Comments for PC and Pigeon Holes at http://www.rivierareporter.com , comment 1 to 42 out of 20 comments http://www.rivierareporter.com Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:08:12 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-333 I agree about the naivete of Americans. When you consider that 80% don't own a passport, and thus travel only to nearby places such as Mexico, the Caribbean, and Canada, where there is free access (This will soon change, thanks to FEMA and the Patriot Act). Many of the folks who do travel take cocooned sea cruises that ensure they'll not be contaminated by alien cuisine or contact with unsavory foreigners. Actually, they're more xenophobic than naive. It's a symptom of the U.S. headlong plunge a from pinnacle of power it once enjoyed to a position of grovelling servitude to the rising tide of Sovereign Wealth States who now, with their obscene riches, call the shots..BB - Bbethany7 Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:36:48 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-327 A Reuter's IHT report in 2007 said: "The French dislike themselves even more than the Americans dislike them, according to an opinion poll published on Friday. The survey of six nations, carried out for the International Herald Tribune daily and France 24 TV station, said 44 percent of French people thought badly of themselves against 38 percent of U.S. respondents who had a negative view of the French....." - Hollander Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:28:28 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-323 "This 'bleached blonde 60 year anorexic old tart in a miniskirt' you talk of....I wonder if this is the very same one that tore up my work contract in a fit of rage" Mine would be about 75 by now, but it might her sister! Or they are all cast in the same mould. On the topic of women - and I really am not misogynistic - did you know that there is a local saying .... If a viper bites a man, the man dies. If a viper bites a woman, the snake dies. - Mike P Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:25:15 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-319 On the whole I have no problem with the French, and I mix with them far more than with fellow ex-pats. But life isn't without some problems so there is one from time to time, here like everywhere else. But this reference to French women is interesting. I'd never thought about it before, but the few problems I have had were always with women. I can't think of a single one with a man. So it's not France that's the issue, it's this part of France. And it's not French people the problem, it's French women. The solution seems simple. If you choose to stay in France, choose a different part of it and bring your own woman! - Walgren Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:03:49 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-317 At the moment, we havent communicated to the Agency that we are leaving...due to the fact they are currently on vacation. Our relationship with the agency is currently terrible though...we had a fall out over who should pick up the bill for a fumigation for cockroaches....and also huge fall out when our hot water was off for a week. If they don't return our deposit on the day we leave....I don't really have much of a follow up, I'll be on the other side of the world and it wouldn't be worth flying over to confront them. I guess I can only speak to them when they return from their vacation and attempt to negotiate a plan that works for everybody. Given our current relationship though, I could see it turning nasty. This 'bleached blonde 60 year anorexic old tart in a miniskirt' you talk of....I wonder if this is the very same one that tore up my work contract in a fit of rage because I couldn't give her 4000€ in cash when we first went to rent a place in Nice? ' - Shortia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:37:08 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-316 There are honest landlords. Whether or not yours falls into that category only time will tell and it may then be too late, but the likelihood is low. I once rented from an honest landlord but the estate agents were crooks and tried to rip both of us off, they went ballistic when I told them I'd already contacted him direct and sorted everything out, because their little scam was outed. I'll never forget how this bleached blonde 60 year anorexic old tart in a miniskirt stood in the estate agency in Valbonne screeeching at me with her hands on her hips like a fishwife. Apparently many people withold the last two months rent to offset the deposit, which is technically illegal. Has your owner actually promised to return your deposit on the day of the etat de lieu? It does happen but it is most unusual, they usually keep their greedy claws on your money until the last possible moment. And then if he's made a promise and dcoesnt honour it, what is your mechanism for following up? I would suggest that you appoint someone to act on your behalf to ensure the return of your deposit, preferably a lawyer or someone well versed in the ways of these evil people. - Mike P Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:07:52 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-314 I guess I feel reassured that some people here can see my view here. I've been told by lots of my french colleagues that the Cote d'Azur isn't really France, many from Paris, Nantes, Rennes etc etc telling me that the people here are actually vile. So, I'm drawing the conclusion that it IS this region thats the problem. I find it interesting what Mike P says about landlords. I'm in a position where I'm leaving at the end of October to go live in South America for a while. I was considering to withold my last 2 months rent given the problems that we had at our last place and also for the fact that we plan to leave France pretty much the next day after we hand in the keys. I know, that by law, the landlord has 2 months to return the rent....thats not an option for me....I'll be 10,000 miles away, relying on a french(cote d'azur) landlord returning 2000€ to me. I know for a fact that the apartment is in exactly the same condition as when I moved in....actually, we improved its condition, but thats irrelevant when it comes to these people handing over money that they've probably already spent. What would you guys do in this situation? withhold the rent...or trust the landlord to return the money on the day of the Etat d'Leui (sp?) - Shortia Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:28:27 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-313 I came to live in France some years ago. I was one of those who did "go home" and moved back to England after a short while as I couldn't stomach the attitude of the French in general which I found to be condescending and antagonsitic in services dealing with the public. As for individuals, at the time I was single and was told that I'd never be invited to dinner or other parties as I'd be seen as a threat to married couples. I may well have been unlucky with my then neighbours, but I also found the French here to be boring and without a sense of humour. I can't even say I came across any Brits here at the time that I particularly liked. I felt isolated in so many ways, mainly due to what I perceived as being the French character. I nevertheless return to France several times a year as I kept my villa here and as I still enjoy many aspects of the area. In the meantime, I tend to now keep very much more to myself and my husband when here, and I've learnt to try to ignore the worse sides of things and enjoy the better ones. Now that I come to think of it, Mike P's right, in my experience it's the women who are worse and it's not a case of misogyny on my part as I'm a woman myself. It also seems that the nearer to the coast one gets, the worse it is. Whether it's in shops, behind a desk or even nurses in hospitals, the women seem more gruff and contemptuous. I've made some great friends with French men, one of whom regrettably has an unbearable French wife. The others seem to be single or divorced.... I too have heard that the French from the rest of France claim that the Cote d'Azur isn't really France. As for the driving, a big resounding "yes, I agree"! Tail-gating, impatience, excessive speeding, endless weaving on motorways, cutting corners and so on. Indicators seem to a non-existent tool to many French drivers. I too have found that it's improved a bit recently, perhaps due to the tighter controls on drivers these days? For me, I consider I now have the best of both worlds, having my base in England but returning here periodically. I appreciate though that not everybody can, or can afford to, do this for a variety of reasons. - Twinkle Toes Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:16:25 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-312 I wasn't at all planning to weigh in again on this subject but just this once I will. (Only this once -- I won't be back on this.) MikeP and Ghost Girl have both hit the nail squarely on the head = The Riviera is not really like the rest of France. All you have to do is drive a few miles back into the Alps and it's a whole different story. That is why the discussion should not be about the French, but about a generally unsatisfactory attitude -- especially towards visitors -- here on the Côte d'Azur. By the way I've found some pretty questionable attitudes in other parts of the world where tourists go en masse (but there are exceptions). Which is no excuse for some of the things that go on here. I have experienced some of the worst behaviour imaginable in France... and in England... and in Italy... and in Greece. I've also experienced some of the kindest and most altruistic behaviour imaginable in France... and in England... and in Italy... and in Greece. The problem with these sorts of subjects is that it inevitably involves cherry-picking and gut reactions based upon good or bad personal experience. Human nature is such that the bad always carries more weight. Those of us who need resident expats in order to stay in business know that there are an awful lot of them who remain here by choice and who do have other acceptable options. They are usually educated travellers and often do travel back to their home countries -- UK, Australia, Canada -- so they know what the other options are all about. Yet they choose to stay here and in considerable numbers. Can these tens of thousands of people all be "wrong"? The fact is that they've made comparisons and an informed personal choice. Like I said in the voting subject -- it's a question of the lesser evil... and of personal disposition. MikeM - Mike Meade Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:40:24 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-310 (Part 2) Behind their smiles, handshakes, and 'bise' ('air kiss'), these are some of the coldest, meanest, falsest, and most materialistic and mercenary people I have had the misfortune to encounter in 30 years living in 5 countries on two continents, and travelling extensively in others. Other nations have a reputation, often undeserved, for being cold or 'stand-offish', but there you know what to expect. What you see is what you get. Here, behind the superficial smile and the limp dead-fish automatic reflex action handshake, or the ubiqitious and meaningless 'bise', lurks an ice-cold heart and a calculating mind. The smiles vanish like the morning dew in the sun once the bill is presented. The locals complain about people who holiday here bringing everything with them, but the reality is that they have become the victims of their own rapacious greed. Not only are prices pitched higher in this part of France (and France has one of the highest direct and indirect taxation levels in Europe) than elsewhere, but they are raised in the summer for the unsuspecting tourist. Mysterious unpublished supplements appear. I have heard of surcharges added to a cafe bill 'because you are sitting outside'. The next day, the same amount was added 'because you are sitting inside'. Dishonesty is rife amongst landlords - it is rare for anybody to have their deposit returned on rented accommodation. Fictitious bills for major repairs or cleaning are produced by grasping landlords to justify the retention of deposits. The estate agents are always on the side of the exploiter - indeed are themselves exploiters. The one I rented my house through charged a monthly 'frais d'envoi' to send the rental statement - a trifling amount but typical of the all-pervading greed. Then there's the driving. It has admittedly improved since I've been here, or have I perhaps just become inured to it? 'Au volant', the local arrogance and stupidity is seen at its worst. Total disregard for consideration and common sense seems to be the only rule of the road. Blatantly unroadworthy vehicles are driven with reckless abandon, without lights at night, without indicators, and without the most important attribute of all, courtesy. There must be some demon in the local drivers which forces them to sit as if magnetically attached to your rear bumper for miles on a straight clear stretch of road, waiting for a twisting stretch, a blind bend, or oncoming traffic (or ideally a combination of all these), until they overtake. It's usually a white Renault Clio with a testosterone fuelled youth or an anorexic peroxide blonde with a cigarette in her puckered mouth and a cellphone clamped to her ear. Whilst I will undoubtedly be accused of misogyny in saying this, by far the very worst people I've met in France have been women, and even an English female friend of mine, who owns a flat here and is as much of a Francophile as I am not, agrees with this after several brushes with the locals. Now if anyone has bothered to read this through, they'll be reaching for their keyboards and about to type out one of the two famous phrases : "If you don't like it here why don't you go home then?", or : "Why are you still here?" I am not obliged to answer those questions but very briefly I will. My home country is no longer a good option due to changes that have taken place there, and living in the UK with the petty rules and regulations and the growing crime rate, and seeing the country ruined by uncontrolled immigration, is not really for me. Life is about alternatives and before getting rid of something, one has to have something of value to replace it (an old Kikuyu proverb). For the time being, and specially now that I no longer have to go out and do battle on a daily basis with the locals on the roads and in the workplace here, it's not so bad. I've paid a lot of money into the system here over the years, I think that gives me the right to criticise. I can be, and am, selective about whom I mix with and where I go, and as I sit and watch the sun on the Esterel mountains, it's not all bad here. It certainly beats seeing the rain pissing down onto a grey car park in Crawley or Swindon, not that I would be doing that even if I lived in the UK, but I do count myself infinitely more fortunate than so many whose lives are bounded by traffic jams, mortgage increases, and the latest televised trash. - Mike P Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:10:18 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-309 (Part 1) Where do I come in on this one, which I've followed for a while now? I suppose on balance I'm a lot closer to Shortia's views than many of the others. I don't mince my words but I do try to be objective. First of all I think 'inhumane' is not the appropriate word to use in the context, unless, as someone else said, we are talking about the way the French abuse small animals which they then eat. That is an obscenity and one which should be stopped. Let us not forget though that in Spain bulls are still ritually tortured and killed in front of bloodthirsty spectators, so France does not have sole rights on animal cruelty. To call a nation inhumane when it has one of the best (and admittedly most costly) social security systems in the world is also not defensible. Some of the most obnoxious, despicable, two-faced lowlife lying scum I have ever met in my life have been French. And some have been other nationalities, one who comes to mind is Argentinian, so whilst it is unfair to generalise, it is nonetheless true that stereotypes are based on, and usually conform to, reality. Some of the finest and most honourable, decent, and trustworthy people I have met in my entire life have been French too, from the Cote D'Azur. And one was Argentinian ....! The Cote D'Azur is a special case, and its people are viewed as such by the French from other areas. How often have I heard : "Ils sont specials, les gens de la bas". I remember a Marseille taxi driver who took me to a Consulate, when I told him where I lived, telling me : "Il n'y a que des vieux cons, des putes, et des voleurs la bas." He then invited me for lunch and took me back to the Consulate afterwards to pick up my visa and back to the railway station - taxi meter off! When I first came here I thought the locals were xenophobic, it took me a while to realise that many of them rip off and despise each other as much as they despise foreigners. There seems to be a higher proportion of evil people in this area than in most other places, but I guess that's a result of the perceived wealth of many of us foreigners, and there's also an element of jealousy. - Mike P Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:09:32 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-292 megabyte....I'm 100% serious. Perhaps I have been unlucky in this regard. A couple of weeks ago, the guy in Nicolas wine shop in Nice thanked me for his custom when I bought some wine. My wife and I were actually stunned that a shopkeeper was so courteous. We go and buy from him when we need some reassurance of humanity in this region. - Shortia Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:45:20 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-288 I find it difficult to believe Shortia's or anyone else's encounters with every single French person on the Riviera have ALL been bad. Surely you've met some nice kind, considerate or thoughtful French people here? Are you really saying that the majority of French people you've come across are "inhumane"? If so, then I can only imagine you've been incredibly and most rarely unlucky. My dictionary defines "inhumane" as "lacking compassion and causing excessive suffering". I get moments when I moan about the rude, pompous or arrogant people in shops or other services here, but I'd hardly refer to them as "inhumane" let alone causing me excessive suffering. No country is 100% perfect in all respects and one takes the good with the bad. By contrast, I've come across many French people who are nice, pleasant, helpful people. I guess it depends on where one's priorities lie... As for compassion and helpfulness, my elderly (English) aunt recently fell in the road near to her home. She couldn't get up on her own and there was no-one about. A young scruffy French man on a bike drove by, stopped, helped her up and then helped take her home. Hardly "inhumane"! Same as GhostGirl, to me the person who walks by and, worse, laughs about it could be considered to be the "inhumane" person. Would any caring person walk by an injured dog and laugh about it? I don't see what's amusing about being injured. Nor do I think it's right to generalise and tar the majority when it's only a minority that might have a gruff attitude. - megabyte Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:21:19 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-286 This is a place to debate ideas in a civilised manner, not to exchange insults. Please keep your language and tone within more reasonable limits. If I see any more insulting or nasty contributions I'll zap them without a word of explanation or excuse. That will leave the field open only to those who express themselves in a more civilised manner. It applies to both side of the question and I am the sole judge. Admin (aka God) - Mike Meade Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:13:43 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-285 Yeah, well I've had some worse experiences in all sorts of places than I've ever had in France. Even been mugged in London but never in France. Try Naples if you want to see vandalism, street crime and dirty streets. But I can tell Guido that it hasn't put me off Italians or Italy. Ciao! Keep crying "inhumane" Shortia. You're convincing no one but yourself. People have eyes and ears and don't need a bigot to form their opinions for them. - Walgren Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:53:59 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-284 oh...and Jack....I couldn't see if he was black or not, he had a helmet on. He had trousers on too, so I couldn't really see if he was jewish or not. Maybe I am racist, I'll need to go home and divorce my wife now. - Shortia Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:27:10 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-283 haha...I guess Ghost Girl, The Cote d'Azur toughens you up. People in this part of the world I find to be crazy. I had an incident last week in a newsagent, the women was freaking out at me for paying for a newspaper at 3.75€ with a 20€ note. She claimed I was purposely trying to just get her change. I purposely just wanted to read a newspaper on my way to work!!...as a result I took my money back off her and went to another newsagent, silly people. Or the time an estate agent(Century 21, Rude de la Buffa, Nice) ripped up my work contract for not being able to give her 4 months rent in cash (that was my second day in Nice...nice beginning) The streets in Nice are always full of dog crap too, what sort of people just let their dogs crap all over the city? ...or the time I seen a french man having a crap himself in the fountain at Jardin Albert. 'inhumane'. - Shortia Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:23:48 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-282 Hello, Guido - nice to meet you! I agree with you: there is good and bad in every country and just because one or two people on this forum have said negative things about the French, please don't think that all English-speaking expats feel the same way. I've lived in several different regions of France and would admit that the local people were friendlier and more approachable in some places than others. Realistically, one cannot base one's opinion of an entire nation on the behaviour of the people encountered in a single region. That would be like saying we dislike the British because we once spent a few months living in Slough and didn't like the people we met there. Or that we hate Americans because we once lived in New York and found the people loud and pushy. No offence to people from Slough and New York, I'm just using these examples to illustrate how wrong it is to categorise an entire nation, based on the people encountered in one region. The Cote d'Azur is a hotchpotch of many different nationalities, origins and influences. It does not give a typical example of France or the French and the person who serves us in a boulangerie on the French Riviera is just as likely to be of Portugese, Italian or North African origin as they are French. Ditto, the minor officials who administrate the region. So perhaps le Baron and Shortia would be more correct in saying that they find the people on the Cote d'Azur "inhumane", although I still think that adjective is unnecessarily harsh. I might, however, be inclined to use that adjective to describe someone who did not come to the aid of an injured person - now THAT, to my mind, could have been described as "inhumane". - Ghost Girl Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:43:08 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-281 There are better ways to "make a point". And that applies to you as well, "Jack". - Walgren Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:01:12 +0100 http://www.rivierareporter.com/component/option,com_myblog/show,PC-and-Pigeon-Holes.html/Itemid,157/#comment-280 Yes Walgren.....but if your Auntie had a penis she would be your Uncle. You're talking complete twaddle I'm afraid, I think Shortia is more making a point that he's not really interested in helping French people probably due to the lack of help on the whole that he's received.....and he probably more xenophobic than racist. You should think about what you're saying before you type. Incidently Shortia, was the kid that crashed the moped black or jewish? - Jack Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:48:48 +0100