Workers usually go on strike to improve wages and working conditions. Leave it to the French to mount a historic strike for the right to grow a mustache.
A full mustache was a prestigious mark of men’s social class in Europe in the early 20th century. Policemen were required to grow them to project authority and masculinity. Waiters rebelled when restaurant owners forced servers to shave their faces clean as a sign of their lower-class social status. During the dinner hour on April 17, 1907, an estimated 500 servers stopped dishing food, took off their aprons, and walked out, clustering on the street as diners looked on. The waiters also demanded a share of diners’ tips and the right to take one day off a week. They had support in Parliament, where one socialist deputy proposed a bill to outlaw mustache bans (which also applied to domestic servants and priests). The deputy called the restaurants’ mustache rule “grotesque and humiliating.”
After 16 days, restaurant owners caved to servers’ mustache demands and implemented a fairer pay structure. The waiters, however, lost their bid for one day off each week.
The French have long been famously quick to stage work stoppages. At 112 days on average, the country leads the industrialized West in days lost to strikes each year. The nation’s strike culture is linked to its history of revolt, including the 1789 French Revolution. Withholding one’s labor is a constitutional right in France, whether you are a union member or not. And the mustache had long been a mark of status in Europe. Centuries earlier, Germany only permitted soldiers who had distinguished themselves in battle to grow mustaches. In France, the military requirement to wear mustaches became so strict that soldiers who couldn’t grow one had to wear a fake mustache. No wonder the French waiters took their facial hair so seriously. Being required to shave relegated them to the domestic servant class. As one French newspaper of the time declared, the waiters’ victory secured the right “to finally show that they are men, free men … who can wear at their ease this symbol of the all-powerful male, the mustache. Oh! The beautiful independence!”
Essential Tips for Parents of New Teen Drivers Freedom With Responsibility
Prevent unnecessary distractions. New drivers are already more likely to find themselves in an accident, so it’s best practice to
As parents, one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking moments we’ll ever experience arrives when our children get their driver’s licenses. They’re thrilled to have an opportunity to drive around town and experience a new level of freedom while we’re at home, hoping they’re being as safe as possible behind the wheel. We can’t be with them whenever they need to drive to school or practice, but we can guide them toward safer driving practices. Here are three strategies you can implement to help your teenager build their driving confidence while also giving you peace of mind that they’re safe on the road. Limit their driving range. Your child wants to explore their freedom and drive around town, but that could open them up to more opportunities for trouble. Driving in unfamiliar territory can increase the risk of accidents, so you should set boundaries that limit where they can drive. Allow them to drive to work, school, and anywhere between those destinations. If they want to drive further from home, try to ensure you or their other parent is in the car with them.
avoid adding any distractions to the mix. If it can be avoided, don’t let them drive with other passengers until they have more driving confidence. Additionally, set the standard that they don’t use their cellphone
while driving. Their phone likely has a driving or do not disturb mode that will automatically send a text message to whoever is texting or calling them. Enabling that feature will help them stay safe. Stay in contact. Don’t just let your kids drive around town wherever and whenever they please. Whenever they leave one destination to drive to another, establish a rule that they call or text to let you know they’re getting on the road. Then, have them message you when they arrive. That way, you can keep up with their travels and quickly realize if their journey is taking longer than it should.
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