The gaze plunges towards the ground, attaches to a fixed point, then leaves again in the void. In this tiny room, where the trainees are seated along the wall, it is difficult to know exactly where to turn. The decor is minimalist, flashing neon lights, no coffee machine, no water fountain. Telephones are prohibited. In the background, on a whiteboard, words floating, isolated, waiting to find their meaning: “speed”, “danger”, “accident”.
We are on the premises of a driving school in Paris, in the Montparnasse district. Two trainers lead the “road safety awareness” course – which allows you to recover four of the points on your driving license lost after committing traffic offenses – according to a proven rhythm. One is a driving school instructor, the other, a psychologist.
On this first day, it is already 9:45 a.m. and it is time to go to the first workshop. A sheet is distributed to trainees with statements to check off: “The road is my private space”, “I like speed”, “I often phone while driving”, “If the light is orange, I think I can pass”. Afterwards, each trainee will have to ask the others for their answers. A sort of interactive game supposed to break the ice and introduce a human dimension into what strongly resembles collective punishment.
Because, clearly, no one chose to be there. Especially since the bill is steep: it costs 260 euros for the internship, plus the shortfall for self-employed workers. Gazanfer, an entrepreneur, postponed the internship as long as possible, so as not to lose two days of work. David, a biker, is a regular. He comes back every year and assumes, fatalistically: “I included the cost of the internship in my budget. » Arlando, a Deliveroo deliveryman, does not understand French and must have the exercises translated. Dominique, disabled, was caught speeding, at 60 kilometers per hour instead of 30, at the wheel of her adapted car. Marie-Guilaine has two jobs: ambulance driver and taxi driver. Behind her dark glasses that she never takes off, she talks about passing “more time in [s]by car than at [elle] ».
Feeling of injustice
Nassim is a taxi driver and exasperated by the police who regularly fine him for parking in the way while he is waiting for customers. Everyone has come together to obtain the precious key that will extend the life of their license. Little by little, most discover the same feeling of injustice towards what they experience as “the oppression of the system” – term which includes, pell-mell, radars, society, the State.
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