Our French Superiors

[English]

The rudeness thing isn't unique to France. Europe is generally much more rude full stop. Certainly in Canada and the US people are far more polite than they are in the UK, Italy or France. In actual fact, I'd say the people in Rome and Milan win hands down when it comes to sheer ignorance, arrogance and general rudeness. If you go to Milan expect to be treated like dirt in shops, bars and restaurants.

[English]

As a completely random aside, I find it funny how the stereotypes for Canada and France are complete opposites.  Their problem is being too snooty and arrogant.  Our problem is being way too polite and humble for our own good.

Not that I'm complaining.

Canadians are generally insufferably polite and friendly, even in big cities like Toronto. I've met some rude Canadians though, one from Calgary in particular sticks in my mind.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The rudeness thing isn't unique to France. Europe is generally much more rude full stop. Certainly in Canada and the US people are far more polite than they are in the UK, Italy or France. In actual fact, I'd say the people in Rome and Milan win hands down when it comes to sheer ignorance, arrogance and general rudeness. If you go to Milan expect to be treated like dirt in shops, bars and restaurants.

...and you can't sit down anywhere in Venice

[John Dibble]

The rudeness thing isn't unique to France. Europe is generally much more rude full stop. Certainly in Canada and the US people are far more polite than they are in the UK, Italy or France. In actual fact, I'd say the people in Rome and Milan win hands down when it comes to sheer ignorance, arrogance and general rudeness. If you go to Milan expect to be treated like dirt in shops, bars and restaurants.

I read this article recently, came upon it by chance: They're so bloody polite

[English]

The rudeness thing isn't unique to France. Europe is generally much more rude full stop. Certainly in Canada and the US people are far more polite than they are in the UK, Italy or France. In actual fact, I'd say the people in Rome and Milan win hands down when it comes to sheer ignorance, arrogance and general rudeness. If you go to Milan expect to be treated like dirt in shops, bars and restaurants.

I read this article recently, came upon it by chance: They're so bloody polite

Absolutely true.
That said, although I'm very envious of the politeness you find in the US, I don't envy the prudishness. I quite enjoy the smuttyness on TV and in newspapers, sleezy sex shops on street corners and naked flesh on magazine covers. It makes life more interesting.
Certainly I can't imagine the fuss of the Monica Lewinsky scandal here in Britain. It's almost expected of our MP's to sleep around, have love children and trawl around public parks looking for sex!

[Maastricht]

I lived in Nancy, Lorraine.

The steryotypes do apply to Paris. It is not a friendly environment at all.

That's right and I think it's the same in the south-east, in big towns like Nice, Marseille, etc. Most of the people looked really irritated by the crowd of tourists when I came there for holidays.
About the courtesy level, I think it's ratherly specific to latins countries : Italy, Spain, France where people are uite ... outspoken ^_-.

[ATFFL]

Most nations’ stereotypes come from the largest/most commercial city. 

I've known a few frenchies in my time and all four of them have had the same trait that is considered rude in the US.  All of them probed too much when it came to money matters.

My favorite story about that comes from a college German class about 10 years ago.  The first rude thing he did was sit in the seat in front of me which was normally occupied by the very friendly Dutch girl.  We started talking about our weekend plans and he asked me what I was doing.  I told him my sister’s wedding was that weekend.

He asked what I was getting her as a wedding present.  When I told him I was giving them cash, he asked how much.  Everyone was shocked; this is a big no-no in the US.  So I told him I was giving one hundred dollars and seventy-eight cents.

Which is what I ended up giving them.

To his credit the answer and silence in the room did let him know his question was inappropriate and he learned from it.

[Platypus]

Yes, finances are off the table for discussion here too. And whilst a nipple in the middle of the largest sporting brodcast of the year here would cause outrage, it wouldn't be nearly as bad as the US. We're sorta half way between the UK and US-personally, we do have a bit of prudishness, but we don't let that effect the whole country that much. A recent poll has something like 80% of Aussies thinking that the country was too PC, but that doesnt mean any of us are going to make a crusade against it-that's an American kinda thing to do

[Gustaf]

I don't have that much agains French people, my beef is more with their politicians (which I don't think makes me differ much from the average Frenchman )

As an indiivualist I never judge actual individuals I come across based on them belonging to a particular group.

[CARLHAYDEN]

One of the things which Americans find so insufferable about the French is their tendency to presume that, being French gives them the obligation to tell others what to do.

This is particularly irritating when the individual in question is highly ignorant of the matter at hand and cannot comprehend the details of the matter.

[English]

The thing that upsets me the most about the French is the damn strikes!! Everytime they have a strike the first thing they do is blockade the channel ports and the channel tunnel!!! ARGH!! Thereby costing the UK economy millions in lost revenue. The UK should send tanks across in my opinion!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The thing that upsets me the most about the French is the damn strikes!! Everytime they have a strike the first thing they do is blockade the channel ports and the channel tunnel!!! ARGH!! Thereby costing the UK economy millions in lost revenue. The UK should send tanks across in my opinion!

French Unions are strange... very small and very militant. They have sod all political achievments because of this...

[Kodratos]

I lived in Nancy, Lorraine.

The steryotypes do apply to Paris. It is not a friendly environment at all.

That's right and I think it's the same in the south-east, in big towns like Nice, Marseille, etc. Most of the people looked really irritated by the crowd of tourists when I came there for holidays.
About the courtesy level, I think it's ratherly specific to latins countries : Italy, Spain, France where people are uite ... outspoken ^_-.

Another French dude! Welcome.

What French party are you in/vote for?

[Bono]

Eh French invasion.
Why can't any of teh europeans that come in be conservative.

[English]

Eh French invasion.
Why can't any of teh europeans that come in be conservative.

If you mean why are we all Democrat supporters?
Religion, or should I say Religious social conservatism.
Even staunch free-marketeers in Europe tend not to be particularly socially conservative, hence they are swayed towards the Dems.
Margeret Thatcher, so beloved by US Republicans for instance was socially conservative by UK standards, but would be a moderate or even a liberal in the GOP. As far as I know she was pro-choice and certainly not openly religious.
Conservatives in Europe are more libertarian than anything.

[John Dibble]

Conservatives in Europe are more libertarian than anything.

Too bad Europe doesn't have more of them.

[Maastricht]

I lived in Nancy, Lorraine.

The steryotypes do apply to Paris. It is not a friendly environment at all.

That's right and I think it's the same in the south-east, in big towns like Nice, Marseille, etc. Most of the people looked really irritated by the crowd of tourists when I came there for holidays.
About the courtesy level, I think it's ratherly specific to latins countries : Italy, Spain, France where people are uite ... outspoken ^_-.

Another French dude! Welcome.

What French party are you in/vote for?

Thanks ! I'm quite special about vote : Green Party for the "cantonnales" and "municipales", and PS (Parti Socialiste) for the presidential and legislative elections.

Eh French invasion.
Why can't any of teh europeans that come in be conservative.

If you mean why are we all Democrat supporters?
Religion, or should I say Religious social conservatism.
Even staunch free-marketeers in Europe tend not to be particularly socially conservative, hence they are swayed towards the Dems.
Margeret Thatcher, so beloved by US Republicans for instance was socially conservative by UK standards, but would be a moderate or even a liberal in the GOP. As far as I know she was pro-choice and certainly not openly religious.
Conservatives in Europe are more libertarian than anything.

I agree. In France, you would rather find conservative poeple in FN (J.M Le Pen) than in UMP (Chirac.)

[Bono]

Eh French invasion.
Why can't any of teh europeans that come in be conservative.

If you mean why are we all Democrat supporters?
Religion, or should I say Religious social conservatism.
Even staunch free-marketeers in Europe tend not to be particularly socially conservative, hence they are swayed towards the Dems.
Margeret Thatcher, so beloved by US Republicans for instance was socially conservative by UK standards, but would be a moderate or even a liberal in the GOP. As far as I know she was pro-choice and certainly not openly religious.
Conservatives in Europe are more libertarian than anything.

I'm libertarian, but I use the blue avatar because first i care wa more about economic issues than social ones, I am a cultural conservative after all, and anyone who thinks the democratic party puts forward the agenda of classical liberalism could not be more wrong.

[English]

I also care more about economic issues, simply because I think social issues have got little (if anything) to do with government. They shouldn't even be an issue. I could never vote for a party which tells people who they should and shouldn't sleep with, what music they should listen to, or what they should do with their bodies. It's frankly none of the states business.