You are completely wrong if you thought the kings of rudeness were Parisians!
Grumpy on transport, stingy when paying the bill, impatient when waiting in line… The French don’t always have a good reputation abroad. But if “Froggies” (the nickname the British like to give us) have a reputation for being rude, this belief does not come from foreigners passing through France, but rather from the French themselves. According to a recent study carried out by the language course platform Preply, more than two thirds, or 68%, of French people surveyed, agree with this statement. And if the capital is often targeted, the investigation puts an end to the cliché and the city that wins the grail is not the one we would have thought…
More than 1,500 residents of 15 major French cities were surveyed on the main reasons why they think the French are rude. Respondents cited being engrossed in one’s phone in public, not picking up dog droppings, being noisy in public, and omitting a “thank you” to the driver when exiting public transportation (rideshare). , buses, taxis etc.) for main causes. And when these respondents were surveyed on the frequency with which they witness these disrespectful behaviors in their city, the prize surprisingly went to… The one we nickname “The capital of Gaul”: the city of Lyon!
Indeed, the city of Lyon received a rudeness rating of 9.41 out of 10, closely followed by Marseille (9.26 out of 10) and Nice (9.08 out of 10). A leading trio that will not please the inhabitants of the south of France! But the city of Toulouse saves the day, as it was rated by study respondents as the most “polite” city, with a score of just 7.15 out of 10, the lowest rating, close behind by Strasbourg (7.17 out of 10), then Rennes (7.22 out of 10), Bordeaux (7.27 out of 10) and finally Dijon (7.59 out of 10). And Paris then? The capital only comes in fourth position among the most impolite cities, behind Nice, with a score of 9 out of 10. Finally, the city of Lille closes the ranking of the 5 most impolite cities with a score of 8.25 out of 10.
Of course, not all French people fit this stereotype of rudeness. And while it’s true that some French people can appear rude, this is due, at least from a foreigner’s perspective, to a cultural misunderstanding. Indeed, it would mainly come from the fact that swearing is commonplace in France and this cultural difference would lead to misunderstanding abroad. However, this study shows that the French himself has a tendency to strongly criticize himself on the issue and we cannot count on him to improve his image!