So uhhh, can anyone over in Europe enlighten us Americans who are far away from the events on what exactly is happening. Our news isn't covering it as much as I would like them to. Is this as bad as it sounds?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4414684.stm

i havnt had the chance to watch the news lately so i dont know how bad it is (only get to listen to the news on my 2 min drive to work)

Here is a well written article about the riots: http://www.spiegel.de/international/

Quote from dUmAsS :

my 2 min drive to work

You drive that? Either you're too lazy to walk for 5 minutes, or you drive REALLY fast

Quote from tristancliffe :

You drive that? Either you're too lazy to walk for 5 minutes, or you drive REALLY fast

You call that lazy? I'm going to drive to the store that's 100 metres from my door. That is, after I turn 18.

Quote from Qurpiz :

You call that lazy? I'm going to drive to the store that's 100 metres from my door. That is, after I turn 18.

Then you're not only lazy, but also crazy illepall

Quote from tristancliffe :

You drive that? Either you're too lazy to walk for 5 minutes, or you drive REALLY fast

20 seconds at 30mph, turn left. get up to 5th and 60-70 on a wide country lane. 2 mins later turn right, 5 seconds at 20mph turn right. park

its a 40 min walk

I'll let you off then. :up:

40 min walk = 5 min cycle ride

According to my calculations these are 2.77 miles. If you take a bicycle and ride with an average of 15 mph (not that fast) you only need about 11 minutes - for free without polluting the environment and including a free workout

on average i ride at about 28mph (up to 50 something when slipstreaming a bus downhill ) on a flat road. GP4Flo is right, ride a bike! i want a road bike like u have Flo, moantain bikes with slicks dont get quite so high topspeed.

Jon? Work out?

Only one way to stop these riots..

Quote from tristancliffe :

Jon? Work out?

*dies*

and i have to take stuff to work anyway (and its dark and cold when i leave work)

OMG!

We are very lucky that this situation isnt so bad to give the USillepall a reason to invade France so they can spread their so-called "democracy"

Quote from DodgeRacer :

Only one way to stop these riots..
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/ww2-pix/parade.jpg

I really dont find those germans so funny... But those riots are odd, now they fear that they will spread to Belgium or trough Europe

Quote from YUGO45 :

OMG!

We are very lucky that this situation isnt so bad to give the USillepall a reason to invade France so they can spread their so-called "democracy"

I should have known this would turn into a quazi political yelling match.

Here is a nice video for some of you guys to enjoy if you havent seen it already

http://www.kizash.com/movies/d.r.a.f.t./




@Blackout
Yes, Belgium is really going to have trouble on the streets if this goes on.
I dont think that other coutries like Spain, Holland, Germany, etc. will have the same problem.

@operatorO
As I can tell from the news its getting out of hand. The riots are spreading all over France in diffrent cities. There is going to be a night-time curfue for sections of Paris tonight. I think that tells you everything.
I dont know why broadcast companies, like CNN, dont cover the situation in France ATM. Maybe because there are no shiney fighter planes with nice shiney missles with nice targets to shoot at and that cant be enough to enjoy your "easy to bake" TV dinner

From what I have read, it all started over some kid(s?) who died after being chased by the police, yet the police say otherwise o_O

Plus I read some stuff about muslims hating the fact they have to take their head dodar off at school.

But it's france... they are all fruit loops anyway :P

Quote from ayrton senna 87 :

on average i ride at about 28mph (up to 50 something when slipstreaming a bus downhill ) on a flat road.

Bloody hell, you must be fit, I can only reach that flat out and then I die after 30 seconds or so. Been ages since I had a cycle computer but I think I cruise just under 20mph.

Quote from Bob Smith :

Bloody hell, you must be fit, I can only reach that flat out and then I die after 30 seconds or so. Been ages since I had a cycle computer but I think I cruise just under 20mph.

Press "L" You'll get faster.

Quote from YUGO45 :

@operatorO
As I can tell from the news its getting out of hand. The riots are spreading all over France in diffrent cities. There is going to be a night-time curfue for sections of Paris tonight. I think that tells you everything.

What? They havn't enacted a curfew yet? You've got to be kidding me. This is what, the 14th day? 14 days of riots and they havn't enacted a curfew? That's rediculous.

Quote :

I dont know why broadcast companies, like CNN, dont cover the situation in France ATM. Maybe because there are no shiney fighter planes with nice shiney missles with nice targets to shoot at and that cant be enough to enjoy your "easy to bake" TV dinner

Holy moses dude. You need to get out more. I didn't say that CNN isn't covering it, I just don't believe I'm getting the whole story, or I'm getting a watered down version of the story.

It's clear to me that your utter hatred of the USA is so ingrained that it will be nigh on impossible to recieve any kind of unbiased opinion about this, or pretty much any other topic, directed towards me by you. Therefor, you are now on my ignore list. Don't bother replying, because I can't see it. You need to get a Prozac perscription.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Sounds about right. If you look at the history of inner-city rioting here in the UK (Toxteth, Brixton, Oldham, etc.), and even LA in 1992, it was racist police who tipped things over the edge. I lived in Toxteth for a while and - twenty years on - the met are still facing an uphill struggle to rebuild their reputation.

Racist police don't start riots. There is litteraly no reason to ever start a riot. From what I understand, the kids were electrocuted after running into an electrical substation to hide from police. Is this true? At what point do people look at a stupid act and recognize it for it's stupidity. I mean, running into an electrical substation? Cmon, didn't it cross these guys' minds at least once that it would be a pretty dangerous thing to do?

I dislike your foreign policies, that is correct.

You just pointed out with your comment that the truth does hurt.


Put me on ignore?Hey...... you have every right to do so, its a free world.Well, at least for some lucky ones that your leaders didnt invade illepall

Quote from thisnameistaken :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1419981.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisda ... ewsid_2546000/2546233.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots

In each of these cases it was a result of a community feeling deep social injustice, with the event sparked by a "last straw" action from a racist police force. I don't believe violence solves anything either, but sometimes anger gets out of control and people snap. This is over-simplifying the situation. There is a long history of police harrassment of the immigrant arab population of Paris (see the 1995 flick "La Haine" for an insight - it's a great movie BTW). Sarkozy, the interior minister, has already conceded that French social policy is clearly failing a number of minorities and needs to change. Apparently so.

Finaly, someone who can explain what is happening over there. Although, I certainly don't have any firsthand knowledge about the racism that may or may not be present over there, I do find it a little hard to believe that the police and by proxy, the French guvernment is enacting racist policies, or at least enacting racist tactics against the Muslims. Am I to believe that the French would rather see all the Muslism out of their country? Is this a thought process of most native French citizens? If it is, I'm shocked. We haven't heard any of this here in America. The portait that is painted of Western European countries is that the they are all the pinical of social harmony. Are you telling me that the U.S. press has lied to us all these years? To tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if they have been lieing.