Today's ramblings (divagations, according to Google Translate) are on the controversial question 'Are Parisians unfriendly and rude? I've heard resounding oui's on this topic and just as many vehement non's.
I've heard that they are rude to you in Paris only if you make no effort at all to speak their language. Some say that if you bonjour them a little, they are like putty in your hands. There is probably at least a partial truth in that. English speakers, especially Americans, are notorious for thinking everybody is born speaking English, so I can see why such an attitude might come across as arrogant and disrespectful. And yet, I was surprised to see a short film clip in which the interviewer was going about the city asking various people (permanent residents as well as passing tourists) what they thought of the city. A few said it was merveilleux, others sort of noncommittally noted the culture and lovely sights, but quite a few said Parisians were bitter, angry, and impolite people. Here's a very funny CNN video about what Paris is trying to do to be more 'user friendly:
Here's a video about what Paris is trying to do to improve its public relations
I'd say, to be fair, that it's all about the hustle and bustle and diversity of living in a big city. I lived in New York for decades and know that it was not always easy to make an effort to be polite to the tourists, who were there on vacation, while I was still in the day-to-day rat-race. And perhaps there are some people who provoke rudeness. And when you're trying to squeeze into a subway car packed like sardines, it's quite easy to accidentally poke one's elbow into someone's face. And if you went around all day begging their pardon, you'd be apologizing all day.
But still, we need to be civilized to each other. Tourists are spending euros and dollars, so they need to know that they can be safe and comfortable, whether in Paris, Rome, or Boise, Idaho.
À plus tard...
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