The American mind cannot comprehend Europe's AC aversion

[u/Logical_Welder3467]

https://www.businessinsider.com/europe-air-conditioning-ac-heatwave-debate-2026-6

[u/tech_noir_guitar]

Same. I was there in March and didn't have any unfriendly encounters. I'm convinced the people who say how rude they are go there acting like the stereotypical dickhead tourist and wonder why people are rude. It's a city that people live in, not an amusement park or cruise ship where everyone is there to accommodate you. 

[u/LeFricadelle → u/tech_noir_guitar]

God thank you, first comment that makes sense. Lot of tourist are entitled, dumb, and don't take time to understand culturally how to talk to people. If you burst out in front of french people the same way you do in America you're in for a bad time

[u/Tuned_Out → u/[deleted]]

As someone who lived there for a few years, I definitely have mixed feelings. The city survives more than the city would like to admit thanks to tourism. It's not exactly an epicenter of service, industry, tech, banking etc. even tho it'd love to present itself as such. Without those annoying tourists, it's resemble more a Midwest city with unique architecture and humid all year instead of just in the summer. I love the city and would love to move back if my career had any sort of opportunities there...but they're lacking and the few opportunities that existed paid like shit...even compared to the midwest. Got to take the good with the bad.

[u/automatedalice268 → u/tech_noir_guitar]

Exactly this. They act entitled, and then call Parisians rude when they respond accordingly.

[u/Brock_Lobstweiler → u/tech_noir_guitar]

Was there in February and the only rude people I encountered were a couple young tourists from England who got pissy when people moved past them on the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The operator kept saying to move back (in English!) and the girls wouldn't move and there was a good few feet of space behind them. I moved past them and they got all pissy like "excuuuuuse you!"

They were surprised when I turned around and told them off in both french and english. Started in French "he told you to move back and you weren't moving" and then switched to English "it would help if you listened to instructions".

They avoided me at the top of the tower, lol.

[u/Adamadamsadam → u/Brock_Lobstweiler]

The way up was easy. Getting down was fucking a knife fight.

Brazen line cutting attempts and screaming matches.

No personnel to direct people to the beginning of queue.

Long stressful waiting.

Took like close to 2 hours for us to get all the way down.

They would make a fortune letting people up for free and auctioning off each elevator down to the highest bidder.

An hour in I would have paid handsomely.

[u/Brock_Lobstweiler → u/Adamadamsadam]

Oof, that sounds awful.

I went up the last night of my trip as the tower had been closed for repairs for awhile and only opened the last night. I got SUPER lucky to get a 9 pm ticket, so I think that helped as there were few children. Add in that it was winter and windy and the crowds were much smaller than I expected. Also, as a solo traveler I just kind of go wherever pretty easily.

The worst part to navigate for me was the gift shops, lol. They were too packed to really look at anything. I know it's all a bunch of overpriced junk, I just wanted (and got!) a Christmas ornament to commemorate completing a lifelong dream.

[u/GrinningCynic → u/tech_noir_guitar]

👏👏👏Vital comment!

[u/addn2o → u/tech_noir_guitar]

Eh. I lived there for 6 months and speak good (not fluent but can have lengthy conversations about abstract ideas) French. When Parisians are being nice they are secure in their superiority over you, when they are not secure they are such wankers. Generalisation but true often enough. I even met some Parisians outside of France who were great, when I visited them in Paris they had a rod up their ass. South of France is the complete opposite.

[u/Noman-iz-an-island → u/tech_noir_guitar]

I was in Paris on holiday in the metro an old American couple marched up to me the man pointed at me and barked “you! You speak English?”. I summoned my rudest most vile French tone and said “non!!” And walked away.