In the last two days, several people have stopped me and asked for directions. Normally this doesn't happen, so normally I am free to wander about the city without being harrassed by random tourists.
I don't mind helping the odd tourist out here and there, but 4 times in 2 days? Really people!
Three incidents involved friendly people, but one wasn't actually a tourist, but a native Parisian who needed to find his way to the Bibliothèque Pompidou. I gave him clear directions to the Centre Pompidou, and he said, rather condescendingly, that he wasnted the BIBLIOTHÈQUE, not the CENTRE, and then, noticing my accent in français, said, also condescendingly, booook. Stupid twit. I told him that I'd never heard of the Bibliothèque Pompidou, so he'd have to find it himself. It turns out the Bibliothèque is part of the Centre, and therefore my directions were accurate and useful. Stupid git.
The first chap today to ask me for directions accosted me on rue des Halles and asked for directions to the Notre Dame, which was simple enough from that position. I don't know why he thanked me many times before I'd actually finished giving him the instructions, and then walked off in the correct direction, also before I'd finished. Oh well, at least he was polite. He was Japanese though, not French, and therefore it isn't surprising that he was more polite than the Parisian nitwit in the above paragraph.
The second person today was actually a group, though with a spokesperson. They wanted to know how to get to the Forum des Halles, and we were mere steps away from Les Halles at the time, so that was also easy. I got the feeling though, that they didn't exactly believe my instructions, but I think they followed them anyway, and shouldn't have had a problem.
The first of the bunch (yes, this is in a weird order) wanted to get to Rue de Rivoli from Bd de Sébastopol, which, considering it's an intersection, was also easy peasy.
But seriously, do I look like the Paris Janet* on legs?
Maybe it's Kat's influence. The incidents yesterday occurred while Kat, Nat and I were walking to the Pompidou, and the two today happened while I was walking to the RER with Kat. When I'm on my own, people rarely ask me. I think I'll blame Kat.
* Janet = Lonely Planet
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2 comments:
people ask me for directions all the time. At least in countries where i have a chance of looking local (so more often in germany than china, for example). I can often offer little more than a map and the sympathy of another slightly lost traveller. I don't know why i get asked. I must look like i know where i'm going and am approachable. And no matter how many piercings or shaved bits of head i have, it still keeps happening!
Well I never get asked for directions. This has a lot to do with me normally never being anywhere near the touristy parts of any given town, of course. In fact mostly I'm in my room working, and the number of random tourists wandering through our flat is close to zero.
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