Wobbling precariously on my crutches after a family dinner in a local restaurant, I hailed the first cab in the rank.
He drove up, glanced at my plastered leg and drove straight off again shouting: "I don't take cripples. Your crutches might damage my paintwork!"
Anyone who thinks that British – well, London - standards of service are slipping should take a look at this. We’ve a way to go yet.
My missus informs me that the assistants in French clothes shops are much more helpful and professional than their British counterparts, even in Paris.
ReplyDeleteI must say, having spent quite a while in France, I've very rarely encountered the sort of rudeness described here. I certainly don't feel Paris is any more ill-mannered than London. London cabbies refuse to pick you up sometimes too. And anyway the comparison has to be with London minicabs, a much more unpredictable breed.
What I have noticed though is that certain English people do wind the French up and are not really conscious of doing so.
The average level of rudeness probably isn't that different, but you do now and again find in France a kind of spectacular "you are subhuman" level of rudeness which is impossible to find elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteThe Have a Nice Day culture obviously doesn't exist in France, and where it occurs here we complain about that, too.
The French are servile compared to the Russians. I remember reading that when MacDonald's opened in Moscow, the staff needed a few toughs to protect them because so many customers thought they were being made fun of when they were wished a good day.
ReplyDeleteHeh heh - yes Peter. I remember some Russian correspondent on Radio 4 explaining that in the same way we Britons cringe at US 'Have a Nice Day' over-friendliness, the Russians cringe at our pleases and thank yous. Basically, anything more than pointing and grunting is considered insufferably obsequious.
ReplyDeleteEven the French find the Parisians odd, although it must be said that the average Briton finds Londoners somewhat strange, the Savoyards don't much like the French, the Norgies say that the Swedes are thieves, Geordies think everyone south of the Tees is gay.
ReplyDeleteHey! we have the makings of WW3 here, lets assassinate an Archduke.
I rather prefer waiters to be dignified and even supercilious if the restaurant deserves it (not that I ever go in such restaurants, but I can dream...) Yes, for up-its-arseness it's Paris every time, though the French can otherwise be splendid.
ReplyDeleteNever found the frogs to be more or less rude in person than a brit. Although I agree with Brit, you do get the occasional one that is so off the scale that you can't quite believe what you are seeing! Have met plenty of seriously rude Germans though, as they are more russian in their approach (ie. too much politeness is a sign of weakness to be exploited)
ReplyDeleteBrit:
ReplyDeleteSlightly OT, you know that anti-globalization, anti-cultural homogenization battle the left has been waging with futility for years now? Guess who is finally doing something concrete to reverse the trend.
I'm just back from a weekend in Rome, where I did spot a (or is it 'the') McDonald's. Never mind, the slow food is still exceptionally tasty and Italian... and the service is surprisingly friendly and fast - at least compared to Paris (a beautiful looking city, but not one I'm in love with).
ReplyDeleteHmmn, when it comes to rudeness I don't think anything beats the Greek captain of a cruise ship who, when his vessel started sinking at sea, abandoned ship - leaving all the passengers still on board. Compared to that, being left behind by a taxi is peanuts.
ReplyDelete