Massive French protests on the horizon

[Kubra]

Well, italy has great coffee, yeah, but there's 195 countries in the world and maybe 5 as a rule, rather than an exception. That makes you lot aficionado's.
You can get a decent coffee anywhere, sure, but in a place like France you can usually just expect it.


Surprisingly, some. It's not good, but it's god damn coffee. I'll take what I can get.
In all seriousness there are some parts of the paris metro that do frankly smell of piss, but ehh, I mean folks gotta piss somewhere and in big cities they'll all tend to piss in the same places.
Sure, my local city doesn't smell of piss, but that's probably not for lack of trying by its denizens. There just aren't enough of us pissing.

Oh. OK!

I'll be contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, do they know we have a reputation in coffee? We can start an entire tourism campaign on this!

Er, don't they know? Half the tourist appeal of France is sipping an espresso at a streetside table, passing the hours in brooding silence. That's the image of France abroad, and it's not considered a bad one.

[Olerand]

Oh. OK!

I'll be contacting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, do they know we have a reputation in coffee? We can start an entire tourism campaign on this!

Er, don't they know? Half the tourist appeal of France is sipping an espresso at a streetside table, passing the hours in brooding silence. That's the image of France abroad, and it's not considered a bad one.

Well yeah but that's not the coffee! You come to Paris for the ambiance, sit at the café, and yes, sip coffee. You don't come to just... sip coffee. But why not? Apparently we have a good reputation in coffee! I've never seen an ad calling on people to come to France for coffee! No more!

[Novus America]

In all fairness it varies in America. Our public transportation is not nearly as bad as people make it out to be, at least in many places. Sure it needs work, but several cities have very good public transportation. Of course many have almost none at all. It varies.

We actually have pretty good commuter rail in several cities. The DC commuter rail is good.
The trains are clean and have bathrooms so people do not pee on the floor.

Union Station is nice too. But most of the stations are very spartan. No coffee, but they get the job done.

Also we have learned trains should have linoleum floors and plastic seats. Carpet is a horrible idea.

For a country with no TGV (high-speed rail)! The audacity! High-speed rail as we define it, not you, that is.

Alright, how about Egypt? Can't even say China honestly, even they have a TGV.

Oh and the NYC Subway. I refuse to believe any good about American public transportation after that. I refuse.

I said commuter rail, not intercity rail. Our commuter rail in several cities is good.
Our long range intercity rail is limited because it has little real purpose because of our geography and other options.

The NYC subway is not horrible. I mean I did not find Paris to have a much better one.
Both definitely are getting a bit run down though. The stations on both need a good bit of restoration work.

DC has the most impressive looking underground subway stations though some need to be painted better. Impressive looking. Very spartan though.

[Olerand]

For a country with no TGV (high-speed rail)! The audacity! High-speed rail as we define it, not you, that is.

Alright, how about Egypt? Can't even say China honestly, even they have a TGV.

Oh and the NYC Subway. I refuse to believe any good about American public transportation after that. I refuse.

I said commuter rail, not intercity rail. Our commuter rail in several cities is good.
Our long range intercity rail is limited because it has little real purpose because of our geography and other options.

The NYC subway is not horrible. I mean I did not find Paris to have a much better one.
Both definitely are getting a bit run down though. The stations on both need a good bit of restoration work.

Commuter rail... I mean... I guess it'll get you to the suburbs, but that's not the grand project!

I refuse this clear, boldfaced lie, I suffered violations of my human rights by the NYC subway. The Métro might not be excellent, but to compare it to the NYC subway... How much are they paying you?

[Kubra]

Er, don't they know? Half the tourist appeal of France is sipping an espresso at a streetside table, passing the hours in brooding silence. That's the image of France abroad, and it's not considered a bad one.

Well yeah but that's not the coffee! You come to Paris for the ambiance, sit at the café, and yes, sip coffee. You don't come to just... sip coffee. But why not? Apparently we have a good reputation in coffee! I've never seen an ad calling on people to come to France for coffee! No more!

Well what would ruin the ambience more than bad coffee? Would it be the same if one was drinking instant and puffing on light american filtered cigarettes?
I can sit a cafe in Manila and imitate the activity, but let me tell ya, stale drip coffee and chinese tobacco really reinforces the whole "not in France" thing.
I mean, if you lot aren't advertising the coffee, you really ought to more.

[Olerand]

Well yeah but that's not the coffee! You come to Paris for the ambiance, sit at the café, and yes, sip coffee. You don't come to just... sip coffee. But why not? Apparently we have a good reputation in coffee! I've never seen an ad calling on people to come to France for coffee! No more!

Well what would ruin the ambience more than bad coffee? Would it be the same if one was drinking instant and puffing on light american filtered cigarettes?
I can sit a cafe in Manila and imitate the activity, but let me tell ya, stale drip coffee and chinese tobacco really reinforces the whole "not in France" thing.
I mean, if you lot aren't advertising the coffee, you really ought to more.

Well, I just realized English prefers the spelling ambience for ambiance. Even though it's literally the French word ambiance...

Anyway, well, yes but they're accessories, you know? People come for the experience, which includes coffee. They don't just come for the coffee. But why not? Come for the coffee.

We don't advertise our coffee prowess. At least not to my knowledge!

[Krasny-Volny]

French petrol taxes are already cripplingly high, and Macron's decision to raise taxes on diesel just as likely to be controversial since a ton of French motorists use diesel precisely because it's cheaper.

France is not Belgium or the Netherlands. It's a very large country with a much larger percentage of rural countryside and commuters who are beyond the reach of public transport and the convenient range of a bicycle. Most of the folks in say, metropolitan Paris and other densely packed urban centers do not commute enough distance to be worth becoming a car owner. They use public transport, cycle, or walk. Everybody else must drive.

[Olerand]

French petrol taxes are already cripplingly high, and Macron's decision to raise taxes on diesel just as likely to be controversial since a ton of French motorists use diesel precisely because it's cheaper.

France is not Belgium or the Netherlands. It's a very large country with a much larger percentage of rural countryside and commuters who are beyond the reach of public transport and the convenient range of a bicycle. Most of the folks in say, metropolitan Paris and other densely packed urban centers do not commute. They use public transport, cycle, or walk. Everybody else must drive.

All true. Wish the protesters had more to say about this and less about everything else.

[Kubra]

Well what would ruin the ambience more than bad coffee? Would it be the same if one was drinking instant and puffing on light american filtered cigarettes?
I can sit a cafe in Manila and imitate the activity, but let me tell ya, stale drip coffee and chinese tobacco really reinforces the whole "not in France" thing.
I mean, if you lot aren't advertising the coffee, you really ought to more.

Well, I just realized English prefers the spelling ambience for ambiance. Even though it's literally the French word ambiance...

Anyway, well, yes but they're accessories, you know? People come for the experience, which includes coffee. They don't just come for the coffee. But why not? Come for the coffee.

We don't advertise our coffee prowess. At least not to my knowledge!

Ah, er, I really do put my francophone grandparents to shame, don't I? I do apologise.

I mean, the ambiance is great, don't get me wrong, it's worth advertising. But y'know, a few days into a vacay and stuff starts to feel business as usual, and then you really notice things like coffee quality.
I mean, I live a couple hours away from the most breathtaking mountain range in all North America. But you know the 3rd trip for the year and I could care less, it's quality of life matters that end up making an outing.

[Kubra]

French petrol taxes are already cripplingly high, and Macron's decision to raise taxes on diesel just as likely to be controversial since a ton of French motorists use diesel precisely because it's cheaper.

France is not Belgium or the Netherlands. It's a very large country with a much larger percentage of rural countryside and commuters who are beyond the reach of public transport and the convenient range of a bicycle. Most of the folks in say, metropolitan Paris and other densely packed urban centers do not commute enough distance to be worth becoming a car owner. They use public transport, cycle, or walk. Everybody else must drive.

I dunno, would it be possible to have a fuel tax set up in a way that it only applied to gas stations within certain municipalities? That would undoubtedly be fairer, but certainly a bit more complicated a matter.

[Novus America]

I said commuter rail, not intercity rail. Our commuter rail in several cities is good.
Our long range intercity rail is limited because it has little real purpose because of our geography and other options.

The NYC subway is not horrible. I mean I did not find Paris to have a much better one.
Both definitely are getting a bit run down though. The stations on both need a good bit of restoration work.

Commuter rail... I mean... I guess it'll get you to the suburbs, but that's not the grand project!

I refuse this clear, boldfaced lie, I suffered violations of my human rights by the NYC subway. The Métro might not be excellent, but to compare it to the NYC subway... How much are they paying you?

NYCTA needs to send me my damn paycheck. Cheap bastards:(

In all seriousness though commuter rail might not be grand, but it is what we need.
We do not have much demand for intercity rail, but try commuting from the suburbs to DC or New York by car. That will give you a lesson in pain and suffering.

But the MARC train is actually nice. Fast, clean and good parking at the suburban stations.

The US does not have good geography for intercity rail.

The NYC subway is not that bad, even though some of the stations are pretty dark and dingy.

But honestly some of the Paris Metro stations I saw in the outskirts looked like something from a cyberpunk distopia. And some of the rolling stock was looked like it was bought in the 70s and not cleaned or repaired since.

Both get you where you need to go, even though both need new rolling stock and many stations need some serious restoration work.

[Bears Armed]

"President Macron, the peasants are revolting!"
"I'm well aware of that, they don't even bathe. Servant, bring me more wine."

Glorious.

+1

[Sokolovra]

What is it with the French, and protests over nearly every damn thing becoming an event to "bring to a standstill". I mean I guess revolutions, and constitutional changes aren't as cheap as they used to be.

And they wonder why Germany is beating them at everything....

[Frievolk]

Er, don't they know? Half the tourist appeal of France is sipping an espresso at a streetside table, passing the hours in brooding silence. That's the image of France abroad, and it's not considered a bad one.

Well yeah but that's not the coffee! You come to Paris for the ambiance, sit at the café, and yes, sip coffee. You don't come to just... sip coffee. But why not? Apparently we have a good reputation in coffee! I've never seen an ad calling on people to come to France for coffee! No more!

I mean, I know that what I did when I visited Paris. Sit in a cafe, sip coffee, eat something, try to write something down (and fail hilariously), and then just saying fuck it and going to take pictures from landmarks like other tourists.

[Pope Joan]

Andrew Cuomo wanted to use this tactic to decrease gas use in NY State.

Look and learn, governor!

[Rojava Free State]

It already has turned violent. over 100 injured and 1 dead in Paris

[Vince Vaughn]

French people riot over the dumbest shit.

[LiberNovusAmericae]

French people riot over the dumbest shit.

I wouldn't call fuel--which is needed to drive--"dumbest shit". There are people who don't live near good public transport, and need to use a car.

[Dahon]

French people riot over the dumbest shit.

Not that I disagree (us Pinoys have had to deal with excise tax increases on oil and its effects ourselves for most of the year, and we're not rioting), but France... it's a big country with not a lot of options for public transport.

[Liriena]

"We are not a political movement", sure, and they organise a political protest. Seems exactly what the M5S did. Total astroturfing. I wonder whether Bannon is behind this.

Yeah, this absolutely reeks of astroturfing, specially given the particular issue picked for protesting.

Also, love that these are the protests that catch OP's attention, and not the long series of very visible, very hardcore labour protests against Macron's government that we had over the course of the past year.

[Liriena]

These protests are a good start, but it is against the wrong target in my view. What should really get France mad is the fact that they have a ton of terrible people within their borders. All the Moroccans, Algerians, north Africans, and middle Easterners, it should be obvious that they should be thrown out or deported. Internment camps for the ones that can't. They will voluntarily leave if the conditions are made bad enough. All of the mosques and "no go" communities can be shut down once this has been completed.

Counterpoint: put all white French men in concentration camps

[Mattopilos II]

These protests are a good start, but it is against the wrong target in my view. What should really get France mad is the fact that they have a ton of terrible people within their borders. All the Moroccans, Algerians, north Africans, and middle Easterners, it should be obvious that they should be thrown out or deported. Internment camps for the ones that can't. They will voluntarily leave if the conditions are made bad enough. All of the mosques and "no go" communities can be shut down once this has been completed.

Counterpoint: put all white French men in concentration camps

Especially the stereotypical ones with fake moustaches, barrettes and holding baguettes. They get the chambers first.

[Liriena]

Counterpoint: put all white French men in concentration camps

Especially the stereotypical ones with fake moustaches, barrettes and holding baguettes. They get the chambers first.

Jean Reno must be spared, though.

[Mattopilos II]

Especially the stereotypical ones with fake moustaches, barrettes and holding baguettes. They get the chambers first.

Jean Reno must be spared, though.

He is saved by his Spanish descent.
You win this time, Reno!

[Knessniet]

For a country with no TGV (high-speed rail)! The audacity! High-speed rail as we define it, not you, that is.

Alright, how about Egypt? Can't even say China honestly, even they have a TGV.

Oh and the NYC Subway. I refuse to believe any good about American public transportation after that. I refuse.

I said commuter rail, not intercity rail. Our commuter rail in several cities is good.
Our long range intercity rail is limited because it has little real purpose because of our geography and other options.

The NYC subway is not horrible. I mean I did not find Paris to have a much better one.
Both definitely are getting a bit run down though. The stations on both need a good bit of restoration work.

DC has the most impressive looking underground subway stations though some need to be painted better. Impressive looking. Very spartan though.

Allow me to give my take on American Public Transit, from someone who cannot drive and is FULLY RELIANT on it.

It depends where you go. For example, the best public transit I have ever ridden was the bus system in Albany, New York. It was clean, on-time, the staff was courteous, and they have a easy-to-use farebox. Truly, a model system for ANY city.

The worst? The NYC subway! Seriously, I hate NYC. Mainly because of the crappy subway, in fact. It was filthy, croweded, poorly ventilated, and hard to navigate. Besides that, I spent 15 minutes trying to get the turnstiles to take my swiper.

As for French public transit, I know Europe has good trains overall, and I like trains. Amtrak is pretty good on it's limited network, though.

Anyway, I fully support the yellow vests, and I hope Macron actually listens to his people.

Andrew Cuomo wanted to use this tactic to decrease gas use in NY State.

Look and learn, governor!

As a New Yorker, I can say that literally everyone out of Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, and NYC hates that corrupt sack of crap. Me included.

Listen to the people, folks! They don't like taxes of any kind, let alone on the thing that runs their lives: Gasoline.