paris on strike

Hopefully, the transport strike will be over soon. There are good things and bad things about it - on the bright side, all the trains and buses are free; unfortunately, they come rarely or not at all. During the rush hour, metro trains are chock full of people even before they reach the downtown, so on every station the same scene happens - people already packed like sardines on the train try to reason with the people on the platform, saying that there is no room. Sometimes those waiting refuse to listen, and try to inject themselves - which often leads to hilarity when the doors try to close.

There are thousands of scooters on the road, and they seem to be the way to go when the streets get jammed up. Along with the scooters, something else is challenging the tiny French cars: odd-looking Velib bikes. They can be rented at automated stations all over the city, and cost very little to use. The reason they look a little strange, sort of like a throwback to the 50s-style cruisers, is because they use non-standard parts to make stealing them less appealing. All in all, a great system, only I haven't been able to use it yet 'cause I need a subscription.