If you can read French, you might want to pick up a copy of the RATP book <i>D&eacute;couvrir PARIS avec les lignes de Bus</i>. It's 10&euro;, and you can get it at the RATP Boutique at Ch&acirc;telet.

&quot;One reason Parisians might be willing to give up their seats is the presence of signs posted on the bus asking people to give up their seats for senior citizens, disabled people, and pregnant women. I noticed those signs on my last trip and wondered whether the signs were needed because people had been reluctant to be helpful before or whether the French standards of civil behavior are very high.&quot;

Probably for the same reason that they have them in Washington, that occasionally someone needs to be reminded. In my experience, people in Paris are very polite. One example, when entering or exiting the metro, the person in front of you almost
always holds the door for you, even when you are 20 feet behind.

ttt

The signs don't ask, they inform; you are required to give up your seat to certain people in certain categories under certain conditions. The signs merely make people aware of this.