A Defence of Paris (well, it would be the first time anyone's tried it)
I lived in Paris for a year, and whilst it was by no means the easiest time of my life (several muggings, a macing, a tear-gassing and countless incidents of harrassment) I have to stick up for them on some counts. The older generation were some of the most kind, welcoming and patient people I ever encoutered. There was a man over the road who used to let me eat (and drink !) for free in his restaurant when I was so broke I was eating stale baguettes from round the back of the bakery. The old couple upstairs who gave me a running invitation to play their grand piano. And these were proper life-long Parisiens, too. Think of the impression London must give to foreigners - about eight times as ugly and expensive, and hardly the most chummy of places.

As for the reaction to tourists, well, all I can say is that I have never been so ashamed of my nationality as when I lived in France. It wasn't just the sports crowd, either. English people often made little or no effort to speak the language (I'll agree that the French are somewhat oversensitive on this point, but then I'm equally irrationally annoyed by Americans' seeming inability to understand that there is no such thing as a 'British' accent. Hey ho.) Also, bear in mind that you were probably in a touristy area that sees dozens of these boorish, loud, arrogant arseholes every day. Waiting, in France, is a profession that's much more highly-regarded than it is over here - none of your bored Saturday teenagers on their way to better things, these guys take it seriously, and yet I've seen tourists snap their fingers, take photos of them without asking (maybe I'm alone in finding this obnoxious, but I do), and yell for service by banging on the tables. It was totally disgusting, and far from unique.

But at least they're not as bad as the Americans. I was once in a more-or-less silent packed metro carriage where two female tourists were quite literally yelling at the top of their nasal, whiny voices about how the French were clueless, but 'No-ter Daym' was really totally like awesome. The rest of the passengers - French, Belgians, English and Germans - just looked at each other in silent sympathy and understanding. It was a moment of perfect international accord. I suppose there's a moral in that, somewhere.

Je m'excuse pour la longuer
(jennymnemonic, Wed 4 Nov 2009, 11:41, 1 reply)

Bad still outweighs the good.
Several muggings, a macing, a tear-gassing and countless incidents of harrassment?

I'd rather not have a piano to play on than to live there.
(oneinthepink is at your cervix m'lady, Wed 4 Nov 2009, 16:18, closed)