I have met many people who tell me that I get good treatment in France because I speak the language fluently. I have heard their stories of how the French are so rude, and how they are treated in stores. My first questions is, "Did you say hello?"
Saying 'Bonjour' is one of the most important things that anyone can say in France. It sets the tone, tells the salesperson that you're tuned into cultural clues, and is really, really polite. Even if you can't say anything more than that, you will be treated well, almost like a local.
Today, I ran across this from www.thelocal.fr (which, by the way, is an awesome website) about what the French think about tourists. The first one is pretty funny - Don't get robbed - as if it is tourists' fault that they get pickpocketed. But then again...
Take a look, and then in the comments section, tell me which one jumps out at you...
http://www.thelocal.fr/galleries/travel/twelve-things-tourists-to-that-annoy-parisians
 |
| The Eiffel Tower as seen from Montmartre |
They get annoyed when tourists take pictures?? I agree that tourists shouldn't block traffic or sidewalks, but I would think that pictures would be expected.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Lyn. But I have seen people just stop in their tracks, which generally causes a pile up.
ReplyDelete