What is happening in France?

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Scenes on the news about the French going on strike and messing up transport links, fuel, roadblocks etc.

With a little over a month before LMC this could be a problem. On a clear run I will need at least 4 tanks for the trip, get snarled up in jams and that gets scary, but then there may not be fuel available anyway!

French strikes: Does France's workforce really have it easy? - BBC News


Not sure if this should be in the politics thread or all GT 40 as it could screw up a weekend planned for months by a lot of people.

Ian
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Oh and they like to choose their timing, this is happening on a long weekend break, the LMC is, I believe Bastille weekend so another good target date!
 
Ian,

Don't believe everything you hear!! Yes there are some stations out off fuel particularly around Paris and Normandy.
No stations on the motorway will be effected. They as always when needed are supplied from the 30 days of government stocks.
I live in france since 1984 so know a bit how it functions....
So enjoy your trip.

Roel
 

Keith

Moderator
You see Ian? Worrying over nothing mate. You'll only have the usual fisherman's strike to contend with and that will only be a simple blockading of the Channel ports. You'll be fine. Just tell 'em you're Scottish :lol:
 

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
A 'sort of' related aside:

About 3 decades ago, we (wife and I) decided to spend a long weekend at the Empress Hotel on Vancouver Island (B.C., Canada). 'Made the hotel reservations, got some Canadian money, reserved a rental car, blah, blah, blah. About 3 days before we were scheduled to leave, the ferry employees UNION hinted at calling a "wildcat strike" over who-knows-what (Canadian unions were INFAMOUS for pulling that sort of crap back then). So, I called the hotel and rental car company and cancelled our reservations. We went to Seattle instead. We have never bothered to reschedule a jaunt back over there in all the years since. There's no BLOODY WAY I was/am going to go over there and be stranded on Vancouver Island for God-knows-how-long in the event another "wildcat" strike were called during our stay.

My point? Strikes that negatively affect non-residents/tourists can have both short and long-range negative economic impact on the area(s) involved.


...'end of scholarly, presumptuous economics 101 pontification... :smug:
 

Keith

Moderator
I can think of a lot worse places in the world to be stranded in to be honest, but it must be quite a blessed feeling living in a country that suffers no labour disputes and having a beautiful world class resort such as Seattle close by to enjoy one's leisure time in.. :)
 

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
it must be quite a blessed feeling living in a country that suffers no labour disputes and having a beautiful world class resort such as Seattle close by to enjoy one's leisure time in.. :)

Sarcasm noted.

My comment; "Strikes that negatively affect non-residents/tourists can have both short and long-range negative economic impact on the area(s) involved", referred to NO specific area, NO specific labor dispute, NOR any specific country...and 'wasn't intended to. It applies everywhere.


Being STRANDED is the issue...not WHERE it happens. Being stranded as the result of some labor dispute I did not cause, 'had nothing to do with, NOR can do anything about is infuriating - especially when it's so-called "PUBLIC SERVANTS" who are doing it. In the latter case, their immediate government overseers should do like Reagan did with the air traffic controllers; give the strikers "X" amount of time to get back to work and fire 'em if they don't.

Just 'for info'; back in those days I had things to do, places to go, people to see, and schedules to keep. 'Didn't have time to be stuck anywhere. I wouldn't have liked being stranded in SoCal, Scottsdale, Miami Beach, Honolulu, or anywhere else for that matter.

'Hope that clears up any 'foggy' areas.
 
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Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
Washington state ferry workers never strike. It would be unAmerican!

A wildcat strike shut down the state of Washington's... - UPI Archives

Uh huh - and it was 100% ILLEGAL.

Gee...and to think you only had to back 35 YEARS to find that. ..taking you God-only-knows how long.

If I remember correctly, the head of the state ferry system said striking workers would be replaced if they didn't end their 'strike by 'whatever-time' the following day........and they did. The ferry system then filed to recover $60K-or-so in wages it paid to workers who didn't strike but couldn't do their jobs because of the walkout...but, I don't remember how that turned out.

Regardless, I felt the same way about that ferry strike as I did about the B.C. ferry strike. So, I'm not sure WHAT point you had hoped to make...

In any event, as I recall that was the only Wa. St. ferry system "wildcat" strike that's happened.
 
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Mike Pass

Supporter
I thought this thread was about the fuel shortages due to industrial action in FRANCE. I understand there to be a politics thread for the tedium of American left wing - right wing "argument".
Time for a bit of "moderation" in all things paddock methinks.
Cheers
Mike
 

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
.
I thought this thread was about the fuel shortages due to industrial action in FRANCE. I understand there to be a politics thread for the tedium of American left wing - right wing "argument".
Time for a bit of "moderation" in all things paddock methinks.
Cheers
Mike

Well, ME thinks when a post that's aimed at me requires a response, I do so.

I'm funny that way...
 
Hello , i'm living on the road from the town Mayenne to Le Mans, and no problems to getting fuels around my place wich is 40kms nord le Mans nearby Sille Le Guillaume.
and as for the strikes; non influence her in this area. just enjoy you're stay over here, but bring boots and umbrella, because its even raining between showers over here this week
Paul
 
In Paris at the moment.

Funnily, the moment I had left the taxi a Trade Union member handed me a leaflet requesting me to join some industrial action later today :stunned:
 

Mike Pass

Supporter
Thanks Paul.
That is good to hear. some of the northern GT40 contingent will be travelling down your way and they have been known to be a bit thirsty. I will also be returning via Les Bagnolles Sur L'Orne later.
Cheers
Mike
 
i will be back off to the job in centrafrica as per saturday 17june... until 31august .. can help it, so missing out le mans classic i'm just making my mind up between the 3 main supliers for wich chassis/combination i will go
went yesterday to the le mans museum taking pics of the gt40 in exposition there and convincing the minister of finance at the same occasion,
 

Keith

Moderator
I thought this thread was about the fuel shortages due to industrial action in FRANCE. I understand there to be a politics thread for the tedium of American left wing - right wing "argument".
Time for a bit of "moderation" in all things paddock methinks.
Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike. Liking the self moderating mode...Well done.
 
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