What are the "down sides" to Paris?

[andi]

I have 2 things to comment on, firstly I don't recall seeing any little green rolls in the road or the little green men and secondly, I don't remember seeing any dog poop either! This may be because I was walking with my head held high, very excited, awestruck and proud to be in Paris! Possibly my jaw was dropping to the floor (therefore clearing the path in front of me) Either of these, or my glasses need changing.......I definately was NOT walking around with my eyes shut!

[geordy]

I've never noticed that much dog poop either. But have heard many complaints of it in varoius venues and jokes about it...like in Robert Altman's "Pret a Porter" movie all the many characters were slipping on it regularly!

Maybe after all these years in NYC I just watch where I walk subconsciously! Folks here are prettty good about picking up but there are exceptions.

And lest we forget there are green women too!

[Anne]

Thank you for your explanations Gitte, but I still can't figure these rags . Now, if I were allowed to have a look at those "highly artistic photos" that you are going to take "exclusively for Andi" ( ), I guess that would help ...

As for the poohs, yes they are a problem, especially when you have small children crawling on the floor back at home . We actually got used to wearing slippers at home (not very classy I am afraid ) when our kids were toddlers just for that reason . As I said, this is less of a problem in Paris than in other places in France, and things are slowly improving everywhere as people are getting used to bringing their dogs in the gutter (they can be fined if they don't, although I think that this is a very theoretical threat in most places :, but there is still a loooong way to go .

[geordy]

Can't resist...

a joke...Kindergarten teacher is trying to get her pupils to use "grown up words". She asks what they did over the weekend. Jane says she went to see her Nana...teacher says No, you went to see your Grandmother. Billy says he went on a Choo Choo..teacher says No, use grown up words..you went on a train. Then it is Tommy's turn. He says he read a book. Teacher says That's great..which book? Tommy thinks real hard ...and says Winnie the s**t!!

Had to modify as it won't let me say the real word..it came out as nuts which of course ruins the joke!!

[Jody]

Good one, geordy!

[andi]

Anne, I will side with you ......you can say the word Poo!
Gitte, this is a common word in the UK mostly used by children or, adults when children are around . The spelling was Anne's only error (which can be excused, as she does a marvelous job of translation) Poo and not Pooh (as in the bear)

And thank you Gitte for the LGM! ;D

[Anne]

Thank you for your support Andi

[suzanne]

I loved the joke. I think the dog poo is geting better than it was 10 years ago but is is still bad in some places. I think the most annoying thing for me is the public urination. I suppose I've led a sheltered life, but it shocked me the first time I witnessed it and unlike the dogs I can't quite get used to it.

[Shoesy]

Hmmm....I didn't notice any dog poop or people peeing in public when I was in Paris. I don't remember seeing any green men either. I'm starting to wonder if I was ever in Paris. I guess I'll have to be a lot more observant next time I'm there.

[suzanne]

I never saw men peeing in public until we stayed near Rue Montorguiel. Then suddenly I saw them everywhere. Not really. The green men are out eary in the morning. When I have jet lag and wander around at 5 Am I've seen losts of them. The most doggy poo I've come across was in the park Champs De Mars. It was still fun to sit and watch the cute dogs frolicking.

[Jody]

I've not seem that much poop either and missed street peeing.However some of the men's rooms and port a potties could use bigger doors!!

Shoesy, you have to get up really early to see the LGM most of the time.

I take that back. I did see a young girl squatting down and peeing right on the rue de Seine, in front of that fancy cheese shop! She must have been pissed out of her mind!

[cybee]

Ah, Shoesy! Don't worry.....there is just so much to see in Paris. Actually, I never saw dog "poo" either (when training my children, the term I used was "poo-poo"! ) and I had been warned about the abundance of dog "poo" on sidewalks, etc. ..but none was to be found (not that I was searching with zeal for such!)! I did spy the cute dogs though! Also I did note the green men whom I could hear in the early a.m. starting their cleaning duties and see them on our earlier morning jaunts! As it never rained during my stay (albeit a short bit during my visit at the Musee d'Art moderne (Bonnard exhibit/ ergo my avatar)), I also never saw the little rain/runoff routing rags..but now I will understand their purpose if I do see them!

[joan1]

My Paris downside is definately the bathroom issue. I need bathrooms often, and even I am not willing to sit down in a cafe every hour or two,, but finding a public washroom is harder then it needs to be, no wonder the men pee in the street, lucky them!( ok, just kidding, but really what is a bum or homeless person to do??)

I do not notice much dog do do . I suppose I saw some, but no more then one would expect in a big city.

Anne, here it is very very common to remove your shoes when you are in your home, or when you enter others. In fact it was only a few years ago on another board that I learned that in many places people would be offended to remove their shoes, here it is only polite to offer if you are a guest.
I suppose it is our more casual outdoorsy culture , plus who would wear wet boots or runners into their own living room!!??

[joan1]

Just thought of another downside,.

Have yet to stay in a Paris hotel that has a decent hairdryer.. LOL I mean it, they are uniformily crappola.

[amy321]

My one downside: No doggie bags! If you can't finish something delicious that you've ordered at a restaurant, you're out of luck.

[Shoesy]

Gitte - I remember the days (very long ago, mind you) when a doggy bag was actually meant for a doggy. My "brother" Pepper always got leftovers when we dined out, especially since in those days I was such a lousy eater, and I never finished my meal. But as I said before, those days are long gone.

[amy321]

Oui, Gitte, I'm fully aware that doggie bags are a terrible faux pas--that's why I added it to the list. Maybe it's an American thing to feel bad about having to either 1) throw out perfectly good food or 2) stuff it in your mouth even though you've had enough to eat. Here in the US, many restaurant portions are HUGE and weight-loss experts attribute the obesity problem to eating portions that are much too large. In fact, many nutritionists advise people to take half of their meal home in a doggie bag as a weight-loss strategy. I was a little surprised that in Paris sometimes the portion sizes are larger than expected as I actually prefer smaller portions.

[susanb]

Andi, My grandmother was from Italy and anything that came from any behind was called ka-kah.
I've used those words since I can remember and so does everyone else in our family and all other Italians that I know of.
Susan

ADD: And any time that I'm mad I say either crappala or ka-kah

[Jody]

Amy, I quite agree. The portions in France seem to be getting larger and larger. Either that or I can't eat as much as I used to. I'm hard pressed to finish 3 courses anymore.

[amy321]

Yeah, Demarais, what's up with that? Here in the US we've always been warned about "European sized portions" and that we'd have to have several courses to feel sated. On the other hand, I've read several of Peter Mayles' Provence books and he often talks about being painfully full after French meals. Maybe the "European sized portion" is just a myth!