Etikettarkiv: Bus

Life in Paris

When things bugs you

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Some mornings things gets on your nerves more than usual and today is one of those days.

I am so sick of RATP bus drivers letting people on the buses without paying! Yes I know if they protest the bus will be late and if they protest they might not be safe but as said… Some days it bugs me more than others. And mainly when young guys, with no reason for not paying enters in a pack and just don’t care.

Or when a group of so called “Syrian Family” (even if it sounds more like they speak Romanian than arabic) takes the last bus from the city out to St Ouen’s tent camps.

It’s, like today, a blood pressure moment.

So more controls on the buses please cause in the Metro they check more than what might be necessary.

Björn

Life in Paris

trottinette

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Told you all a few days ago how RATP hated me and the Paris population by cancelling the perfect bus line 81 in Paris and I needed alternatives. One option was to either buy a Scooter (Trottinette) or use the system with public scooters. All since the best and by me most wanted option, to buy a bike, not an option since I have no place for a bike.

But, now knowing that 81 will be replaced by 21 I think I will survive. The only change is that the bus last stop won’t be Chatelet it will continue out in the suburbs.

So no need for panic yet

Björn

Blog post, Life in Paris, Random posts

Confused Mr Nordlund?

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What a morning… You know when you have them, the days you most likely was supposed to stay in bed and not leave your house. Kind of a Friday the 13th without being Friday 13th.

This morning was a strange one. Not from start, more or less normal, alarm, wake up, turn the radio on listen to Swedish morning radio, prepare the filtered coffee so it’s ready after the shower, take the shower and relax with coffee, radio and reading Tweets, Look at Instagram, check the “time hop” app and so on.

But then… On my way out to catch the bus I first remembered it’s the 16th so they I must register the use of water (cold and hot) and put the note on the door. So back in and tried to read the meters… Not possible, could not see the numbers so glasses on and even with them it was hard (why can’t they be digital?). But at least done and no one need to enter the apartment when I’m not home.

So on my way again, all down to the “0” floor to remember, my in ear head phones… Still in the apartment, up again. Leave again and finally reaching the bus stop I notice I left without the scarf (I have a cold and my colds kind of center on the throat) but OK i survive even if i tomorrow most likely will wake up with a bad throat again. Bit then I noticed I’m actually staning at the bus stop with my glasses on. The “bad” once, not the work- official- or meeting once, the sit at home and watch tv once.

So now its official I am an old fart.

Björn

Blog post, Life in Paris

Going to work in the morning

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Samhall or what?

Not Swedish? Feel free to Google “Samhall” and then you can launch an upset campaign telling me I have a lot of prejudices and really can’t say stuff like that… Oh yes I can.

Going to work in the morning here in Paris, most likely all over the world, is a interesting experience depending on the time of the day. I won’t talk metro now cause it’s a bit different but by bus.

Leaving around 07h00 (early for the French way of living) by bus makes me wonder if people working for the French equivalent to Samhall start their days earlier than offices etc.

I manage to take the same bus as the following people every day.

  • The man who, always and no exception +5 degrees or +30, enter the bus in his, even for Swedish winter circumstances, warm jacket and woolen cap and start to close all the windows in the bus. Without AC the windows kind of save you from looking boiled when you finally can get off the bus. It’s oxygen for heavens sake, we humans need that.
  • The Girl, clearly working for the Paris municipal transport company RATP (or have a weird sense of fashion). The procedure start even before the bus arrives to bus stop. She wait, at least 15 meters from the stop and when the bus arrives, and when everyone entered the vehicle she RUN to get on the bus. Well inside the change places game begins. IN the bus, until it’s time to exit at her stop, she change seats. It is very stressful when people move around without any obvious reason for it*.
  • Then we have her counterpart, the guy arriving well in time before the bus arrives, and standing where the doors most likely will end up when the bus finally get’s there. If he’s not first at the bus stop he sneaks around the stop so from being last end up first. Then he must, and i mean MUST enter first to take his place standing at the same spot every day facing the window. Never sit never change place. The thing is the place he prefer is also the dedicated space for Wheelchairs, suitcases and strollers – not many in he morning but I do wait for that to happen.

I also have my favorite space in the bus but so far I have not considered murder to get there, to my space. Or I lied, the thought actually entered my mind but to make it reality seems a bit over the top.

*) A good reason to change place on buses and metro i Paris is accordion playing, mostly Romanians, passengers. One more bad sounding “La vie en rose”….

Enjoy your day

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Björn