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RE: The French can be forgiven for having a low opinion of some English people....


Iceni

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I tend to agree with the previous replies here. This was a person who wanted something for nothing (or paying for something that was his/her fault). Bad, whatever nationalitly.

The first few months we were here, I got a bit overwrought about 'English behaving badly', but it doesn't bother me so much now. It's horrible when it happens, but I still believe that most people, wherever they hail from, behave reasonably. Is it possible that the anglo baddiness stands out to us, because we don't have to translate it all in our heads?

I gave myself a cheer the first time I was able to identify a French national 'behaving badly' in a supermarket.

tresco

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Hear hear, Tresco and Dick. 

A lot of "foreign" rudeness can pass you by because you're either not up to speed with the language, or - even in France - there are in-between-the-lines communication going on that it takes you time to understand.

Rudeness is rudeness.  Ignore it, she probably gets similar from Dutch and Germans and Italians and other French all day long! 

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The first few months we were here, I got a bit overwrought about 'English behaving badly', but it doesn't bother me so much now. ....... Is it possible that the anglo baddiness stands out to us, because we don't have to translate it all in our heads?

I think this is probably very true.  When we were travelling across northern France about 18 months ago we stopped at a restaurant and witnessed a couple who we had already labelled as Brits by their clothes, haughty manner and "Golf in Europe" book that they were clutching, behaving in an exceptionally rude manner and then storming out of the restaurant AFTER having ordered but BEFORE the meal arrived.  They were out of hearing range across the room but I was still on the verge of apologising on their behalf, believing them to be British but the owner came over and apologised to us for the "disgusting but typical" behaviour of his DUTCH customers!!!  Thus proving that there are good and bad in all nationalities.  Our personal experience in our own B&B has been that the Dutch have to date probably been the most consistently polite visitors that we have - the restaurateur in Bernay clearly would not agree with me.

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Very many years ago whilst we were still resident in South Africa, my 8 year old son and I took a trip to Calais for the day. At a bus stop waiting for the bus to take us to the Hypermarket, there was a group of very loud, dare I say, very common Brits shouting and laughing their heads off regarding one of them's [a woman] trip to a French toilet and the subsequent "b.........in' 'igh tide at Dover". We were so embarrassed we spoke together in Afrikaans!

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My wife's French and misses the politeness of the Brits. Here in 06 the locals aren't noted for their manners, especially the niçois. French friends of ours from the North find the Southerners to be cold and unwelcoming, but then again we often hear the same thing said in the UK.

Be thankful that we don't get the English tourists that the Spanish  get year in year out. I'm of the opinion that the French get exposed to some of the best we have to offer.

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I normally speak English to my three daughters, one of whom replies in the same language (more or less). But faced with pushing a trolley round the hypermarché and encountering a load of Ben Hur children doing wheelies with the chariots, all of switch, without thinking to French. On the other hand I have been knownto help a few people, obviously adrift, by pointing out out that x brochettes or whatever in this section is better value than y of the same over there. So perhaps I am not terminally rude? 
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I referred to the gentleman as English in a generic sense, I could have been more specific as to where in UK he was from, his accent was somewhat obvious, but I decided to leave that bit out, not wishing to start a Civil War!

But the main point behind my observations was that irrespective of where this person was from or what sort of thing he was towing- - -

If which part of England is irrelevant perhaps which part of Europe is too?

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IAN S said "I love all this talk about the English doing this and doing that. As a Scot I understand completely!"

Must admit to having a quiet chuckle at that Ian.

What was it Pythons used to say " I'll nae interrupt this thread (sketch) for a poond" ??

And no, I'm not knocking the Scots, just poking gentle fun.

Alcazar

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