French are rude and boring

[Clarkkent]

French are rudest, most boring people on earth: British poll

LONDON (AFP) - The French have been voted the world's most unfriendly nation by a landslide in a new British poll published. They were also voted the most boring and most ungenerous.

A decisive 46 percent of the 6,000 people surveyed by travellers' website Where Are You Now (WAYN) said the French were the most unfriendly nation people on the planet, British newspapers reported.

The Germans have no to reason to celebrate the damning verdict. They came second on all three counts.

French founder, Jerome Touze, told the papers he had been stunned by the thumping condemnation of his compatriots and sought to blame it on Gallic love-struck sulking.

"I had no idea that the French would emerge as such an unfriendly country," he said.

"I think our romantic 'moodiness' is misunderstood and I will be sure to pass on the message to my family and friends back in France to be a bit more cheerful to tourists in the future."

Italy was voted the world's most cultured nation with the best cuisine, while the United States was named the most unstylish with the worst food.

The British did not feature in the top 10 of any of the categories.

"The British fit in nowhere -- good or bad. It appears that we are so completely average that the voters did not include us in any category," the tabloid Daily Express commented.

"And to our shame, four percent of respondents -- all British of course -- said they would only talk to other Britons when they are abroad."

This unwillingness to talk to the locals appears to go hand in hand with respondents' perceptions of foreigners.

While most said Spain was the foreign country where they would most like to live, they said the Spaniards were nearly as unfriendly and ungenerous as the French.

To add insult to injury, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph put the boot in on Saturday by saying in an editorial that the French stank.

"The French may like to think that Chanel No 5 is their scent but we all know that garlic and stale Gitanes are much more representative."

....... But is it true?

[PossumGirl]

Sorry.  I think it's a load of rubbish.

I started coming here as an American married to a Frenchman, speaking very little (read practically none) French at the time. 99% of the people I've met over the years have been helpful, generous and friendly.

Clearly, I think there's a big difference between the reactions one finds in cities vs. more rural areas.  But I think that exists pretty much everywhere in the world in similar proportions.  I know some have said that the French don't invite people into their homes easily, etc., that has not been my experience here.

Still, makes for a good debate!

PG

[Chauffour]

..at least one thing is true: Italy has the best cuisine!!! and wine too!!!  not sure about the culture... but the food!!! [:D]

[Rob Roy]

This sounds similar to the rubbish a neighbour told me just before we moved here. She had taken her grand-daughter to Disneyland Paris and came back complaining that the French were rude and ignored her questions - she took that as a indication of what the whole of France is like!

I wonder how many of those questioned ever look at themselves from  a visitor's point of view - sitting on the London underground or trying to find your way around while everyone rushes past you, when you don't know where you are going, can be the most depressing experience!

We have met unending kindness and friendliness since being here, and have tried to reciprocate when possible.

[Rosebud]

[quote user="Chauffour"]..at least one thing is true: Italy has the best cuisine!!! and wine too!!!  not sure about the culture... but the food!!! [:D][/quote]

 

Couldn't agree more about Italien food, it can't be beaten!

I have alway found the French to be polite and friendly.  The Germans, however........

[Chauffour]

...and what about the German food???? [6]

[Mpprh]

Hi

 

Interestingly, a German friend tells me that it is generally held in Germany that the French are the most polite people in Europe.

I guess it depends on your starting point ?

 

Peter

 

 

[Christine Animal]

My husband and all my French friends are boring, rude and smelly.  Of course it's true !   [geek]

 

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Christine Animal"]

My husband and all my French friends are boring, rude and smelly.  Of course it's true !   [geek]

 

[/quote]

[:-))][:D][:P][;-)]

[Www]

[windowman]

What twadle. One of the things people would say when we said we were moving here - France would be alright if it wasn't full of French!  I believe french people are more polite, friendly and helpful then most Brits these days.

[Alcazar]

It's nonsense, as is the statement about Italian food[:)]

We were in Rome for four days and it was rotten, expensive and over salted.

My sister and her husband went too, four weeks later, and 3 out of a party of 4 got food poisoning!

Alcazar

[Bassman]

I just wonder how many who voted have ever been to France [;-)] My wife's boss is always having a go about the French but the only place he has been is Cannes for the film festival[:-))]

[vervialle]

When I was trying to find the house in France that I eventually bought, we asked somebody in a small village we were driving through if they knew where there was a house for sale, he jumped in his car and signalled for us to follow him, well it was about 4 miles we could not believe someone would put themselves out so much, he shook our hands and wished us bon voyage and went on his way, that was just the first of many similar experiences that I have had in our area.The only thing that really gets to me is some of the drivers, I have almost had to go off road at times to get out of the way of a car comming towards me,I think it is getting better slowly now the roads are getting a bit busier, but some of the drivers have zero patience, we have them in the u.k. but I notice it more in France.I think if the rest of europe were asked about english behavior in their countries, I think we would be ashamed of what they had to say.I think our drinking culture is getting worse and our expectation of wanting everyone to speak english says it all.And finally if any of you have ever visited the war graves in France, you would see how much respect the french have for our fellow men.

[ali-cat]

As the world & his wife knows - we're moving to France in 6 weeks.  What most probably don't know, is that we've only ever been there twice - if you don't count our Paris Honeymoon.  The French we have met (& ok, it's not a lot) have been so polite, friendly & helpful that I felt comfortable from the moment we stepped of the plane.

I totally agree with Bassman - the people who say they are not friendly have probably never been.  It's a stereotype.  It's just like saying that all Italians are all two-timing cheating lovers & everyone in Northern Ireland carries a gun!!

p.s. we don't [:-))]

[Renaud]

The good news about that survey is that we won't meet all those respondents who have such a low opinion of the French, in France. Which makes it all the better.

[SaligoBay]

Just depends who you meet, I guess, like anywhere else in the world!

All those years I've spent looking for a "real" job in France, but when I meet Mr SB's French work colleagues, I'm kinda thankful I don't have to spend my waking hours with them!   They're ALL stressed, and mostly very, very boring!    If they're not at work they're playing tennis.   My village is in the commuting belt for Montpellier, so lots of them about!  [:)]   

I have to say that one CAN meet a fair amount of gratuitous grumpiness and rudeness in Montpellier.  It's "la mentalité", apparently!   I find Paris perfectly normal and friendly when I go there, I don't think I've ever been grumped at in Paris.   Strange, isn't it?  [:)] 

 

[Alcazar]

I have a similar experience to Vervialle, only mine concerns railways.

I'm a keen rail enthusiast, so one summer, decided I'd like to visit the depot, (engine shed) at Avignon.

Could I find it? No chance. Summer traffic didn't help either.Eventually, I rolled up at what turned out to be a wagon repair depot, and asked there. The chap I asked wanted to know if I had a map, (of Avignon, I assume), but all I had was the Michelin atlas. He then told me to follow him in his truck.

I was a bit surprised, so asked him if he was going there, and he responded, "I am now".

He led me across Avignon, took me into the depot, took me to see the "Chef du depot", who immediaetely detailed one of the blokes to take me and show me round!

It didn't end there. When that bloke found out I knew a bit about French railways, he actually got some of the locos I wanted to photograph, moved so I could get a better shot! They are rightly proud of their railway.

I've since had similar at loads of other depots.

Rude and boring? I don't think so.

Alcazar

[Harley]

[quote user="Renaud"]The good news about that survey is that we won't meet all those respondents who have such a low opinion of the French, in France. Which makes it all the better.[/quote]

I have a horrible feeling that some of them are here already.....................Aaaaaaagh[:(]

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="Harley"]

[quote user="Renaud"]The good news about that survey is that we won't meet all those respondents who have such a low opinion of the French, in France. Which makes it all the better.[/quote]

I have a horrible feeling that some of them are here already.....................Aaaaaaagh[:(]

[/quote]

So maybe they speak from experience!  [:D]

 

[Jo53]

I have to say that during the 4 years we've been here, I have had about six experiences when people have been so absolutely drop-dead rude that it has left me open-mouthed. The sort of rudeness that I had only ever encountered once or twice in my whole life before. It's not a language problem (my French is OK), and it's not because I was rude first.

Example 1: rented DVD from shop. Got it home and the wrong disc was in the box - a film we did not want. Went back the next day and said could I please have the correct film. Naturally expecting the answer to be 'sorry about that, yes of course'. But Proprietor barks: 'you should have brought it back straight away'. Shocked, I explain that I live 12 km from the shop and anyway didn't open the box until the evening. Without a word, he literally slams the correct film down onto the counter in front of me.

Example 2: am asking questions (just a few, not taking too long) in a tourist information office. In passable French. There is quite a lot of information, and I don't quite take it all in. So I ask about one thing again, just to recap. The woman, who is after all being paid to give Information to Tourists, gives an exasperated sigh and says in a loud, petulant voice 'I've already TOLD you that!'

I really cannot imagine either of these scenarios happening anywhere in the anglophone world. Of course there are lots of friendly and helpful people in France, and most French people would never be that rude. But my theory is that the percentage of people who are prepared to be that rude is higher in France than in the the anglophone countries. The lack of a customer service ethic is another facet of this. It is an undeniable aspect of French culture. But not a universal one.

As for boring, well it depends how interesting you find choucroute evenings in the village hall ... [Www]

 

[Christine Animal]

If you can speak French well enough, don't hesitate to answer the rude ones with a smile, like for your DVD "Merci beaucoup Monsieur, vous êtes bien aimable..."  I personally prefer the blunt straightforward attitude to a smile and then a rude remark about you as soon as you have left.

When I was first in France in Paris and very young I was (trying) to drive to work along the rue de Rivoli, there must have been a strike of the metro or something.  At some traffic lights I maybe didn't do the Grand Prix start quick enough and someone shouted at me from his car "on n'est pas à la campagne, espèce de connasse!".  I thought this was so funny.. that's why I still remember it.

Zey are French and I luv 'em... (well, most of 'em).

 

 

[Rob Roy]

Jo53, I am amazed that you don't think you would find rudeness like that in the UK - you can come across it any day of the week, especially in London.

As for customer service - would that be the same customer service you receive in the UK when the assistant doesn't stop their conversation with a colleague while they take your money, or hold their hand out for the money without a word to you, while continuing a phone conversation? How many shops do you go into in the UK where they say 'good morning' as you walk in? Where in the UK can you get items wrapped beautifully for free and with a smile? Sorry, I think French customer service is far superior on the whole.

 

[ali-cat]

Must admit, I was thinking excactly the same.  Some times I even feel guilty about wanting to buy something - God forbid, I should have to interrupt their conversation!! [:-))]

[Alcazar]

"connasse" ????????????

Can't find it in my dictionary.

Alcazar

[Christine Animal]

It's in mine :

Masculin : connard

Féminin : connasse (stupid cow or "female dog")...   [geek]