Parisians: Everything BUT Rude

I've always heard the French were rude.  We've all heard it so many times we take it for truth. So I was really watching to see if it was true when we went to Paris.

And you know what? It's a myth. Almost everyone we encountered was kind, friendly and helpful. 

And those that weren't friendly weren't rude, simply impatient. 

Think about it. Paris is the most visited city on the PLANET. Every year more than 27 million visitors descend on the city, most to visit the world's most recognizeable landmark. Is it any wonder they might be impatient, or less than extremely hospitable? In a city with only 12 million inhabitants, the city often is more than doubled: EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR! Imagine that. Every time you turn around, someone is shoving a map in your face and asking (most likely NOT in French) where they are, asking for directions...where's the nearest Metro station?...when will the Eiffel Tower light up?, do you have change for a hundred? and above all not understanding a word you're trying to say to them. That's not to say that many if not most Parisiennes speak some English, but how many of them speak Russian, Chinese, Dutch, Italian or any of the other languages belonging to the masses of tourists milling around? Think about how exhausting it would be to deal with the traffic, the restaurants you might like to visit reviewed in all the guidebooks making them perennially too crowded for you to ever get in. I think it could be exhausting. 

So I say thank you to the city of Paris for the hospitality and patience that was demonstrated to us all day every day. Your city was amazing, the food spectacular, and your people? Friendly. Patient. Helpful.

Time to put that myth to bed:)