Par suite d'un arrêt de travail...

A strike in the public services sector has paralyzed trains throughout France. At the Gare de Lyon in Paris, Marc Roux, an ambitious executive, becomes angry when his train for Rome doesn't turn up. He must be in the Italian capital the following morning to sign a contract that will have decisive repercussions on his career. While waiting on the platform, he encounters Vincent Disse, a puzzling character who is indifferent to the chaos around them.

In an attempt to arrive at their destination on time, the two strangers decide to take a car and share the driving. Inevitably conversation arises and it becomes clear that driving is the only thing they have in common, for one believes fervently in the free market and the other considers that the right to strike is a fundamental one.