Dear Readers,
I thought I would brave the obnoxiously busy Saint Antonin market this morning for a change, to see what all the fuss is about – since it has been amply applauded/criticised on this forum. Here’s my tuppence-worth on what I saw.
For those of you criticising it, what on Earth is your problem? I thought it was a bloody good idea to funnel everyone up towards Caylus and then back into the Place des Tilleuls by the back way (or indeed the reverse if you’re coming from the direction of Espinas and the like.) I also thought it was excellent that they have used barriers to separate the traffic from the stalls/shoppers along the main drag down towards the garage.
Whether it has been done for traffic reasons, pedestrian-safety reasons, or vigipirate reasons, it works for me and seems sensible. In fact I would suggest it is long overdue for a village centre which is ridiculously packed with shoppers and traffic all fighting for the same limited space on a Sunday morning. So I take my hat off to the Mairie, Préfecture, Conseil Départementale, Président for it – whoever took the decision.
It doesn’t inconvenience those doing their shopping (they can pass freely through), motorists get a clearer and safer passage without being a danger to shoppers, it hasn’t made parking any harder (which becomes just ridiculous in the summer anyway), and it certainly won’t have done any harm on the vigipirate front. So where is the problem?
If you’re one of those objecting, is it perhaps because it makes it a bit more awkward (and takes three extra minutes) to get to your weekly coffee stop? If that’s your reason, please think of other people (such as the safety of pedestrians and especially children) before you get worked up about being a tiny bit late for your little cafe gatherings. Maybe that’s not the reason for the objections – perhaps it is just some mindless cretins indulging in mindless trolling on TAG just to stir things up. Whichever of those two reasons it might be, get a grip and think of others. In any case, this grumbling is making the British ex-pat community here look like selfish colonial Little-Englanders in a foreign land.
Best Wishes,
S
comments to taglines82@gmail.com
Val says
Sorry S, we have readers with opinions and calling people cretins and mindless trolls is unnecessarily rude.
For me I like the idea of pedestrianising the main street.
Enjoyed S's message - there is a lot of truth in it guys!
I was at the market myself yesterday for the first time this summer (I tend to avoid it during the summer months as it is full of ex pat LOL), and found it worked very well and was easier and safer to get around.
David
Montricoux
comments to taglines82@gmail.com
Val says
Sorry S, we have readers with opinions and calling people cretins and mindless trolls is unnecessarily rude.
For me I like the idea of pedestrianising the main street.
Enjoyed S's message - there is a lot of truth in it guys!
I was at the market myself yesterday for the first time this summer (I tend to avoid it during the summer months as it is full of ex pat LOL), and found it worked very well and was easier and safer to get around.
David
Montricoux
