Strikes

[woolybanana]

Not only will all les casseurs français be there tomorrow but those from all the other European states will be there for a preXmas

The government should have closed the frontiers days ago to stop them accumulating like sh** on a shoe.

According to the radio, gatherngs have been banned in some places and molotovs and explosives found. Hmmmmmm, not nice.

[NormanH]

https://www.lemonde.fr/police-justice/article/2018/12/07/interpellation-de-lyceens-a-mantes-la-jolie-castaner-insiste-sur-le-contexte-de-violences-urbaines_5394014_1653578.html

« Ces trois dernières semaines ont fait naître un monstre, qui a échappé à ses géniteurs »

[nomoss]

The hospital changed my wife's appointment from yesterday to tomorrow (Thur 13th Dec).

This is the first roundabout we have to negotiate to get there, filmed near the beginning of the demonstrations. [url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tq50ByU1ng[/url]

Latest reports here say that the GJ's are ramping up their activities here this week, and there have already been altercations between them and the shop owners at this roundabout.

A few police were sent there, but from what I have observed, they usually just stand around and watch..

I have had premonitions of being singled out for having a dashcam in my car. S0d's law makes me reluctant to remove it, so I have decided to leave very early, and to use my wife's rather older and shabbier car, which is normally used only for local shopping, for the trip tomorrow. The forecast is for rain, which might hopefully make them less enthusiastic about standing around outside.

[richard51]

Dont be so dramatic. Depends on how important you feel it is.

I am surprised that no comment about why not ask the hospital/GP for advice has been given.

Going early seems an obvious solution - if miles/kms are no problem then go the long way round.

Nb took someone to Manchester airport at 6.00 am this morning and we were stuck in slow moving traffic most of the way.

"Both trouble spots are about half an hour from here and five minutes from the hospital, so even if clear when we leave they could be blocked when we arrive".

[nomoss]

When I left the UK in the 1960's, after spending some time trying to teach young recruits, I already thought there were serious problems with some of the next generation's abilities to read and comprehend.

[richard51]

I did read that the problem area was 5 minutes from the hospital.

My "comprehension" is that they will have a handle on the situation. Do you know better?

[richard51]

I did read that the problem area was 5 minutes from the hospital.

My "comprehension" is that they will have a handle on the situation as previous patients would have had similar problems. Do you know better or is the whole journey a problem for you, in which case go very early - simple.

[Gardengirl]

That sounds a good idea nomoss - fingers crossed that all goes well getting there and for your wife’s appointment.

I did think that the terrible killings in Strasbourg might have given the gjs pause for thought.

[nomoss]

It's been cold and pouring with rain all day, evidently nasty enough to keep the protesters indoors.

We went to the hospital and back, also visiting Aldi, Lidl, and Carrefour, to take the opportunity of doing most of our Christmas shopping, without seeing any trace of yellow.

All three stores were really busy though, quite unusual for a Thursday. I think many people are staying away from the grands sufaces at the weekends.

EDIT: My wife remarked yesterday that our local Carrefour Contact is much busier than usual, even around lunch time, so it seems people are doing more shopping locally, even though it is a bit more expensive than in town.

[Gardian]

Just the same around here Nomoss. The GJ’s have given a real boost to the local economy.

There are ‘no flies’ on we Southerners, are there? Not like the dopey Northerners and Dordogneshire mob.

[nomoss]

It seems as if I'm not the only timid old s*d around Carcassonne who is nervous about shopping in town.

These are comments from shop owners in the CC which has been barricaded over the last weeks.

Ainsi Andrée Stalric, propriétaire, rue piétonne de la maroquinerie

éponyme mais aussi des enseignes Serge Blanco, La Toile et Mango,

déplore des baisses de chiffre d'affaires de l'ordre de 15à 20 % :

«L'esprit de Noël n'est pas là. Depuis un mois, nous sommes tous

perturbés, les gens sortent moins. Cela est très compliqué et on ne

rattrapera jamais le déficit accumulé».

Un peu plus loin, dans la même rue, Antoine Dodel le bijoutier est tout

autant désabusé : «Ce n'est pas un problème de centre commercial à

l'extérieur ou en ville. Les clients ont peur de se déplacer. Nous

affichons une baisse de 15 % de l'activité et l'enjeu sera cette semaine

mais nous risquons d'avoir la double peine avec s'il y a un afflux de

clientèle sur les derniers jours, les problèmes de stationnement qui

viendront nous pénaliser».

Source: [url]https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2018/12/19/2927360-le-commerce-pas-loge-a-la-meme-enseigne.html[/url]

[Gardian]

I really can’t make up my mind as to whether the GJ’s are gradually fading away or re-grouping.

Up until yesterday afternoon, I’d have said the former, but I had a half hour of crawling in the car on the approaches to our local town yesterday afternoon. It seems that gendarmerie decided to clear them out of the station where they had set up camp. Problem is that they did it at 15.30, which (as opposed to 10.30 say) might have suited them, but the GJ’s just went a km up the road and blockaded the main roundabout at a busy time. Chaos!

TBH, I never had much if any sympathy for them, but they’re now wheeling out just about anything they can think of that doesn’t please them. Example - “We demand the immediate re-opening of the local railway link to passenger traffic”. It was closed decades ago, it would require significant infrastructure renovation for passenger traffic and there is a more than doubtful traffic demand. Apart from that, a bloody good idea.

Anyway, I’m faced with an essential drive to Avignon tomorrow. The two obvious routes present ‘yellow peril’. Wish me luck.

[nomoss]

Good luck with your drive Gardian.

I think an appropriate synonym for the remaining GJ's would be "losers".

[richard51]

So, nomoss, you are a winner then.

Of no fixed address and if you are British in France then no chance of being accepted there.

Even Parisiens find it a problem outside Paris but they are still in France.

NB hope my spelling is OK.

[Gardian]

I really don’t understand the previous post ....... but perhaps best ignored, which everybody else has wisely done.

Anyway, that journey to Avignon was horrible today. Hadn’t been able to make up my mind whether to go for the motorway (but risk entrance / exit blocked) or go for the direct route via a known hotspot on regular roads.

With hindsight, I stupidly chose the latter option and spent 2 hrs doing a 45min journey. There were more, as in 30-ish gendarmerie & CRS, than yellow peril (12 or so) there, but everything was at a standstill and there was an enormous fire of pallets 3m high.

Now ...... if any of us on here decided that it would be good idea to moan about something (Brexit, Gatwick, Theresa May) and lit an enormous bonfire in the middle of a major roundabout at the edge of a city - what would be the appropriate thing for the authorities to do? Answers on a postcard please.

Returned via the motorway - no problems.

[nomoss]

Looking for a suitable treatment for persistent insects.

The motorway does seem a better deal. I read that fires have damaged the pavement, particularly at the toll areas, in many places, resulting in some being closed, but I imagine there is advice on that in the appropriate web sites.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Gardian"] ...........

Returned via the motorway - no problems.[/quote]

Mentioned that to my wife, who remarked that maybe everyone was doing what you initially did, which could be the reason the motorway was quiet[:D]

It occurred to me that the clever navigation systems which divert traffic away from jams could simply be causing the jams to move elsewhere.