[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Is it common for 27 year old men to be students in France? Where do 27 year old students get dough for Caribbean vacations?

After several years in the Army I got my degree at 27. My wife and I were making about $70,000 a year (in the 70's) had no children yet and went to Europe almost every summer. If in grad school I don't think 27 is real odd.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

If you were making a substantial part of $70,000 per in the 1970's it's likely you were not a full-time student and would have described youself as a computer programmer or a janitor or whatever. There seem to be a lot of lay-about perpetual students in Europe with too much time and money who have nothing better to do than foment trouble. Having to make that mortgage payment leads to social stability imho.