Two points:
First - Some years back, following bombings by Algerians, I was in Paris during Spring.

Audibly, though, it was Autumn. Everywhere in busy public places drifts of rustling rubbish blew about in the breeze, just like fallen leaves. It was a real feature, & a lasting memory of the place.

Although the government had greatly expanded streetcleaning by cute little green machines & green-clad men with brooms, it could not replace the missing (or sealed off by metal plates) garbage bins.

Here I can't even persuade the City Council to put out separate bins for recycling paper, plastic, etc in busy areas. They've never actually told me why not, nor ever replied when I've asked about how things are with the few examples of them in the city.

Second - leading to the Olympics, along with removing bins from train stations, many seats were removed, ostensibly to fit in the expected crowds. Because the trains were running so frequently and reliably , they said , intending passengers wouldn't _need_ to sit .

Olympics are long gone, platforms still resemble the Nullabor (Noncathedra? Nullsessia?) and, with aging the current demographic fashion, I can only assume that they're planning to force the oldies to stay home, or they own taxi licences, or we'll be looking at a Dunsinane forest of walking frames with fold-down seats taking up all the footpath.

Perhaps they're also ensuring the population is kept down by making it so uncomfortable to bring your children along without seats for them.

I can't understand, though, why they'd discourage carrying your shopping unless they have stocks in delivery companies, or it's a health idea to increase our weight-carrying exercise, or it's a plot to decrease rubbish by reducing purchases.
[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 3/29/2004 09:23:00 pm

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