French Admit They Are 'Rude, Stroppy, and Slothful'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9429548/French-admit-they-are-rude-stroppy-and-slothful.html ^

[DogByte6RER]

French admit they are 'rude, stroppy, and slothful'

The French have admitted they are "rude, stroppy, and slothful" in a new survey about what they think of their own behaviour.

The poll revealed 97 per cent of Paris public transport users believed fellow travellers were "ill-mannered" and lacked civility.

The biggest gripe was people forcing their way onto trains before other passengers had got off.

Other irritations were passengers talking too loudly on mobile phones, and people sprawling over two seats in packed carriages.

Also included in the list of annoyances were queue-jumping at ticket counters, leaping over barriers without paying, putting feet up on seats, eating in public with one's mouth open and leaving litter behind.

The finding of the study by Paris transport company RATP has prompted travel bosses to launch a campaign urging their customers to be more polite.

Posters displayed on buses and the Paris metro and rail network show a hen squarking into a mobile phone, a buffalo fighting its way onto a busy train and a sloth lounging over two train seats.

Sociologist Julien Damon, who helped carry out the RATP survey, said: "These types of bad behaviour have always existed, but what has changed is that we are less prepared to tolerate them.

"Our behaviour is more and more geared towards cleanliness and hygiene, like spitting on the ground or smoking in a restaurant now both very frowned upon, and less about common courtesies like simply being polite and nice to each other."

A follow-up survey found 63 per cent of people said the poster campaign had made them stop and think about their own behaviour, and that they would try and be better-mannered in future.

[Caulkhead]

That’s because us British are well aware of what our press is and take no notice of it!

It’s not dissimilar to being an Englishman on Freerepublic - their are a multitude of anti-British contributors on here who can’t wait for a negative story about the UK so they can post hilarious and highly original lines like: “Great Britain ain’t great anymore.” Laugh? I nearly started! However, like Brits reading bad things about the US, I know that these types are the minority so I take no notice. :)

[miss marmelstein]

I’m with you! I visit Paris and find that if you try to use some French, they will be very accommodating to you. And if you show some appreciation for Paris - they’ll shake your hand and, as happened to me, kiss your cheek.

Once when I couldn’t get through the Metro turnstyles, a French woman grabbed me and shoved me through on her own card!

Of course, I’m a NYer, so perhaps I am used to city-like behavior.

[moose07]

Well put ol' chap.

[Caipirabob]

#1 - these are great - thanks for posting!

[goodnesswins]

I visited Paris in 1976/77...my sister and her at the time peignoir(sp) husband (French Algerian) spoke French fluently, luckily. It was not quite as friendly then as you say. But, I’ll bet it’s on a case by case basis, kind of like could happen here in America.

[familyop]

Thanks. Interesting note on tourism. Some of us seek to get away from boredom. So they visit large cities in New York, Florida, California, etc. Others, like me, seek boredom, peace and quiet. ;-)

As for international ridicule, maybe that has something to do—at least in part—with international economics and military agreements.

[miss marmelstein]

I’ve heard that most Parisians have cleaned up their act since the 70s. The younger generation is not as formal as their elders and many have visited the USA.

I have a friend who visited Paris in the 60s and 70s and thought the French were terrible. My experience (I first visited in the 90s) was very different.