French web users are preparing themselves for a fuel shortage

FRANCE FEARS FUEL SHORTAGES

French motorists are flocking to gas stations amidst fears the strikes in protest of retirement reforms will cause fuel shortages. President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced measures against the blockades of fuel refineries and depots. And whilst petrol is becoming increasingly harder to find, drivers looking for diesel are getting organized online.

Web users are using both Twitter and this extremely popular discussion forum to share information and identify, region by region, what type of fuel the service stations have available.

Numerous sites have created interactive maps where users can report fuel stations that are out of stock. The portal Carbeo, habitually run by service station managers, is listing the stations that have run dry.

And faced with this situation, motorists have turned to carpooling to get from A to B. This site asks those driving alone to demonstrate their solidarity by sharing their vehicle with other drivers or people who normally use public transport which has also been disrupted by the strikes.

The situation is even more problematic for professionals, like lorry drivers. This blog is aimed at drivers of heavy good vehicles and is sounding the alarm bell as some companies are finding themselves on administrative leave. The blog echoes the sector’s concerns over speculation in fuel prices.

FREE SAMAR ALBADAWI

Samar Albadawi, a divorced Saudi mother, has been held in Brayman prison in Jeddah for several months now for having disobeyed her father. The blogosphere has jumped on this affair.

Many Saudis were quick to side with Samar and have been calling for her immediate release. This blogger says her only crime was wanting to escape her father, portrayed as a violent drug addict. He says in no way does this deserve a prison sentence.

A Facebook page has been set up so that web users can show their support. And Crowdvoice.com, a participative web site that relays different mobilizations across the globe, has dozens of links and articles dedicated to her cause.

Twitter is also being used in the campaign. Two threads #samar and #helpsamar have been set up on the micro blogging site so citizens can inform authorities about the situation. This user says the online fight will force the government to take action and that all these Tweets will be more powerful than several official letters of protest.

The outcome of this affair is perhaps quite close. Albadawi’s lawyer announced this weekend, also on Twitter, that the Supreme Court of Justice has decided to launch an enquiry into this story.

Despite all this, some web users appear to be questioning Samar’s story. This survey shows that a small section of the blogosphere is dubious. This blogger for example finds such mobilisation strange when in his opinion; there is nothing to prove her innocence.

MANCHESTER POLICE AND TWITTER

The Greater Manchester Police decided to use Twitter to show every incident it dealt with over a 24 hour period. The initiative was set up by this British city on the 14th October. Objective: give the public an idea of the daily workload faced by officers and how the police deal with such and such a problem. In just one day, 3 205 incidents were reported and posted online.

BECOME FRIENDS WITH A SKELETON

The Toulouse museum has come up with an original way of promoting its temporary exhibition on the prehistoric period. You can become friends on Facebook with the two prehistoric skeletons and main attractions of the exhibition and thus gain a step by step account of how scientists ascertained amongst other things, their age and where they came from.

VIDEO OF THE DAY

Great Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the RSPCA, is calling upon web users for help and has recently posted this video online, filmed in London’s Knee Hill Park on the 1st of October. We see a young man abuse and strike his dog. The RSPCA is asking for help from Londoners in identifying this man by passing on any information that could lead to his arrest.