Pushy French are world's worst tourists: study

[RICHARD]

And you think they'll share their snail flavoured crisps with ya ???
No way !!!!

I draw the line at tacos de tripa, Intestine Tacos!

Really!

[Bonny]

I call them the Poopie French. On vacation out West years ago there were French & German tourists everywhere. Maybe the money exchange was in their favor. A Frenchman was trying to put leaded gas into an unleaded gas car rental gas tank because it was cheaper. The nozzles on the hoses are different & he was getting gas all over the place. :eek Then if you met them on the sidewalk or trails they would not move out of the way or single file it. I got to the point when I met them I would stop & not move & they would have to go around me. Then two French families got into it over a motel room. They kept trying to get the cheapest discount for a room. Finally the clerk told them she didn't have any rooms for either of them. Then I was in a convenient store & had my stuff at the register & a Poopie French lady barged in right in front of me. The clerk told her I was first in line she would have to wait her turn. They had zero manners & sucked big time.

[wombat2u2004]

I call them the Poopie French. On vacation out West years ago there were French & German tourists everywhere. Maybe the money exchange was in their favor. A Frenchman was trying to put leaded gas into an unleaded gas car rental gas tank because it was cheaper. The nozzles on the hoses are different & he was getting gas all over the place. :eek Then if you met them on the sidewalk or trails they would not move out of the way or single file it. I got to the point when I met them I would stop & not move & they would have to go around me. Then two French families got into it over a motel room. They kept trying to get the cheapest discount for a room. Finally the clerk told them she didn't have any rooms for either of them. Then I was in a convenient store & had my stuff at the register & a Poopie French lady barged in right in front of me. The clerk told her I was first in line she would have to wait her turn. They had zero manners & sucked big time.

You know why french people have big noses ???
Cos the air is free !!! HAAAAAH !!!!!

[Bonny]

On the other side of the coin. We had 3 French students stay with us for a month, three different summers back in the 1970's. They were the best well behaved kids & clean.

When in Alaska years ago we stayed at B&B in Valdez. There was a snorkel snouted French doctor & his lovely wife. They wouldn't sleep in the basement room so we gave up our room on the upper level. I can only think the reason was the possibilty of an earthquake & the place caving in is all. He reaked of arrogants & his sweet wife was not French but Oriental. At breakfast he complained about the food. The hostess said they trashed the room she put them in. So you run into all kinds. I would of liked to have thrown my cup of coffee in his face though just for good measure.

[Sirrahsim]

I haven't had a chance to go down to France yet but a while ago I was being helped by a lady speaking French in Belgium. She was all smiles and chatty cathy with everyone else but when it was my turn she didn't even TRY to speak to me even though I smiled and said hello in French just like everyone else She did crack a smile when I said Merci though so maybe the rest of it was just too butchered to be understandable
Here in Germany I have had MANY good experiences with language and it seems that everyone I have met so far appreciates that I TRY to ask/order in German

[Kirsten]

Here in Germany I have had MANY good experiences with language and it seems that everyone I have met so far appreciates that I TRY to ask/order in German

Where in Germany are you? It's true, many Germans appreciate when people from other countries try to speak our language (btw, I think German must be very difficult to learn). Do the Germans you know try to speak English with you? I have to admit that many Germans speak a horrible English...

Kirsten

[Randi]

I remember John telling some stories about the French and German’s. He left England when he was about 21 and went to Germany to work for a year doing technical drawings. He got a job ans lived in a small rented room where he studied German from an old book with Gothic letters! He did quite well there and liked the people. Than, after that, he went to Paris, France and got a similar job, also for a year. He did get to know a few people, but he felt most was very hostile, even though he studied French and spoke some.

His plan was to go to Japan, but he wanted to take a two week holiday in Copenhagen first - he had been corresponding with a friend of a friend here. Well, as some of may know, he loved it here and stayed until he died. He was introduced to the best Bar in town, though. People were all over him to practise their English. This was in 1961.

In his later years, he used to complain about the German's "stealing" the sun chairs wherever we went on holiday.

Oh, there was one thing he couldn't stand about Danes... no queue culture!

[Sirrahsim]

Where in Germany are you? It's true, many Germans appreciate when people from other countries try to speak our language (btw, I think German must be very difficult to learn). Do the Germans you know try to speak English with you? I have to admit that many Germans speak a horrible English...

Kirsten

I live way over by Trier! In my experience so far, I will speak German the best I can and they will answer me in English. Maybe because I live near a US military base?? I've only met a couple of people who I could not understand at all, even with asking them to speak slowly, but we managed to communicate well enough with hand gestures I love Germany
I would agree that German is difficult to learn I have been using Rosetta Stone and Mango language programs but I am still terrible at anything but the basics!

[wombat2u2004]

I draw the line at tacos de tripa, Intestine Tacos!

Really!

Ahhhhh...they taste like crap