Kerry Parnell: Parisian bureaucracy is famously blunt and frank

Parisians have a reputation of being rude, but perhaps they’re just frank, writes Kerry Parnell.

Why do people have a problem with Parisians being rude?

J’adore it – part of the reason I enjoy visiting the city, is the spectator sport of marvelling at their Olympic-level bluntness. Parisians combine two of my favourite things – frankness and Frenchness; you could call me a “frankophile”.

I’ve always wondered why anyone bothers mincing words, when you can simply say what you mean.

Perhaps that’s why I have few friends; maybe I should move to Paris.

I went to Paris once, with some girlfriends, and all dolled up, we tottered into a hip brasserie we’d seen recommended in Time Out.

On arrival, the barman gazed at us coolly and stated, “you are in the wrong place.”

When we asked for help calling a taxi, he completely ignored us. It was superbly rude, superbly Paris.

Non, monsieur, I very much think I am home.

This month, the visiting world has been experiencing French forthrightness, as I prefer to call it, during the Olympics, which, naturally hasn’t been so winning with some.

People seem to take offence to Parisians’ attitude, but why? Picture: iStock

I would have expected the Aussies to embrace it, as we’re not a nation known for holding back, but Karl Stefanovic, who has just returned from covering the Games, wasn’t impressed.

Speaking on The Kyle and Jackie O show, he labelled Parisians, “rude,” and said, “they’re really up themselves… they’re pompous,” adding, “Do you know what? I’ve stopped trying. I don’t really like them that much.”

The same feeling probably applies to tennis ace Serena Williams, who also experienced the French phrase, “c’est pas possible”, this week, when she attempted to get a table for dinner at the Peninsula Hotel.

On Monday, a disgruntled Williams took to X to complain she had been refused a table for her family.

“Yikes Peninsula Paris, I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places, but never with my kids. Always a first,” she posted to her 10 million followers.

Tennis great Serena Williams was denied a table while in Paris for the Olympics. Photo: Getty Images

If she thought she was going to get a grovelling response, then she forgot which city she was in and which nation she was dealing with.

Instead, in a chef’s kiss social media moment, the Peninsula Paris PR team posted, “Dear Mrs Williams, please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight.

“Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.

“We have always been honoured to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again.”

In other words, they are sorry-not-sorry and politely reminding you even if you are a tennis queen, the French maitre d’ is king. And by posting publicly, they are telling the world how things work in Paris.

How can you not concede that’s marvellous? The French do things in a particular way – their bureaucracy is famous - and nobody, but nobody, changes that.

The customer is most definitely not always right in Paris – especially if you do amateur things, you know, like speaking too loudly, not opening with, “bonjour,” or ordering a coffee with oat milk.

Try that and they’ll happily supply you with directions home.

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