Grève: French for the customer is always stuck in the middle

Warning: complaints, grievances and venting. It's not pretty but I have to do it!

Okay, I think I'm cursed where SNCF is concerned. I believe that they will eventually change their company logo to "Si Vous Etes Sur Notre Trains, Vous Suffrirerez....Vraiment" and then they will look directly into the camera and wink, and I will realize in a moment of paranoid schizophrenia that the publicité is destined specifically for me.

...or how about if they start using the Bob the Builder tag line, "Can We Grève It?...Yes We Can!"*

...or better yet, "Si Nous Sommes Pas En Grève, Nous Sommes Pas SNCF..."

As Baby S and I rolled into the Lyon Par Dieu train station, tired from an already four hour trip, I was relieved that we were a mere 20 minutes and one train ride away from our final destination in the Lyon suburbs. It was just a matter of this short stop in one of France's largest train terminals and then we'd be on our way to Seb's waiting car. We didn't even have to get off the train, it was just a brief stop.

But, then they made an announcement:** "en cause de un mouvement social, ce train continura pas à la destination prevu" When we exited the train all the signs in the central lobby were flashing "anulée" and I knew, I knew from too much experience, but I took a chance anyway and dutifully followed the sign which promised a train to the suburb I wanted. We waited 15 minutes on the enourmous quai with the other commuters, all checking watches, talking on phones and shuffling about hopefully. When the train was announced as "en rétard" we stomped a bit more, but what could anyone do really but wait? And so I waited too, baby crying from a 4 hour wet diaper, and then the signs on the teleprompters on the quai suddenly changed. They stated the name of a destination no one even knew, a made up city, and everyone scrambled for their phones. A conductor dressed in blue polyester calmy walked over and I overheard him tell four or five people around him, "no, c'est un error d'écran, ça va arrivée" but then someone said "no c'est annuleé régard la" and he pointed to the sign for "les départs" where it was now flashing "annulée" for our train.

It's a game they like to play, chase the mouse, only in their case it's a train.

I had no phone, a long story connected to another French company***which will not win any customer service gold medallion awards this year either, and I was screwed into either rushing down to the main lobby to find a store selling phone cards before they closed, or asking a kind soul on the quai if I could quickly use theirs. The mother instinct is strong. "Excusez moi, je suis vraiment désolée mais..." I punched in the numbers carefully and said "this is nuts Seb, come and rescue us before I check into the hotel across the street."

So Seb had to come and get us at 8 o'clock at night in the pouring rain outside of Lyon Part Dieu. And he did arrive, eventually. He spent 45 minutes in traffic and 15 minutes getting lost. He was tired from work and I felt bad for him. He felt bad for us for having to wait in the rain. Everyone felt bad.**** And then to add insult to it all, he got lost on the way home because he took the wrong highway. So we finally arrived at the prison barrack at 10:30 and tucked our very, tired, hungry, grumpy baby into the bed.


The official company logo? "SNCF...plus loin que vous ne l'imaginez" Okay, I think they mean "plus long" instead. Just a guess.


*that one sounds better in English, but I like it in French too: "Pouvons nous faire la grève, oui nous pouvons!"
**D predicted this grève in her comment to me on Wednesday before I left...thanks D!
***the company my friend calls Stop Fooling 'Round (and that's the nice version!)
****everyone felt bad except SNCF