European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday May 1. 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 9 Many americans unaffected by strikes by Vince Crawley staff writer some americans in Germany continued battling heavy traffic caused by Public transportation strikes while others unaffected continued wondering what All the fuss was about. Rumours of strikes rather than actual work stoppages seemed to cause the most concision. And while garbage stacked up in some communities because of the same Public workers strikes others reported Fiat their trash flow remains routine. In the Numberg area a Normal Day of commuting for Joan Serpa involves 45 minutes of driving from her Home near Regensburg to her Job at Darby Cavern in Furth. But that time has been doubled this week for the family services coordinator at army Community services. A it takes me that Long just to get through Numberg a she said. She crawls along autobahn 6 with hundreds of other Drivers just outside Numberg near the exit to Highway 73 into Furth. A you will do 500 meters every five to seven minutes until you get onto 73,�?� she said. A then you just sit  warrant officer Mark Arpino a helicopter Pilot in Fulda said the garbage was t picked up at his German owned housing on thursday morning but that a friends trash was picked up on schedule earlier in the week. Also traffic in Fulda has been heavier causing longer driving times for people in his unit he said. A i know a Guy who went to Bremerhaven on wednesday to pick up his car a said Arpino who a with the 11th army Cav regt. A because of the scheduling of buses and trains it took eight  the trip to the Northern German town usually takes four hours by Public transportation. A so its doubled a the Pilot said. In bad Kreuz Nach a Community spokeswoman said that trash Isnit being picked up in the City. However the military runs its own garbage collection service on Post and in the housing areas. Biodegradable waste is then trucked to a compost works and the rest is taken to the county Landfill whose workers Are not on strike said Berardine Mair Klein a military spokeswoman. A so far the bad Kreuz Nach military Community has been Only lightly impacted a she said in a prepared Gulau / in. I e i s Hin a e the train schedule at the Suttow in Taan Pihrt Germany wans Peete to expect delays la us service. Statement in Augsburg sgt. William Morales Diaz said he did no to know of anyone affected by traffic delays in the City near Munich. A not that i know of a Morales Diaz said. �?o1 Haven to heard anything except that its affecting people up  for people in his unit the trash was also still being picked up on time the sergeant said. At Pitburg a near the Luxembourg Border sgt. Tom Mullican reported the same Story. A to be truthful the trash is still getting picked up on time a said Mullican who a with the base Public affairs office. First it. Dan Korzun from Wurzburg said traffic around that bavarian City is ordinarily so bad that the strike had no apparent effect. Driving from Wurzburg to Darmstadt thursday morning. Korzun said he saw no evidence of the strike. A when i got into downtown Darmstadt i had to Stop for streetcars a said Korzun who works with the 3rd inf div Public affairs office. In route he said he saw plenty of passenger trains. A a it a always possible that the news scared people into leaving Early a thus reducing traffic congestion from the extra Carson the Road Korzun said. The strikes Impact beyond Germany a Borders is unclear for the most part. So far americans in Brussels Belgium have Felt Little effect from Germany a Public servant strike a . Embassy spokeswoman said thursday. Some employees have had a to do some de touring when travelling but other than that its business As usual in Brussels she said. Although the flow of military mail in Belgium has been uninterrupted Federal express reported that it is reaping the benefits of the civilian mail stall in Germany. A volume has gone up a said Caroline Van Rennes spokeswoman for Federal express Europe. Truck Drivers have encountered no problems with customs at the Border Ana business within Germany has been especially Strong she said. Van Rennes said the booming business will be Short lived however because starting monday Federal express will end its service within Europe. The courier company will focus instead on International shipments and leave the local business to companies such As United parcel service or Del Dalsey Hillblom and Lynn worldwide express. Like Federal express Del has gained customers who usually rely on the postal service said Philippe Deschepper Del general manager for Belgium and Luxembourg. He said there have been no snap at the Border and said overnight deliveries continue. Sum a i ran Jerven in new Row Sawyn in Namu coff crud to 9m import stoppages throw some commuters off track by Chuck Roberts staff writer for some people the worst part of dealing with the German labor dispute is finding out where and when the strikers have struck. Just ask Cheryl Palamaruk whose comfortable train ride to work was turned into the a commute from hello wednesday because she was told that trains weren to running Between Darmstadt and Frankfurt. She did no to discover that the trains were still running until she got to her workplace which is a Short walk from the train station. The English teacher from Edmonton Alberta got to work at a private firm but Only after a trek by car and on foot that took almost three times longer As usual. After a German train station official told Palamaruk that the trains would be shut Down on thursday she arranged to ride to work with a Friend. After 40 minutes of dealing with autobahn traffic Palamaruk got out of the car near the Frankfurt City limits and walked the remainder of the Way. It turned out to be a smart decision. A i passed by buses and All the cars in a huge traffic line a said Palamaruk. It Wasny Tutu she arrived at work that she discovered that a misinformed Tram official had turned her 34-minute train ride into a la hour ordeal. S4fr Chuck a Roc Sta Joe Cresset mod Chris Malack employees of ism in new York stale were not convinced when told the strike would not Hurt their travel plans. Palamaruk Learned from her co workers that she Wasny to the Only one affected by the strike. A fellow teacher walked in hours to get to work and one student avoided the strike by renting a car. Chris Malack and Joe Crossett also arranged to rent a car for their vacation to Switzerland because of uncertainty Over train schedules. They went to the information Center at the Frankfurt train station thursday where a train official told them that the trains were running and that they should have no problems. They were not convinced. The two ism employees had been listening to Media reports about the strike and were confused about who was on strike and where. A there they warn you about a strike but done to give you a time a said Crossett a computer Engineer. A there its like. A we re going to strike a and then they do it a said Malack. Who is a computer Programmer. Malack and Crossett work in upstate new York and were in Frankfurt for a computer fair that ended thursday. Afterwards they planned to travel around Europe by Tram with friends by using a eur Alpass. Even though they were assured of having no problem getting to Switzerland by train they still had uncertainties and wanted to discuss the idea with their friends before deciding How to proceed. One commuter who uses trains was Able to plan ahead and avoid problems associated with the strike. Henning Fohl a University student in Darmstadt rides the train to Frankfurt about once a week to do research at the Library. He heard about the impending Frankfurt rail strike scheduled for wednesday and postponed his weekly trip until a Day later. The result was an uneventful trip for the mechanical engineering student but friends of his drove to Frankfurt on wednesday and had a a a horrible time getting in and out of the City Pohl said