I will be the first to admit that I believed the stereotypes. The French are lazy, they don’t work very much, they’re inefficient, they smoke like chimney’s, they drink excessively and complain more than they smile. Most of the stereotypes are true. It’s not that they’re lazy, they merely decide when they want to help you and when to be stubborn, haughty, elitists. Not the same thing.

 My professional experiences in France have shown me that they have a strong work ethic and work just as much as Americans, depending on the job. On the other hand, they take 25 smoke breaks during the course of a day so naturally that have to work until 10 pm to get everything done. I am all for having 5 weeks of vacation a year because it prevents burn outs and allows people to recharge and make the most of life. Regardless, the French are, overall, rather productive and efficient.

If we disregard the semi-frequent strikes, their public transportation system is by far more efficient than the London underground, SEPTA, or even the NY subway (in my experience, that is. I’m sure I’ll feel the wrath of real New Yorkers for that one).

I’m not going to go into a tirade about French genetics, their weight and their use of legal addictive stimulants to control it…. it’s been done before. This isn’t about that. This is about one of the illogical aspects of Parisian living that never ceases to baffle me.

I was on my way to work this morning during rush hour (9am) on the 63 bus. We were traveling along in the designated bus lane on Boulevard Saint-Germain when we were forced to stop abruptly for the putrid-smelling, neon green garbage truck and garbage men who were collecting trash. The bus route does not allow for passing and we were therefore stuck behind the truck, making stops every 20 feet for a good 2 kilometers. Now, maybe I shouldn’t complain, but this just seems illogical and impractical. Why would it be an appropriate time to collect trash during rush hour, when traffic is dense and people are likely to start complaining even earlier in the day than usual? I say, evening trash pick up must be unilaterally implemented in this city if for no other reason than to prevent new stereotypes about the French and their idiocy from forming.

Anyway, just a thought.

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