French asked to be polite to tourists for 24 hours

[jxedwards]

This occured on July 9th I believe. Anyone experience this 'event'?

 

THE tourist lost near the Place de l'Opera in Paris asked a newspaper vendor for help.

"Where's Starbucks?" she said in halting English.

"No idea," he replied in French with a bad-tempered shrug - even though he knew the nearest Starbucks coffee shop was only 50m away.

Haughty indifference to tourists is as Parisian as the Louvre, yet tourist officials are hoping to eliminate that attitude, if only for one day.

Yesterday marked the launch of the first Paris Tourist Day, when residents of the French capital are encouraged to be polite, welcoming and helpful for 24 hours.

Hundreds of thousands of brochures were to be distributed to waiters, taxi-drivers and others, calling on them to shed their longstanding reputation for arrogance and brusqueness.

The Paris Tourist Office has also produced a charter in French and English with what it describes as commitments for Parisians and holidaymakers.

"I will take the time to give information to visitors," it urges the city's residents.

"I will take advantage of my stay to try French products," the charter advises foreigners.

As part of Tourist Day, tourist board staff will be sent to the city's most visited sites in orange and white T-shirts bearing the slogan "Paris est a vous" (Paris is yours).

Their mission is twofold: to persuade tourists that they are welcome, and to persuade local people to make them so.

The campaign is the latest in a series of initiatives aimed at rectifying the weakest point of the French, and notably the Parisian, tourist industry: manners.

In a recent international opin-ion poll, Paris was ranked as the world's third-most attractive city behind Sydney and London. Respondents praised its architecture, monuments and glamour.

But it came 52nd out of 60 for friendliness.

The stakes are high. With 16million people staying in Paris hotels every year, it is the world's most popular urban tourist destination. Tourism in Paris is worth more than E14 billion ($22.2billion) a year and employs 150,000 people, according to the Tourist Office.

[Gluestick]

Parisians be polite?

What a hoot!  [:'(]

They can't even be polite to other French people and state that those from the South are utter peasants!

 

[Gardian]

You want to hear what we / they say about them ?!!!!

[Framboise]

When we bought our place we were greeted & welcomed by all our new French neighbours.   A cheery bonjour etc.  Over the past year we got to know one family very well on our many visits.  Another neighbour drives past & Madame says to me "Oh you know monsier****from down the road?"   "Yes.........."

"Oh" says madame. "We lived here seven years before anyone spoke to us........"

They were from Paris originally it seems & nobody likes Parisians, so if they want to integrate they have to try EVEN harder than the Brits do!

[MrCanary]

Just after I bought our French home, I was walking along the road with a friend when a very smartly dressed French woman came towards us. My friend introduced me and told her which house I had bought.

She said (in French of course), "It seems we are being invaded by English and Parisiennes," she then paused for thought before continuing, "I much prefer the English."

 

[Ford Anglia]

Hmmmmmmm. I've been to Paris MANY times, and only had ONE bad experience. That was accompanying a school trip, when the lady in charge of the toilets in the small park behind Notre Dame tried to stop one of the teenaged boys from going in to the urinals, on the grounds that he would, "make a mess".

We had a rather robust discussion, which ended with her retreat when I threatened gendarmes.

The people who have been the nicest by far were those of African descent. Polite, welcoming and helpful to a man (and woman).

[Chief]

no matter where i go, if i am met with ignorance and indifference, i make a point of spendingmy money elsewhere. I have walked out of many restaurants and shops having met with such attitudes...one day of politeness makes no difference..if your ignorant as a rule, people wll see them form what they are.....The key is to always return and demonstrate to them what they have lost. I recently bought a new car, and in first garage there was definately an air of you cannot afford to be in here about the sales people Bought my car from another dealer and took new cra back to first dealer. asked to see manager and told him what had happened....should have seen the look on his face....lol

[Gastines]

Just read Ford Anglia's posting And I have to agree with the African/Etc , bit.  We have just been to see Cirque du Soleil,Alegria, in Paris and not knowing anything about the layout/districts were basically going blind. We found a Campanile Hotel near to the site via Google + plus a forum members advice, and booked for us/daughter/granddaughter [their surprise treat ]. The Hotel was at St.Denis. On getting to Paris we then had to go via Metro to the Hotel and noticed that there were NO white faces to be seen, On arrival at the hotel, on Bastille Day, the receptionist warned us not to leave any windows open in our rooms as BOMBS would be thrown at night and open windows were a target,don't carry cameras/phone etc and make sure your wallet/cards etc are covered and don't travel via the train.!!!!This did not seem to bode well. However. Wherever we went, Train/Metro, walking ,the huge St.Denis market etc etc we found that without fail people were friendly, helpful and we had a fantastic time. We did note that we hardly ever saw a white face but I have felt more ill at ease in parts of Bournemouth and London and I don't relate this to colour. In UK the biggest problem seems to be with late teens and early 20's, white and black. I wonder why? We didn't used to think we were Rascist then with the advent of the mass influx into UK and the rights/services/help extended to them, we were thinking ,Yes,we are becoming Rascist but not aimed at any particular colour or creed but more at trying to look after our own and family interests. Our trip was a bit of an eye opener and whilst agreeing that we don't have to live in that environment we have found more animosity from whites, or is that bad manners and ignorance?

Regards.

[Gluestick]

Chief, your story reminder me of a wonderful chap I knew back in the 60s. he was of Didicoy stock but had bought a huge tract of land when it was probably not worth much in the early 50s.

Built a bungalow, raised his family and built his businesses, which his sons and grandsons run to this day.

If one wanted something obscure -cheap - for the house, office or workshops, it was probably sculling about somewhere in Dickie's yard. All this aside, he was a genuinely lovely man.

Comes the day to buy a new car; Dickie dresses up in new pull back boots, a clean tunic shirt with no collar of course, a new silk patterned choker and a new flat cap: as do the two boys. Mrs D dresses up to the nines. 'cos she's going to Lunnon town with her ol' man and the boys! The whole ensemble crowned by an awful straw hat with a Carmen Miranda crop of synthetic fruit!

So off they all troop to the Motor Show.

Comes the point where they arrive at the Rolls Royce stand (early 70s): the stand is manned by an effete wasp-waisted young man, resplendant in a three piece suit of sober pattern and cut, silk tie flowing from the top of his westcot and silk hanky peeking slyly from the top jacket pocket, with the subtle glint of gold from the unostentatious chain draped artistically across his midriff.

When Dickie and family arrived at the silken ropes hanging between glittering brass pedestals to keep the riff raff and hoi polloi away, the young man glides over and with a contemptuous glance hisses something like, "Go away from my stand please! now! You're making the stand look disreputable and untidy!"

"Ah yes m'lord!" the arrogant young man grovels, as he sweeps away to effusively greet a bankrupt peer!

Dickie et al meanwhile, have gravitated to the Mercedes stand, have rapidly bought a new Mercedes 700 stretched saloon and are unearhing bundles of notes from about their collective persons!

Whilst this proceeds, Dickie looks over to the Rolls stand and in his stentorian bellow shouts, "Oi you! On the bleedin' Roller stand! You can stuff your poncy f***** motors! We've bought a good one 'ere!"

Wonderful man!

 

[Pierre ZFP]

This chap's surname wasn't Larkin by any chance was it ?  [;-)]

[Pierre ZFP]

Deleted - somehow managed a duplicate post

[Gluestick]

I was actually thinking of that as I was writing it, Pierre.

Similar, similar.

[cooperlola]

Years ago, we had an MG Metro.  When we decided to trade it in, we decided to start at the Renault dealer up the road from us and see what they had to offer.  He took one look at our (2 year old) car and said "Hmm.  Not much demand for them.  And it's black - bad colour, I can see you've washed it at a car wash - NOT a good idea.  Can't give you much for it, I'm afraid."  Needless to say, we left.

Next stop, Toyota dealer.  "Oh, nice car.  I can always sell those, youngsters like them a lot."  So, you can guess the next bit.

Two weeks later, the first dealer phones us up.  "Have you thought any more about the Renault?"

"We certainly have, we bought a Toyota."   Silence.

[suein56]

Years and years ago when I had an ancient Austin Metro and it was time to get newer car I visited the Ford dealership who were displaying the new Fiesta; I asked for a trade in value for my car and was offered £500. Down the road I tried out the Peugeot 106, they offered me £1150 for my car. Then I tried the brand new Citroen Saxo and they offered me £1350 for mine - so I bought the Saxo and I still have the same one 11 years on.

Perhaps they were just trying to be nice to me.

Sue [;-)]