MikeFairbanks
100 kW
I’m 50 and I’ve never left North America.
Until last week. My wife got a great deal for a four-day stay last weekend in Paris, and away we went.
We stayed near the Louvre, and luckily it was off-season in the city. I guess all the Americans were back home. Lucky us, because I had zero interest in being around other Americans.
I’ll get to the e-bike part in a minute.
The first thing that struck me was how polite the French are, which is quite the opposite from what people often say. But I figured they would be polite because their culture is a lot more mature than ours (especially these last couple years). I wouldn’t be surprised if many Americans think the French are rude because most Americans are actually rude. The few Americans I did see looked out of place, which means they didn’t do their research or bring their manners.
The three things I learned about a successful visit to Paris:
1. Dress like they do. Put in the effort. It’s not to try to fit in or fake it so much as it is a sign of respect. You’re in their home as a guest. Dress nicely.
2. Always greet them in their language. A simple bonjour.
3. Ask (in your language or theirs) if they speak English. Don’t speak on English after saying bonjour. Ask first.
I learned that these three simple tips is all it takes.
The French are absolutely wonderful people.
THE BIKES:
The Velib Mobile app was a bit tricky at first, and the rental bikes are mostly used by tourists, but the French use them too, so you won’t seem that out of place. Some are mechanical while others are electric assist. The electric assist ones were awesome. My wife (a notoriously poor bike rider) had a great time on the bikes. They helped us get to places a bit further out (like Jim Morrison’s grave and the Arc de Triomphe).
The bikes were inexpensive and the docking stations were always within a quarter mile at any given time. We paid about ten bucks a day. Not bad.
About transportation in general: I saw a lot of electric bikes, electric scooters, and quite a bit of those electric unicycle things. The French love their two-wheel options; that’s for sure. There were also a lot of 125cc and 250cc scooters and small-engine motorcycles. I loved it.
There were plenty of cars, of course, but most are quite small. A typical 4-door Mercedes is a big car in Paris. Smart cars are common.
It’s hard to fault the French on much. They are considerably better behaved and have better manners than Americans, except in one area: driving. It’s like Mario Cart. I liked it and thought it was fun, but it definitely took both halves of the brain at all times to ride or drive. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any accidents the whole time. Wait. I take that back. There was a group of four Americans rising Velibs and they were drunk and obnoxious. I didn’t mind the drunk part. It was the loud and obnoxious part that bugged me. I told my wife “I’m not riding anywhere near them” as I slowed to let the group pass. She said they looked like they were having fun. Well, sure enough, one of them continued acting stupid and cause a wipeout.
They weren’t laughing after that.
Now I know why I love both electric bikes and the French: they’re quiet.
Until last week. My wife got a great deal for a four-day stay last weekend in Paris, and away we went.
We stayed near the Louvre, and luckily it was off-season in the city. I guess all the Americans were back home. Lucky us, because I had zero interest in being around other Americans.
I’ll get to the e-bike part in a minute.
The first thing that struck me was how polite the French are, which is quite the opposite from what people often say. But I figured they would be polite because their culture is a lot more mature than ours (especially these last couple years). I wouldn’t be surprised if many Americans think the French are rude because most Americans are actually rude. The few Americans I did see looked out of place, which means they didn’t do their research or bring their manners.
The three things I learned about a successful visit to Paris:
1. Dress like they do. Put in the effort. It’s not to try to fit in or fake it so much as it is a sign of respect. You’re in their home as a guest. Dress nicely.
2. Always greet them in their language. A simple bonjour.
3. Ask (in your language or theirs) if they speak English. Don’t speak on English after saying bonjour. Ask first.
I learned that these three simple tips is all it takes.
The French are absolutely wonderful people.
THE BIKES:
The Velib Mobile app was a bit tricky at first, and the rental bikes are mostly used by tourists, but the French use them too, so you won’t seem that out of place. Some are mechanical while others are electric assist. The electric assist ones were awesome. My wife (a notoriously poor bike rider) had a great time on the bikes. They helped us get to places a bit further out (like Jim Morrison’s grave and the Arc de Triomphe).
The bikes were inexpensive and the docking stations were always within a quarter mile at any given time. We paid about ten bucks a day. Not bad.
About transportation in general: I saw a lot of electric bikes, electric scooters, and quite a bit of those electric unicycle things. The French love their two-wheel options; that’s for sure. There were also a lot of 125cc and 250cc scooters and small-engine motorcycles. I loved it.
There were plenty of cars, of course, but most are quite small. A typical 4-door Mercedes is a big car in Paris. Smart cars are common.
It’s hard to fault the French on much. They are considerably better behaved and have better manners than Americans, except in one area: driving. It’s like Mario Cart. I liked it and thought it was fun, but it definitely took both halves of the brain at all times to ride or drive. Surprisingly, I didn’t see any accidents the whole time. Wait. I take that back. There was a group of four Americans rising Velibs and they were drunk and obnoxious. I didn’t mind the drunk part. It was the loud and obnoxious part that bugged me. I told my wife “I’m not riding anywhere near them” as I slowed to let the group pass. She said they looked like they were having fun. Well, sure enough, one of them continued acting stupid and cause a wipeout.
They weren’t laughing after that.
Now I know why I love both electric bikes and the French: they’re quiet.