Airline passenger news and views

I used to work with an American in Paris. I know that sounds like a film title but he and I worked for the same company in Paris before he returned to the USA and made a small fortune as an investment banker.

Anyway, he is coming over to London for a few days and bringing his new (third) wife who wants to do London and then some shopping in Paris.

Despite all my time working with Americans, most of whom I respect enormously, I have never quite got over the bizarre concept that Paris is a suburb of London or that London is in France. Even otherwise quite sophisticated people regard Europe as somewhere ‘over there’ and draw little distinction between borders and cultural antitheses. We are probably no better in our knowledge of America but it still surprises me.

However, my personal embarrassment comes from our Tube strike and the one-day general strike in France. For all their lack of geographical knowledge, Americans do not let industrial disputes bring their nation to its knees. Americans have a joint pride in their country and a need to put food on the table. Winters of discontent simply would not happen there.

So, how do I sensibly explain that London will be at a stand-still and gridlocked because some booking-office clerks want more money and Paris is over there but you cannot go today because the boats and trains and planes will not be working properly.

Actually, I would be willing to swop all my knowledge of European cities for a society that simply worked.

God save America.