Oo-la-la, the French come clean, so to speak:
In a mea culpa as welcome as it was unexpected, the owners of France's 60,000 bars, brasseries and cafes admitted yesterday that all too often their staff are surly, service slow and hygiene horrendous."Customers are right to complain of a poor or non-existent welcome, an excessively long wait and a lack of basic courtesy and reactivity," said André Dugoin, president of the French hotel and catering in dustry's main trade association, UMIH.
Mr Dugoin said the number of cafes in France had collapsed by more than 50% since 1990, and that each year brought fewer and fewer customers and more and more complaints. "We have to respond to criticism, or the haemorrhage will simply continue," he said.
The industry professionals said most customers' complaints revolved around the absence of a hospitable welcome, the unacceptable wait for an order to be taken (or for the drink to arrive), the near-impossibility of attracting a waiter's attention, staff's ignorance of the products they were selling, and poor hygiene.
Why are we shocked? This French source had already reported hens do have teeth.
Pave invites our French correspondents to regale us with French waitstaff horror stories. Don't be shy.
I'm currently working as a waiter and cashier in a French restaurant in Paris to earn some money before a year abroad in Toronto (where I'll be in november).
And I can say that we do our best to serve our customers as fast as possible, to be reactive and show courtesy - eg. always speaking in English with our foreign customers. And above all, hygiene is irreprochable.
Oh, I forgot to mention I'm working in a McDonald's restaurant!
Isn't "hygene" and MacDonalds an oxymoron?
And he calls us bigots!
for Zoomerx: je parlais d'hygiène dans le restaurant! (comme dans le post de Damian).
Je sais goldsoundz ;-)
MacDo Champs Elysées?
Near the Opera.
Concerning McDonald's and health (more than hygiene), have you seen "Supersize me" (by Morgan Spurloch)? In my opinion, it was definitively more interesting and funnier than "Farenheit 9/11".
Saw it, loved it too.
Toronto's a great city, Goldsoundz - I expect you'll love it. What are you going for? Work? Study?
I met this Indian girl born in Toronto the other day. She went into this rather anti-American/pro Canada rant (without any provocation whatsoever on my part, would you beleive it?), having lived there for the past few years with her American husband. I had a beer with him. Nice guy. He loves France, for some reason. Been there many times. Probably a "freedum-hater lefty", as Pro-Freedom would say.
without any provocation whatsoever on my part, would you beleive it?
Yes. Yes, I would.
"Saw it, loved it too."
I am sure you did zoomeridiot, the film shows Frog behavior.
1) "Blame others for my own choices in life." Hmmm let's see I choose to eat 5000 calories per day (two and a half times the RDA and 1400 calories over the creation of a pound of unused fat). Then I get to whine about the results of my choices.
2) "Just like my Frog brothern I have no spine!" I have to surrender to any request. In this case I don't have the spine to assert that I don't want "supersizing". Ohhhhh the pressure that McDonald's put on me. One of the filmmaker's "rules" is that he would never turn down an offer of "large" or "supersizing".
Yes Zoomerx I can see how you would just love this movie. It allows you to project the worst Frog habits on those "fat Americans".
No, I love it because I like movies (I'd say most of my favourite contemporary directors are American), having worked on documentaries myself, cretin.
Do you foam at the mouth everytime you read one of my posts?
And btw, cannon, that wasn't remotely funny. You're trying to hard. You're too angry. You may be suffering from a lack of sexual inadequacy.
Zoomeridiot, truth hurt? I guess so.
What about my last post is incorrect?
Was it that the filmmaker didn't make a choice to ingest 5000 calories per day? Was it that someone "forced" him to go to McDonalds, perhaps at gunpoint eh? (After all we 'Mericans are so violently pro-gun right?) Is it that you Frogs do embrace personal responsibility ala your medical system or your 35 hour work week? Was it that Frogland doesn't have a long history of surrendering to others?
What was wrong with the post?
---
Oh and yes I loved this quote:
I love it because I like movies (I'd say most of my favourite contemporary directors are American)
Bad, bad Frog. Embracing 'Merican cultural imperalism. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. What will your fellows at Frogland Purity Academy say about your indulging of 'Mericanism.
But this brings up another case of "it's not MY fault!!!!" syndrome. You blame 'Merica for forcing its culture down the throat of you poor Frogs, yet you embrace it because it has most of your favorite things (in this case movie directors.)
---
You accuse me of foaming at the mouth at every one of your posts, implying irrationality, correct? Yet you are the one who keeps posting at a site in which you are never going to succeed. More projection of your own irrationality perhaps?
Was it that Frogland doesn't have a long history of surrendering to others?
Give me example, besides WW2. Of course there are, but out of 2000 years of warfare and 3 centuries of European domination and world colonialism, you'd expect some humiliating losses... I don't have a problem with that. Only people like you with a very limited sense of world history would. The "we're number one" complex.
Bad, bad Frog. Embracing 'Merican cultural imperalism. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. What will your fellows at Frogland Purity Academy say about your indulging of 'Mericanism.
Well unlike you, Cannon, I do appreciate other cultures' achievements, what's to be "ashamed" of? I've never bought the US "cultural imperialism" B.S., even if this may surprise you. Same type of narrow-thinking that oozes from your posts. Do all Americans share your type of thinking? Of course not.
Yet you are the one who keeps posting at a site in which you are never going to succeed.
You're right about that. Kind of like posting at the Aryan Nation website and trying to counter-argue their point of view.
*sigh* Zoomeridiot are you going to make me drag out the "List of Frog Military 'Victories'" are you? I guess you are.
The first hit off of google: (A copy was posted here last year.)
The Complete Military History of France
- Gallic Wars - Lost. In a war whose ending foreshadows the next 2000 years of French history, France is conquered by of all things, an Italian.- Hundred Years War
- Mostly lost, saved at last by female schizophrenic who inadvertently creates The First Rule of French Warfare; "France's armies are victorious only when not led by a Frenchman." Sainted.- Italian Wars
- Lost. France becomes the first and only country to ever lose two wars when fighting Italians.- Wars of Religion
- France goes 0-5-4 against the Huguenots- Thirty Years War
- France is technically not a participant, but manages to get invaded anyway. Claims a tie on the basis that eventually the other participants started ignoring her.- War of Revolution
- Tied. Frenchmen take to wearing red flowerpots as chapeaux.- The Dutch War
- Tied- War of the Augsburg League/King William's War/French and Indian War
- Lost, but claimed as a tie. Three ties in a row induces deluded Frogophiles the world over to label the period as the height of French military power.- War of the Spanish Succession
- Lost. The War also gave the French their first taste of a Marlborough, which they have loved every since.- American Revolution
- In a move that will become quite familiar to future Americans, France claims a win even though the English colonists saw far more action. This is later known as "de Gaulle Syndrome", and leads to the Second Rule of French Warfare; "France only wins when America does most of the fighting."- French Revolution
- Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French.- The Napoleonic Wars
- Lost. Temporary victories (remember the First Rule!) due to leadership of a Corsican, who ended up being no match for a British footwear designer.- The Franco-Prussian War
- Lost. Germany first plays the role of drunk Frat boy to France's ugly girl home alone on a Saturday night.- World War I
- Tied and on the way to losing, France is saved by the United States. Thousands of French women find out what it's like to not only sleep with a winner, but one who doesn't call her "Fraulein." Sadly, widespread use of condoms by American forces forestalls any improvement in the French bloodline.- World War II
- Lost. Conquered French liberated by the United States and Britain just as they finish learning the Horst Wessel Song.- War in Indochina
- Lost. French forces plead sickness; take to bed with the Dien Bien Flu- Algerian Rebellion
- Lost. Loss marks the first defeat of a western army by a Non-Turkic Muslim force since the Crusades, and produces the First Rule of Muslim Warfare; "We can always beat the French." This rule is identical to the First Rules of the Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Dutch, Spanish, Vietnamese and Esquimaux.- War on Terrorism
- France, keeping in mind its recent history, surrenders to Germans and Muslims just to be safe. Attempts to surrender to Vietnamese ambassador fail after he takes refuge in a McDonald's.
Yep Zoomeridiot only WWII was a loss for Frogland, my apologies. After all it is a much better record than our 12-1-1 record in warfare. *snerk*
(Hey hey I just noticed a Pave post which was FIFTH on google. Way to go Pave! May 07, 2004 French military defeats. I especially like Doug's run down, 13 comments down.
Also my apologies for thinking Frog land wasn't a bastion of cultural tolerance. I guess the Official Frog Language Academy threw me for a loop. After all Frogland is far more inclusive than this pitiful 'Merican "Melting Pot".
After all it's not like my current home town has the world's largest pyramid, a half sized replica of a silly looking Frog metal tower, canals such as Amsterdam and Venice, a replica of the skyline of one of the world's largest city. Something like that can only happen in an open minded nation like Frogistan.
Well I'll be damned, Gunther learned to shut the caps lock off. Will wonders never cease? Some day he may learn that punctuation keys are not substitutes for the spacebar. Perhaps even before puberty.
What a waste of space, Cannon. I've seen this before (I could correct some huge errors and factual lies, but you're not worth the time).
Remember the last "real" war you lost was against skinny peasants who just finished another war against the French...
You live in Vegas ? (laughs). That's just perfect, Cannon. All flash, zero substance, suits you well and seems to have had a profound effect on you. I think I understand you better now. Btw, Al Quaeda could have done the architectural world a favour and target the Excalibur. The rest is pretty impressive. I'd like to visit for a weekend someday.
Something like that can only happen in an open minded nation like Frogistan.
I must confess I enjoyed my visit to Paris Disneyland years ago.
Ummm no Zoomeridiot, the last war (before the WoT) we fought in we won. Something involving 100 day air campaign followed by a 100 hour drive into Iraq back in 1991. (The current WoT is on a "TBD" status, we will win even if Frogistan keeps selling the terrorist weapons.)
Zoomeridiot I have lived in Vegas for two months before that I was what you would surely call a redneck cowboy. (I would then thank you for the compliment after all cowboys do work more than 35 hours per week.)
But the point remains throughout this post and the one directly below this that Frogistan has a tourism problem. Us "backwards 'Mericans" are not visiting your country and it is hurting your economy. You need our tourism dollars a lot more than we need your silly metal tower.
Off topic
Howard (t)Witt of the Chicago Tribune
Hundreds of thousands of readers know him simply as "Mike," the creator of rathergate.com, an Internet blog spearheading a petition drive demanding the resignation of CBS News anchor Dan Rather because of his alleged liberal biases..
But what the visitors to his blog did not know when he launched it early last week was that "Mike" is Mike Krempasky, a 29-year-old Republican political operative from suburban Washington, D.C., a detail some might have found relevant
Of course we all know him as "host". I had no idea Mike was living a double life. Did he tell any of you?
Congrats on having your "cover" blown, Krempasky! Or should I say "Mike"???
lol
Zoomer is right. Lets not recycle that old crap.
I would be interested in seeing Zoomers Corrections though.
Cannon did you see the story of the french agent who was the author of the niger uranium forgeries?
lets see more like that.
Yes I have seen a couple of headlines for that story, but I haven't paid any attention. Just remember little Frogs, the cover up is worse than the original transgression. When your actions in the Yellowcake forgery and Oil for Palaces scandal come to light a Reckoning will be due.
You are already starting to see it Frogs. As this thread and the one before show, we 'Mericans are going elsewhere. Your economy is tanking. You need us "fat, balding, loud, uncouth 'Mericans" to prop up your socialist welfare state more than we need you. The sooner you swallow your pride and accept the order of things the sooner you will be able to stop the self-loathing. Look at it this way, you all are used to eating disgusting things such as frog's legs and snails so the bile pride you all Kerry (Opps slip of the fingers there ;) ) can't be that much worse to swallow. Enjoy.
Cannon did you see the story of the french agent who was the author of the niger uranium forgeries? ,/i>
What a joke. I'm not sure why the French would "forge" an original paper of shady nature hoping to derail UN negotiations. The funny thing is, even if true, checking facts was obviously not a priority before waging war. Just one more allegation that will quickly dissipate into oblivion (except in Pave's archives), brought to you by the same clowns who claimed:
- "mobile biological labs"
- Saddam's "secret tunels network" under Baghdad
- French passports issued to "top Iraki personel"
- "French-made" WMDs
- Weapons immediately destroyed before the war,
etc, etc...
Oh, and finally, of course:
(drum roll please)
"Stockpiles of mass destruction" and "imminent threat"...
Papertiger, I have some real estate in Fallujah, if you're ever interested.
Ummm no Zoomeridiot, the last war (before the WoT) we fought in we won. Something involving 100 day air campaign followed by a 100 hour drive into Iraq back in 1991. (The current WoT is on a "TBD" status, we will win even if Frogistan keeps selling the terrorist weapons.)
I was refering to Vietnam, not some invisible, radio-controlled air carpet bombing campaign killing more innocents civilians than real bad guys. You had some real good practice in Cambodia.
Zoomeridiot I have lived in Vegas for two months before that I was what you would surely call a redneck cowboy.
Once a redneck, always a redneck, Billy Bud.
Lucky you, leaving the old farm to get a cultural education in Vegas. You should be proud. Planing to marry your cousin there?
Us "backwards 'Mericans" are not visiting your country and it is hurting your economy. You need our tourism dollars a lot more than we need your silly metal tower.
You Merkins are welcome in France anytime, like it or not. Beleive me, there are many here. btw, has it ever crossed your mind that many Merkins, regardless of their political views, want to visit Paris to educate themselves?
That "silly" metal tower you're refering to (and you're right, even Parisians viewed it as a monstrosity at the time) is a great engineering achievment, once the tallest structure in the world, built by the same engineer who made the structure of your "silly" Statue Of Liberty. The one in Vegas is less than half size in case you don't have a clue.
Her's a funny article showing that even UK diplomat are fed-up that UK's goevrnment follows BUSH like stupid!!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1309220,00.html
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You may post a link to an article. You may post a synopsis of the article. You may post an extract from the article. You may post a comment on the article. Or you are welcome to do some meaningful combination of all of the above.
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Jacques Chirac has proposed $50 billion in global taxes to pay for an international War on Poverty.
The $11 billion the French helped scam off the UN oil-for-food program might make a nice down payment on that project..don't ya think Frenchies? How ironic that the ever so compassionate French, who were literally stealing food from Iraqi babies with their oil-for-palaces scam deals with Saddam, are now pretending to be concerned with the 'less fortunate'
France = country of lying, arrogant, corrupt jackasses
We exalt in them.
"We"?
Not all Merkins are ignorant, fist-pumping, flag-waiving rednecks, Cannon.
You know maybe that's why I said "a half sized replica of a silly looking Frog metal tower," (And yes it is half sized.)
Re-read your post. OK, you're right for a change, my fault.
But I beleive you also mentioned the "World's largest pyramid"... pssst! There's an Aye-rab country called "Egypt", and a place called "Giza", where some old, funny-looking pointy thing was built like a long time ago... No roulette tables and tacky merchandise inside, but it's much bigger.
I also got sneered at for trying to speak in Frog (dredging up my two years of high school Frog) everytime I tried to make conversation and laughed at by a garcon while trying to make out a menu.
Doesn't mean he was laughing at you, but maybe he was. So you had a bad encounter. I was spoken to rather rudely by a New Yorker before, therefore all Merkins must be that way, eh?
Planing to marry your cousin there?
Zoomer's on fire lately
Actually I was wrong the luxor has the world's largest indoor atrium.
"The largest pyramid in the world is not in Egypt but in Cholulu de Rivadahia, Mexico. It is 177 feet tall and covers 25 acres. It was built sometime between 6 and 12 AD."
"Doesn't mean he was laughing at you, but maybe he was. So you had a bad encounter. I was spoken to rather rudely by a New Yorker before, therefore all Merkins must be that way, eh?"
If you will again read the post, I had *multiple* bad encounters while trying to speak Frog.
Not all Merkins are ignorant, fist-pumping, flag-waiving rednecks, Cannon.
We exalt in terms such as cowboy it is a part of our heritage, much like you all exalting in the image of cafe sitting, cigerette smoking, coffee drinking, cheese eating, striped shirt wearing, surrender monkeys. Let's see... rugged individual (average 'Merican) or passive sheep (average resident of Frogistan)... Hmmm which is a better self image? Thanks Alex, I'll take rugged individual for 2000.
"The largest pyramid in the world is not in Egypt but in Cholulu de Rivadahia, Mexico. It is 177 feet tall and covers 25 acres. It was built sometime between 6 and 12 AD."
Nice googling job, cannon. Well, you deserve a lollypop for that, except that the Cholulu ruin looks like a gigantic pile of dried shit, nothing more.
We exalt in terms such as cowboy it is a part of our heritage, much like you all exalting in the image of cafe sitting, cigerette smoking, coffee drinking, cheese eating, striped shirt wearing, surrender monkeys. Let's see... rugged individual (average 'Merican) or passive sheep (average resident of Frogistan)... Hmmm which is a better self image?
As you put it, if I had to choose between Clint Eastwood (very popular in France) and inspector Clouseau... btw, the cowboy "image" of America has always been widely popular in Europe.
Regarding French President Jacques Chirac and his “international tax” program from the previous link:
Their document suggests that a tax could be imposed on greenhouse gas emissions, as well as certain financial transactions, arms sales or multinational corporations. Other proposed approaches raise the possibility of taxes levied on ships transiting key maritime straits, airline tickets, credit card purchases and an international lottery.
Funny, I don’t see WINE or food products being mentioned in the tax. I would speculate that it was calculated VERY carefully to make sure that the USA would be main revenue producer in this tax. Also, OIL is not mentioned. Don’t tax the producer, just the consumer (greenhouse gas emissions from burning the oil). How convenient that the main products of France and the Middle East would not get taxed. Ummmmm.
The report says that ensuring all sub-Saharan African children go to school will cost $3bn over 10 years.
This would do no good until Islam changes its philosophy. Just sending the kids to school is not going to help if they are taught what Islam is teaching today. Any chance that Israel would show up on the maps of the school children?
As you put it, if I had to choose between Clint Eastwood (very popular in France) and inspector Clouseau... btw, the cowboy "image" of America has always been widely popular in Europe.
See zoomeridiot, you keep flurting with the Truth. Make the final leap of logic to embrace that you and you alone are responsible for your own life instead of relying on The Government and you will be much healthier, wealthier, and wise. (To quote a former US Ambassador to Frogistan.)
mr.andy:
don't mistake. wine and cheese are not our main export products. France would be a major contributor if financial transactions had to be taxed (for an international aid fund (i didn't say i think this idea is convenient -although some American Nobel prize winner put it forward many years ago)
This post was first intended as an answer to Val,Texas, but i thought it could be interesting for anyone planning to go to Paris one day - or even living there!
Here is a short personal list of places in Paris where you can eat -or have a drink- enjoying nice food, good hygiene (well, i mean that i tested them and didn't wake up the day after with some intestinal disease) and not-too-desastrous serving.
- Le Plomb du Cantal: boulevard Saint Denis, m°Strasbourg-Saint Denis. cheap (less than 15€), good specialities from Auvergne (yes, it includes a LOT of cheese), and very good waiters.
- L'Epicerie: at the very beginning of rue Montorgueil, m°Les Halles. French specialities and some more sophisticated dishes (eg. filet mignon au cassis) at affordable prices (less than 15€). Good staff there also.
- Little Italy: rue des Petits Carreaux, m°Sentier. for those who boycott french food and want to try good hand-made pasta and pizze for less than 10€ in a very nice street. (i know many other nice foreign restaurants in paris, but this list is intended to give you french food addresses!)
- Le Loup Blanc: rue Tiquetonne, m°Etienne Marcel. nice food, not so expensive (less than 20€) but a bit noisy.
- L'Epi Dupin: rue Dupin, m°Sevres-Babylone. quite more expensive than the others (25-35€), but this one is really great for food. it appears in all travel guides because of its quality/price ratio. worths it.
- Le Dôme du Marais: rue des Francs-Bourgeois, m°Rambuteau. if you can't go to the previous one, try this one which proposes quite the same quality of food -plus a fantastic layout.
- some places to have a drink: le Trucmush, near Bastille (don't remember the street), The Bombardier, on the left of le Pantheon, le Requin Chagrin place Mouffetard, and Le baron Rouge near place d'Aligre, to have a glass of red wine after a matinee at le marché
oh, and if you want to experience the WORST serving of paris, don't miss the café at the very beginning of rue Montorgueil, on the right side of the street. There, a waiter refused to give me a coffee, called me "squatteur de terrasse" and enjoined me to leave because i ordered the cheapest drink on the menu! :)
