True, only about 40% of Parisians own a car and the number continues to drop. When new apartment complexes are built, they can only have half as many parking spaces as the number of apartments.

Noit sure if the TGV-Est or whatever it is properly called has Duo-level trains but if so the view from the top level is far superior to that from the recessed lower level where you see mainly windbreaks and retaining walls. If a choice and if they have double-deckers take the upper deck to see anything at all.

I think that the TGV-Est only has single level trains.

Not surprised kerouac and most Parisians don't own cars, like many city-dwellers everywhere. I do believe that kerouac, like many others, rents a car from time to time when he chooses to use that form of transportation. And why not?

What struck me as odd was his praise for a taxi driver who refused service to someone who had chosen to use that form of transportation. As I said before, there could be many reasons someone would want to use a taxi for a short distance. As long as passengers are willing to pay the required minimum fare, why is it unreasonable to expect a taxi driver to take them to their destination, even if it's nearby?

And why is it unreasonable for a taxi driver to decide that it is not worth the time and effort? There are two parties involved in any transaction, and there is no reason that one should be considered the slave of the other.

Slave???

Well, anybody who thinks that a taxi driver MUST accept his request clearly thinks that the taxi driver is a slave rather than a human being capable of making his own decision.

Oh, come on. They are in the business to take you where you want to go and they get paid for it. Using your logic, anyone in the service industry would be considered a slave, ie wait staff, hotel personnel, etc.

Again a little extra baksheesh will do wonders with any cab driver I've encountered - the reason the cabbie will not do a short run is he/she will make not as much moolah as a longer ride - so just add a few euros to the tip ahead of time!

Just human nature. These people need to feel that they have a certain amount of control over their lives, same as us.