joins the main electrified Paris - Caen - Cherbourg trunk route. They have been using the occasional bi-mode (electric and diesel) AGCs but best is when an old x4900 diesel unit substitutes.

We are quite well off for train services here considering we are in the country.

Also worth exploring is an old metre gauge line that ran west from Glos-Montfort (the station before Brionne) to Cormeilles which I will continue writing about when I get more time.

I found this story about the Rouen to Caen line which you might like.

Oh la vache !

Just checked and the N138 used to be the main Rouen - Tours road before the A28 was built. Now it has all changed.

Carl Hibbs wrote:

Also worth exploring is an old metre gauge line that ran west from Glos-Montfort (the station before Brionne) to Cormeilles which I will continue writing about when I get more time.

I found this story about the Rouen to Caen line which you might like.

Oh la vache !

Just checked and the N138 used to be the main Rouen - Tours road before the A28 was built. Now it has all changed.

Carl:

1. My 2005 Michelin hadn't caught up with the re-numbering; and
2. SNCF no doubt quoting the immortal words of the poet Bart Simpson, "Don't have a cow, man."