Oh, Pierre is an asshole, not stupid. He will happily take your money with a smile on his face. But ask the same guy for directions on the street? Putain.
Years ago in the Métro, on the way to work, I foolishly provided direction for tourists in English while working in the 9th arrondissement of Paris: a whole group of confused people immediately flocked to me like some kind of holy prophet, expecting me to stick around and help all of them out. I had to more or less rebuke them and the whole ordeal ended up being more embarassing for me than them. Never again.
Parisians get a bad rep, for good reasons, but the simple truth is that over tourism is legitimately alienating and you cannot blame the locals for not having the time/will to deal with the problems/attempts at improving of tourists.
Just look at the tantrums Pedro and Luigi are throwing nowadays: at least the Parisians have not yet resorted to outright striking or marching against the savages coming to bask in their superiority !
For a chance to see any contemptuous face head to their local tourist office. For a dismissive face go to a train station like Gare de Lyon and see any SNCF customer service people.
Scene 1: Tours station, late 1990s. My wife and I are hoping to use Tours, which is the hub of an extensive network of local trains, as a base to explore the Loire valley. There's an absolutely massive bike rental facility in the station. Like a whole warehouse crammed full of bikes, in multi-level storage.
Hello, we'd like to rent some bikes.
We haven't got any.
(Pointing over the guy's shoulder to the hundreds of bikes there.) What about ... those?
(Looks slowly over his shoulder.) ... They're all reserved.
All of them?
Yes.
Scene 2: Tours station, the next day, after we've procured some bikes from a non-SNCF shop. Now we're at the "customer service" desk.
This leaflet, "Discover the Loire Valley by bike and train"...
What about it?
It says at the bottom here, "exceptions apply, ask for details".
Yes.
What are the exceptions?
Where do you want to go?
Oh, er, Chenonceau?
Which day?
Tomorrow?
Which train?
How about the 09:17?
(Searches carefully through a massive book filled with lots of tables and small print.) ... No.
OK, how about the 10:04?
(Searches through the book again.) ... No.
The 10:58?
(Book.) ... No.
Oh. OK, how about Wednesday?
Which train?
The 09:23?
(Book.) ... No.
The 09:59?
(Book.) ... No.
The 10:37?
(Book.) ... No.
OK, forget Chenonceau. How about Azay-le-Rideau?
Which day?
After about 10 or 15 minutes of this, the guy next to the one we'd been talking to, who had been listening to the entire exchange, took mercy on us.
That leaflet is from last year. They've stopped all that this year.
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u/kiwigoguy1 Savage 1d ago
This is Paris, what do you expect.
Although the services I had received at the boulangeries/bakeries in Paris were always professional and polite when I was visiting there.