Thursday, January 08, 2015

Paris in "Red Alert" (Alerte Attentat)

Some little news on what Paris is doing after the horrible attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices...

From the Office of Education:

Among the precautions and information on new restrictions, there will be a 1-minute of silence at midi (noon) as homage to the victims.


And from my son's class representative:


All class outings have been cancelled. And we're in Red Alert now. School entrances are just through a single door and they've prohibited strollers and cars to be parked in front of schools. I don't know how they are going to control this in my neighborhood, filled with wealthy "entitled" families.

Paris designates the public schools for families within a 10-minute walking distance (not sure what this is in kilometers). We live on one of the outer limits and so our walk, well, my walk is 10-minutes and about 15 with my son. (30 going home because we dawdle!)

I know families who, even within this range, drive their children to school. And Paris is a city complete of small streets. So if even two people drive their children to school the streets are congested and there is no parking. But times this by 10 or more. The picture gets to be pretty hairy.

Anyway. I know I'm becoming French because my attitude towards this is now "not my problem."

And even though people clamor saying "continue your life as normal!" "don't change anything!" "don't let the terrorists win!" We, unlike these people, will not be going to museums as frequently as we did in the Fall...and for a few days I will not be moving far from my neighborhood.

Maybe some will say the terrorists won, as a result, but I don't care. I'd rather be cautious and safe than the alternative.