when the trains are on strike.

I have a choice of 3 different ways to get to work (outside of walking 6 km) using the public transport system. I like to mix it up a bit, to keep my brain mildly occupied with the thought that each time I probably should've chosen one of the OTHER two that morning. My most common is the RER, a regional rail system that extends a good distance to the surrounding Ile-de-France areas. I can generally get a seat (though, sometimes it's puzzlingly packed to the doors, and I've not yet discovered the causes of these random fluctuations) and it's a lot nicer than the bus or metro which are generally like a tin of sardines - packed to the brim, and funny smelling.