The NOT So Rude Parisians

By Alex Dufek

The French are rude. I visited Paris harboring that stereotype, and three days later I left the beautiful “City of Light” and that stereotype behind.

After spending three wonderful days in Paris, I’m stunned I ever bought into the falsehood that the French are impolite. In fact, I was almost foolish enough to let the fear of being treated unkindly prevent me from visiting Paris. Thank God I didn’t. It would have been the worst mistake I made during my – eh hem – studies abroad.

Not only would I have missed out on one of the most charming cities in the history of western civilization, but I also would have never met a multitude of kind-hearted Parisians. From the handful of strangers who helped us while we were lost on the subway late at night, to the warm and petite hostess at a restaurant near the base of Sacre Coeur to Henri the most genuine taxi driver I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding along with.

Before and during my time abroad, a few individuals advised me that the French were viciously mean and cruel. I was tempted to never step foot in the country and to write the French off as a nationality completely. Stupid! I would have maintained a false stereotype possibly forever had I chosen to do that.

I’ve learned that how people treat you when you travel depends on how you treat them. It’s no different than in the United States. If you show manners, courtesy and respect to others they will in return show it to you.

When I arrived in Paris I was nervous. I didn’t want to upset the “Stuck-up Parisian” I had falsely painted in mind. I wanted to fool people into thinking I spoke French, but in reality I knew only a few words. I grew a mustache for the trip and purchased the first beret I saw. I did my best to blend in.

I also tried to separate myself from the “Rude American,” a stereotype my friends, unknowingly, lived up to on a few occasions. I would slip into a distant seat on the subway when they became loud or obnoxious. However, it didn’t make any difference. Parisians are used to tourists.

Paris has been a major tourist destination for centuries and grew tremendously in popularity with the construction of the Eiffel Tower for the World Fair in 1889. I wondered why a city so famous for tourism supposedly had such rude citizens.

My very first encounter with a Parisian exploded the stereotypes.

We took Ryan Air, a budget airline, to Paris. The ticket is cheaper, but you have to deal with the hassle of landing at an airport 70 km outside the city in the late evening. If you don’t mind taking a 12 Euro shuttle into the city it’s worth it to fly with Ryan. When our shuttle dropped us off in Paris at 11 p.m. we weren’t sure where we were and our Rick Steve’s book informed us that the subway stopped running in 30 minutes.

After 20 minutes of aimlessly searching we called it a night and hailed a cab. Lucky for us, it was Henri who drove up.

A Frenchman in his early 50's, Henri, spoke English better than most of the cabbies you’ll find in New York City. We were skeptic about getting hit with a huge cab fare. We had all gotten ripped off by cabs in other cities. However we were far from our hostel and desperately needed a cab.

Before we got in the cab, Henri kindly managed our interrogation about prices and extra fees for bags. He told us it would cost six euro for four people. We gladly agreed. He warned us not to get into any cab without a glowing sign on the top. However, ones with signs, like his, are “Always fair – Always!” We couldn’t help but laugh a little about how sincere he was. He responded, with even more zest, saying, “I’m serious – in Paris – we are all very fair, very fair!”

The ride turned out to be an educational experience. Henri gave us tips on where to eat, where to drink, where to dance and what to see. For every question we raised, he had an answer. He tuned the radio to find our favorite music. Most importantly, if any of us weren’t already excited to be in Paris he made sure we were, describing the city as only someone who lived and loved in Paris for 32 years could. He told us he’d lived in Amsterdam and other cities throughout Europe, but could never pull himself away from Paris. “It’s the BEST!”

Unfortunately, the cab ride had to end, and when it did the damage was only six euros – as promised. He was very fair! We enthusiastically thanked Henri and then he drove off. Thinking back, I wish I would have tipped him, because he broke a stereotype that could have ruined my entire trip. It probably wouldn’t have mattered – he wouldn’t have taken the tip anyway.

Throughout the trip, when we appeared lost or confused in a foreign land, which we often were, a Parisian would approach us with no personal gain at stake and offer a helping hand.

In Sacre Coeur we planned on eating at a well-known fondue restaurant, but they would not seat us without a reservation. We had no back-up plan. A hostess from across the street spotted our lost pack of tourists and came to the rescue. She showed us an affordable deal on the menu (12 euro for three courses) and pushed some tables together to accommodate our group. I never saw her stop moving or smiling. She served all the tables in the restaurant but never failed to serve the food in a prompt manner.

Another kind Parisian I could never forget was the “I Phone Guy.” He was the only reason I had a fun Friday night in Paris. We were lost on the tram late at night and many metro lines had stopped running. After about an hour of tram hopping all hope seemed loss. We huddled over a map for minutes trying to find our way.

A passerby stopped, out of the goodness of his heart, and spent 15 minutes working his I Phone to get us to a bar to meet our friends. He found the exact address of the bar for us, told us what tram lines to take and even gave us an alternative route in case something went wrong. We would have had a disappointing night if it weren’t for him.

I arrived in Paris with a bad attitude about Parisians, but I took home a beret, a mustache and a new stereotype I intend to spread – The French are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.


Alex Dufek, a University of Kansas journalism student from Green Bay, WI, studied in the CIMBA undergraduate program in spring, 2009.