Not that crazy but I’d never seen anything like it before.
Over 15 years ago, I was standing in a very long line at St. Basil’s in Moscow. A small pack of tourists (half a dozen or so) started to “sneak” their way into cutting in line. About 30 French people in a tour group immediately started scolding them in loud unison. They shamed them into taking their place at the end of the line. It was such an automatic and united scolding. Highly entertaining.
A fellow traveler, far more experienced than I am, said that the French are known for doing that sort of thing.
France is south to the Germans, Swedes etc but north to Italians, Greeks etc. So there are both people trying to cut in line (it can be any one, an old lady or a young person), but then other people fight them back with loud “oh you are in a hurry?!!”, “Oh, we just stand here, not queueing at all!!”, or the “Heey! / Eeh!”
Well, the northen france is on pair with southern germany, but the idea here is the north/south differences, where in the north people are on time and follow rules, in the south not so much.
Curiously one of the only times I’ve seen a tourist trying to cut in line they were french, and tried to pretend they didn’t spoke English (at the exit of the Harry Potter studio tour).
That’s odd I’ve almost exclusively heard this said about Americans, British, and Chinese tourists. Though I have heard that the French will take you to task if you treat their home like it’s some amusement park, which seems fair?
Not that crazy but I’d never seen anything like it before.
Over 15 years ago, I was standing in a very long line at St. Basil’s in Moscow. A small pack of tourists (half a dozen or so) started to “sneak” their way into cutting in line. About 30 French people in a tour group immediately started scolding them in loud unison. They shamed them into taking their place at the end of the line. It was such an automatic and united scolding. Highly entertaining.
A fellow traveler, far more experienced than I am, said that the French are known for doing that sort of thing.
France is south to the Germans, Swedes etc but north to Italians, Greeks etc. So there are both people trying to cut in line (it can be any one, an old lady or a young person), but then other people fight them back with loud “oh you are in a hurry?!!”, “Oh, we just stand here, not queueing at all!!”, or the “Heey! / Eeh!”
Sort of some urban training it feels like.
France is west of Germany, mein Freund.
Das is richtig mein freund!
Well, the northen france is on pair with southern germany, but the idea here is the north/south differences, where in the north people are on time and follow rules, in the south not so much.
You say germans are not on time?
Das ist nicht sehr höflich.
Germans: arrive 20 minutes early because “you never know”
The thing I was trying to convey was, Germans and Swedes follow the rules religiously, south europe not so much.
Curiously one of the only times I’ve seen a tourist trying to cut in line they were french, and tried to pretend they didn’t spoke English (at the exit of the Harry Potter studio tour).
Usually French tourists are among the worst behaved, so that’s kinda weird
That’s odd I’ve almost exclusively heard this said about Americans, British, and Chinese tourists. Though I have heard that the French will take you to task if you treat their home like it’s some amusement park, which seems fair?
Yeah but if they’re tourists they’re not at home, by definition.
I’m basing my comment on my experience with them here in Italy