(asked by Alexandra H. currently in Paris) I have lived in Paris for years and I still can’t get over the French (Parisians, specifically) and their “faux” manners that seem to arise from a sense of entitlement (is this the “I’m more important than you” syndrome at work?). To wit, two examples from the last 48 hours: 1. Today while getting on the bus at a rear door (on a long bus, where it’s acceptable) I arrived at the ticket [Read the rest]
(asked by Nancy from Connecticut) Why can’t French people wait patiently in a line? Particularly when waiting for transportation. When I was at the airport in Paris, everyone was waiting in a clump for the shuttle from one terminal to the other, as soon as the bus came, the French person behind me started pushing and saying “dépêchez-vous” and pushing me. The same sort of thing would happen in the subways and waiting for a taxi, people would be calmly [Read the rest]