Don, I really don't understand your post. Could you translate it for me? Does it say something meaningful about Paris?

The idea is to try to constructive here, I thought, but I have to admit the question ABC incites and invites a angry reaction. I've lived here in Europe (Hungary and now Switzerland) now for over 2 years and while I miss many things from home, being laid back and enjoying what the world has to offer is what life is about, not becoming frustrated at anything that doesn't fit your tastes. If I took a different perspective with your questions: Why do we allow our cities to be constantly mired in the pollution of cars driven by one person alone rather than build a decent public trasnportation system to move people around? Why is it that except in places like Miami, we make signs for getting around cities and airports completely uninterpretable to anyone who isn't practically fluent in English (Try hanging out with a foreign tourist in the U.S. and getting their perspective). Why is it so hard to get a non-fast food dinner after 10pm in the U.S? Why are American people, and especially kids, so loud and obnoxious in restaurants (I don't think an entire roomful of people need to hear how much someone's stock options have appreciated in the past 6 months)? Why do we allow a system that pays people below the minimum wage legally since they will earn tips to bring them over that minimum while they meanwhile have to act in a completely servile manner to earn that tip? Why do we work so much for so much money yet give ourselves typically only 2 weeks of vacation to enjoy it? I'm not trying to be rude but questions like these and people's perception of the attitude behind it is what gives us Americans such a bad rap around the rest of the world. Take Louise's advice or you'll only find yourself more frustrated in the future.-H

I don't know who is more disgusting, ABC and his/her "Ugly American" act or you liberal, PC kooks who feel that anything NOT American is somehow superior.

I'll avoid the flame wars but say this; My wife and I have travelled all over Europe and loved it. However the ONLY place we were treated poorly on a regular basis was Paris. It's a beautiful city and we did meet some really nice people but it had far more than it's share of rude and just down right MEAN people. Just my 2 cents...

Why would you bother going to another country if you just want everything as it is in the states>?? wouldnt it be easier to stay home and i must say I say " HERE HERE" to waiters shushing kids because maybe some of us that dont have kids by choice and do choose to go out to eat and spend our hard earned money dont want to hear a kids yacking full blast and runnin all over. in my opinion we americans can learn something from them in this respect because i believe we ( americans ) do not consider the other people when we let our kids just run the show and take over like it is a play ground and the parents dont even bother half the time to correct them, as they are to busy trying to ignore them themselves . au revior.

ABC managed to hit a lot of hot buttons (not bad for a troll, but not the best I've seen). <BR> <BR>There is a tourist-friendly Paris at Epcot Center in Orlando, Florida. DisneyWorld and Epcot Center were built solely for tourists, and so cater to their every need. Not so the Paris in France. This is a living, breathing, working city to which tourists throng. French is the official language; no one is required to speak English (although the government did require all employees of trains, buses, etc. to learn a little English for their Bicentennial, as they expected an influx of tourists). Most waiters in tourist areas and clerks in souvenir shops do speak English - it's a business necessity. They often speak another language or two (again, a business necessity). I live in a large city in the Southwest U.S. that gets many foreign visitors. You'd be hard-pressed to find a clerk or waiter who speaks any other language but English (our second language here is Spanish, but most of the Anglo population doesn't speak it). As for being hesitant to speak English, the French are perfectionists about language, and won't speak English because it isn't "perfect". Maybe your "bonjour, monsieur" was so good they felt you'd prefer French. <BR> <BR>Maybe they don't pick up their dog poop because they don't want to. In the U.S., we pick up our dog poop because it's the law. Many people wouldn't do it voluntarily, but they do because it's a law, with fines attached. Thank heavens for big government. Of course, that doesn't explain the dog poop on my front lawn left by the neighbor's dog because my neighbor thinks no one sees her dog do it. <BR> <BR>I've never had trouble finding food before or after the usual eating times in Paris. Tourist areas have cafes and sandwich stands which serve earlier than noon and 7:00; the working neighborhoods of Paris usually don't have them, as Parisians don't eat at those hours. The restaurants in these neighborhoods open when they know people will come, a sound business decision. <BR>Many restaurants have highchairs and booster seats; upscale restaurants often don't, because they cater to Parisians, who don't bring their children to fancy restaurants. Again, a business decision by the restaurant for its largest clientele. <BR> <BR>As for shopping on Sunday, the French are by and large Catholic, and still view Sunday as the Sabbath. Keeping one day for family and faith is important to them. <BR> <BR>Hushing children by waitstaff or other adults is not an insult. The French are very fond of children, and think of all children as part of the community. No one has had to stand at a podium or create slogans for them to act this way. They just do. <BR> <BR>Other than Taco Bell, nobody is open after 2am for food in my large city. Even clubs and bars don't serve food after a certain time, although they'll serve alcohol to closing time. I don't see why Paris restaurants should be any different; again, a sound business decision. <BR> <BR>If folks in Silicon Valley want to work until midnight, good for them. I don't want to work that late, and I'm glad I don't. Some at my company work the swing shift or the dogwatch, and have not been able to find any restaurants open - except for a couple of pizza delivery places (sound business decision). <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Seeing Bert's comment above. The idea I think is for people to share information and perspectives, not insults. Us "PC kooks" don't believe that all things non-American are superior nor that all things American are superior. If you read comments from the regulars in this Forum, you'll note that there are things to love, and not love, about practically every place you could visit, but just because it's not your ideal doesn't mean it can't and isn't someone else's ideal or that it's wrong because you don't understand it. Louise's comments always hold true.

Tess- I will definitely look for that book my sister is an american living in France with her French husband- she loves most things about France (and misses many things about the U.S.)- I bet she would love this book. Thanks for a helpful tip on a thread I thought might be a waste of time. ABC- I just returned from Paris, too, and didn't find people to be that rude nor were they overly nice- kind of like the people in the service profession here in the U.S. My "bonjour, monsieur" was returned with "can I help you?" and I thought "gee, even my bonjour gives me away" but I was happy to be able to ask my question in English. Also I didn't see any dog doodoo but maybe we were in different areas of Paris.

I am a native Silicon Valley(ian) and I don't know any decent restaurant open at 2:00 a.m. Denny's? ABC is just grouchy because he has to commute 2 hours each way from his affordable home in Tracy to his mega high paying job in Silicon Valley with stock options. I have been to Paris 3 times and have encountered very little rudeness. For rudeness I look to the impatient road hogs in rush hour traffic here in San Jose. Ah yes, I'd much rather be here than in rude, old ,dog poop smelly Paris!! Get real