Brits ‘targeted’?

[BillyKontiki]

And I believe in la fée des dents ?

I didn’t understand them either but we had a great night.

 

[bladerunner]

Throughout Europe the past 18 months I’ve experienced no anti Brit or extra Brexit sentiment.

 

[OldCodger]

I didn’t understand them either but we had a great night.

It is a French way of saying “I don’t believe you” as we say “and I believe in the tooth fairy/Father Christmas/Unicorns/Honest MP’s”

 

[Gaston aires]

My experience too, over the last couple of days. Earlier on this year on the Paris periphique on bloke gestured aggressively. Maybe he didn’t like me being in his way.

Today on the Lyon periphique, nobody gestured anything. It was flooded to bits after a torrential downpour.
Phil

 

[OldCodger]

Throughout Europe the past 18 months I’ve experienced no anti Brit or extra Brexit sentiment.

Other than a few quizzical looks asking “Why?” I’d agreed with you.

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[Reallyretired]

Only time I came across any anti brexit sentiment was a Belgian with a moustache Poirot would have been proud of who was on a rant. I got the impression that his business had been adversely affected.

 

[maison]

Two fairly recent experiences with the French on Aires.

At Lion sur Mer the Camping car-park.com Aire barrier came down when we were halfway through, wedging between the rear of our motorhome and the bikes on our rack. We were stuck and, because it happened while we were moving, it bent the barrier and jammed its end into the rear panel of the m/h.

After we had extricated ourselves by removing the bikes a French lady in another m/h came across and handed us a written statement that she had seen what had happened, appending her name, telephone number and vehicle registration “just in case it was helpful.”

On another occasion, near Reims, a Frenchman waved us down after overtaking to tell us that tread was coming off a tyre on our trailer. He then led us into Reims, to a tyre depot, and helped explain what was needed in the way of a replacement.

Neither of them were asked to do anything, they simply acted because they were nice, helpful people who thought it the right thing to do.

We have always found the French to be very helpful and pleasant. It may simply be that some Brits rub them up the wrong way by their own attitude.

 

[Googlebot]

Worldwide I have always found if you treat people like crap, they react in kind.

Never had nothing but friendliness and hospitality in France.

 

[DT]

Pre Brexit was taking a photograph of the Eiffel Tower and my wife when two lads in a scooter slowed behind me and spat all over my back, that memory and having to deal with their Workers Council always send shivers down my spine. Paris, New York done that never want to return.

 

[DDJC]

Gassed? Oh no, more gassing stories from the continent, is it? The bloke in the club's wife's hairdressers BFF, had an uncle who knew someone who was in a pub, listening to someone whose mate's daughter thought she had been gassed on a French Aire.


(PS, as we all know, it's utter bull. Most gas that could harm you is heavier then air and your van is so leaky that it will simply seep out the bottom. Also, administering asphyxiating/toxic gas is so incredibly dangerous, that many more people who have been rendered 'unconscious' by 'gassing', would actually be very dead. No little motorhome robbing scumbag after some drugs money, is going to risk murder. Most likely someone robbed them when they were passed out from the booze.)

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[chaser]

I have had that happen to me when I drove a van round Birmingham but luckily my side window was locked.

Pre Brexit was taking a photograph of the Eiffel Tower and my wife when two lads in a scooter slowed behind me and spat all over my back, that memory and having to deal with their Workers Council always send shivers down my spine. Paris, New York done that never want to return.

 

[gus-lopez]

Most gas that could harm you is heavier then air and your van is so leaky that it will simply seep out the bottom.

Mine unfortunately isn't leaky .If it was I wouldn't have had to cut a hole in the side so that the maxxfan can work on auto without burning out

No little motorhome robbing scumbag after some drugs money, is going to risk murder.

They have not even got the sense to think of that. It would never occur to them.

I have had that happen to me when I drove a van round Birmingham but luckily my side window was locked.

It never fails to amaze me how people in extremely vulnerable positions think they will get away with it? I've also had it whilst driving, I just knocked them off ,got out & put the Timpson in.

 

[chaser]

I have had that happen to me when I drove a van round Birmingham but luckily my side window was locked.

Mine unfortunately isn't leaky .If it was I wouldn't have had to cut a hole in the side so that the maxxfan can work on auto without burning out

They have not even got the sense to think of that. It would never occur to them.

It never fails to amaze me how people in extremely vulnerable positions think they will get away with it? I've also had it whilst driving, I just knocked them off ,got out & put the Timpson in.

No kidding I used to drive an electrical wholesalers van in various places in Birmingham and it was signwritten , I am not allowed to say who but they would come and try the doors while waiting at lights and as they were always locked they would come and kick the doors and spit up the windows.
To me comeing out of uttoxeter I had never seen anything like it and certainly not in France.

 

[marpool]

We have been in France now for over 2 weeks using aires along the Loire and down the west coast as far as Blaye. No issues at all with all the people we encounter from all nationalities.

James

 

[Reallyretired]

I think Parisiens, like Londoners are not representative of their countrymen.
I was roundly abused by some stranger in Paris (my French wasn't up to what he actually said but it was obviously insultiing). I was also propositioned by a lady of the afternoon while walking in Montmartre with my wife of the time.

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[Googlebot]

No kidding I used to drive an electrical wholesalers van in various places in Birmingham and it was signwritten , I am not allowed to say who but they would come and try the doors while waiting at lights and as they were always locked they would come and kick the doors and spit up the windows.
To me comeing out of uttoxeter I had never seen anything like it and certainly not in France.

I find that amazing, honestly.

Worked the worst areas of Brum for years and only a few times have I feared for my life. One of them was treating a young lad for a stab wound to the chest. I was on my own and he was literally dying in front of me. His friends made it clear I would join him if that happened..

On a brighter note, that’s rare and certainly never had a lowlife try to get in the car or truck.

 

[Widge]

I think you have to look for the common factor, a large number of unrelated french or one woman!

 

[DDJC]

I think you have to look for the common factor, a large number of unrelated french or one woman!

Don't understand this

 

[chaser]

I find that amazing, honestly.

Worked the worst areas of Brum for years and only a few times have I feared for my life. One of them was treating a young lad for a stab wound to the chest. I was on my own and he was literally dying in front of me. His friends made it clear I would join him if that happened..

On a brighter note, that’s rare and certainly never had a lowlife try to get in the car or truck.

I know this is not strictly Birmingham and actually nothing to do with the op but just a little story, I was once doing a pick up in Wednesbury ,I was backed in the place just off the road, with the doors open as I was going in and out fetching stuff and putting it in the van, anyway I was coming out with some more stuff to put in the van and it wasn't there, I looked up and it was off down the road with the back doors still open, never to be seen again.

 

[vzac]

We owned a property in France a short while back and in over 5 yrs there, we only came across one french left wing national, who could speak perfect English but refused, and had to speak in french only to him. He was a legal person and confused US's with such technical language we told him to shove it and went to another notaire, who was more amenable to us French speaking amateurs. I suspect it was her attitude that caused her feelings towards the French. The French imo are generally quite reserved at 1st but once you get to know them and try to understand and accept there cultural way they are very helpful and great people ( apart from possibly macron). Take no notice of gossip and make your own mind up, not someone else's
Have a great stay in France.

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[The Wino]

We owned a property in France a short while back and in over 5 yrs there, we only came across one french left wing national, who could speak perfect English but refused, and had to speak in french only to him. He was a legal person and confused US's with such technical language we told him to shove it and went to another notaire, who was more amenable to us French speaking amateurs. I suspect it was her attitude that caused her feelings towards the French. The French imo are generally quite reserved at 1st but once you get to know them and try to understand and accept there cultural way they are very helpful and great people ( apart from possibly macron). Take no notice of gossip and make your own mind up, not someone else's
Have a great stay in France.

We had one caretaker in an apartment we rented once who was also some sort of right wing anti foreigner and discussed with his friend how bad the English were he was a little surprised when we replied to him in French. All countries have idiots I don't think there are any more in other countries than here.

 

[Widge]

Don't understand this

The original poster was saying that a woman said that they were being targeted by the french, I was just pointing out that maybe the common factor was the woman not the french, and that maybe they would find the same from the inhabitants of whatever country she or they were in.

We had some french friends that moved here about the same time as us, they moved from the haut provance, becouse everything and everyone was so horrible there, after about 6 years they were desperately wanting to move from here for the same reasons, eventualy moved further north, everything was wonderful, again after 6 years they have moved back to this area again for the same reasons. We avoid them these days.

 

[ivorantony]

Stayed on a Spanish aire that had a very steep exit upto the main road, truthfully only suitable for smaller vans and not 4 tonne A class, managed to get in on the second attempt and not looking forward to getting out,
next day a French lady with a smaller A class managed to get in and though she spoke no English, when I gesture about the steepness of the entrance her responding gesture was so descriptive it didn’t need any language,
using her hand and fingers describing what your bum does when you are extremely tense,
when we were going the next day she walked up the hill to the main road with my wife and stopped the traffic otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to restart on the steepest section before the main road,
she was just a lovely caring French woman that wanted to help, we were extremely grateful for her assistance,