The Parisian Pedestrian: by Choice and by Force
When You Have No Choice Having established myself as a pedestrian by preference, I must say that I still rely quite heavily on public transport to get around Paris in the cold, dark winter. And each winter that I've been here has had its days of partial and zero service because of striking RATP and SNCF workers. Back in November 1995, it lasted for three weeks straight at one point, and spread to the post office, the air traffic controllers, students, doctors...what a mess. But the Parisians are used to this, so they just hitch rides, roller-skate, take the Batobus on the Seine, or stay at home and grumble. Traffic usually becomes deadlocked as all of the commuters from the suburbs bring in their cars, and the shops close early and open late.
The Fifth Season What kills me the most is the way that it has become a seasonal event, as if there's no way to avoid it: "It's strike season again," they say as the garbage has begun piling up in the metro station at Gare du Nord. Yesterday was an "official" strike by the post office. Last week the radio and TV stations went on strike as well. I hate getting into the reasons, so I'll just say it has to do with something the government is doing under the pretence of helping the economy. So they protest against the government by making me walk around in the cold, polluted air, when I have la grippe (the flu). It's not like President Chirac has to take the metro to work. That's all I will say about that.
Check the News If you're curious about whether or not the line you need is working, you can check out the sites for the RATP (bus and metro) and the SNCF (regional and national trains). Both have sections in English, but the section on traffic and manifestations (strike demonstrations) are only in French. If you're driving, check out the Ile-de-France traffic conditions at Sytadin, where they also list info for both airports, pollution levels, and ride-sharing info, mostly in French. For some handy phone numbers and a glimpse at what the strike was like in 1995, see an article written by Ric Erickson. If you're super desperate and need to guarantee your transportation, why not rent a chauffeured car or limo? (You won't want to drive yourself during a
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