Quote:
Originally Posted by speeder
... I went to France hoping to meet some of the proto-typical rude frogs, but they never really materialized. I was looking forward to some good old-fashioned monkey-slapping, but everyone was pretty cool. It was right after 9/11, though. Might be different now.
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I have to say, despite the jokes we like to make about the French, that my experiences of them have been very positive. This little story is a good example;
I took a road trip with a few friends to Le Mans in 1995. We had a good collection of cars on the trip all with British plates, including my Renault Alpine GTA V6. As could be expected really my Renault took the oportunity to split a water hose and dump the entire contents of it's cooling system on the road about a mile from the circuit. Almost as soon as I stopped an lifted the engine cover there was a Frenchman stopped next to me with the window down asking if I needed any help. After I tried to explain the problem to him in what was probably very bad French, he opened up the back of his car and took out all the bottled water he had just been to buy from the supermarket and asked if I wanted to use it in the car. I did offer to pay him for it but he just waved it off and said no trouble. Needless to say the water fell out the bottom as quick as I could pour it in the top, but that guy was so helpful. Maybe it was the Englishman driving a French car that helped with the generosity, but I was thoroughly impressed.
Incidentally, I ended up having to take half of my engine apart in Le Mans campground to replace one stupid little water hose. Fortunately in the town of Le Mans is a very large Renault dealer - it would probably have taken a week to get that part back home!