The Post-Office
As some people may know, the post-office in France is often a target of worker's strikes, prompted by unions such as the CGT (the most notorious with their curious Red flag: remind you of anything?), and the other various unions that exist in France.
Last year during the fight led by the right-wing government led by Nicolas Sarkozy, to privatize the post-office, the post office was again, in strike.
However on this particular day, seeing that the door of the post-office was open, and despite the sign talking about the social actions taking place inside the yellow and blue post-office, filled with unsmiling civil servants, I approached the service counter.
"Qu'est-ce que je puisse faire pour vous?" ("How can I help you?"), the unhappy bourgeois looking maghrebine girl asked me.
"I want a stamp, please," I responded with all due respect.
"I can't help you with that," she quickly retorted, unless you go to the automatic machine.
"But I want a pretty stamp! This letter is for my Grandmother who lives far far away!" I almost yelled back, desperate for someone to just let me pay about 0.80€ to get a stamp that looked pretty.
"I'm sorry I'm on strike. There's no one here to sell you a stamp."
I stand there for about a mini-second just for good effect, noticing how she really didn't SOUND sorry enough for me.
"Well, I see that you're there! And what about those three colleagues behind you with obviously nothing to do?! There ARE people here!" I shouted. (Now I WAS really shouting!).
"We are in strike, we can't help you. Like I already said."
"Ben dis-donc!" I said and turned around and walked out of that post office.
I had to wait another day to get a pretty stamp (jolie timbre) for my Grandmother's birthday card.
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After this incident, I learned that while on strike, in order to not loose a day's pay, people just stick around at work.
Now how's THAT for going on strike!!
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