The French Conundrum

[woodsroad]

I don’t understand the French.

My great-grandmother was French. One of my great uncles fought in France in WWI, stayed on in Paris after the war and married a French woman, my wonderful aunt Henriette. As a kid, we had a French car, a Renault R10 and I watched “The French Chef” all the time. French pipes are the shizzizzle. Every time there’s a detour on the boulevard, I get the warm and fuzzies. I rode a bicycle from southern Belgium to France about a dozen times, just by zigzagging across a country lane on the border one afternoon. Two of my favorite photographers were French (or lived there). French Cinema: The best.

With those kinds of Francophile bona fides, one would think I have a deep kinship with the Frogs, but honestly, they continually perplex me. Their politics, the deep-seated antisemitism, the drama on all levels.
Is it a national Napoleon Syndrome? The lost two world wars and all of their colonies, are they trying to compensate, or have they always been thike this?

Please don’t mistake my bewildered attitude as hate. I love the French. Except when they disgust me.

Any insights?

“I Am French”

.


.
(OK, the car sucked. Or rather the weird robotic transmission sucked. We once drove 50 miles home in second gear after the transmission locked up)

 

[VDL_Piper]

My father who fought in the Second World War often said “never trust a Frenchman”.

 

[tracerbullet]

Too many things to love about this.
I appreciate the restraint of the officers on scene

 

[woodsroad]

Too many things to love about this.
I appreciate the restraint of the officers on scene

It has to be the best cop cam video that I’ve ever seen.

 

[woodsroad]

My father who fought in the Second World War often said “never trust a Frenchman”.

My first photo editor, a Vietnam vet who was awarded a Silver Star during Tet rescuing another soldier while defending the French National Cemetery, said that his grandfather taught him this ditty:

“The French, the French, a curious race; they fight with their feet, and fuck with their face!" (Winston Churchill).

 

[VDL_Piper]

My first photo editor, a Vietnam vet who was awarded a Silver Star during Tet rescuing another soldier while defending the French National Cemetery, said that his grandfather taught him this ditty:

“The French, the French, a curious race; they fight with their feet, and fuck with their face!" (Winston Churchill).

Yeah, I never quite understood but I’m guessing that he and many others like him had been let down in conflict. Hard to fathom when you think Aussies went into France with the Allies to take it back and the French ran away, silly old world this one.

 

[Hillcrest]

Any insights?

Well I think its clear no one understands that they were French and at a wedding.
P.S. I think 11 months excessive in this case, hopefully suspended partially.

 

[Briarcutter]

Alcohol, the great equalizer, no matter what nationality, can turn us all into idiots.

 

[The Benedictine]

We like revolutions really. Haven't had one in a while and are on edge.

 

[Hillcrest]

A second thought: This is 21 minutes of bodycam footage and I don't recall anyone reading them their rights or calling for a translator. I wonder if the defense attorney raised those issues ??? I wonder what our resident legal eagle would say (pertinent to that issue only!)

 

[Sobrbiker]

I feel the French guy owes me 20 minutes of my life. I mean c’mon, usually a 20min body can video out of Florida is highly entertaining.
But they loved Jerry Lewis…

 

[Questionable Source]

It is their inherent, je ne sais quoi.

 

[Sobrbiker]

A second thought: This is 21 minutes of bodycam footage and I don't recall anyone reading them their rights or calling for a translator. I wonder if the defense attorney raised those issues ??? I wonder what our resident legal eagle would say (pertinent to that issue only!)

As a guy that has plenty of experience with LE from the drunken obnoxious trespasser perspective (thank God I got sober in the beeper era) I don’t think there’s any effective translators for “too drunk and emotional to understand lawful commands”.
And they don’t mirandize until they tell you they are arresting you, which has the frogs not flipped out, it doesn’t look like the cops were interested in charging anyone. If the red dress didn’t put hands on the chick deputy, I doubt anyone would have been charged.

 

[woodsroad]

I just rewatched the video, but I turned off the sound and pretended that they were all mimes.

 

[Hillcrest]

As a guy that has plenty of experience with LE from the drunken obnoxious trespasser perspective (thank God I got sober in the beeper era) I don’t think there’s any effective translators for “too drunk and emotional to understand lawful commands”.
And they don’t mirandize until they tell you they are arresting you, which has the frogs not flipped out, it doesn’t look like the cops were interested in charging anyone. If the red dress didn’t put hands on the chick deputy, I doubt anyone would have been charged.

I see she slapped her hand away twice but she did not 'punch' her per officers description. Frankly I thought they were all a little immature but I am getting old. I agree that the cops didn't appear to want to arrest anyone but french were too drunk to pick up on subtle clues. Besides they were from New Yawk and an example needed to be made !!!

 

[woodsroad]

He’s French.

 

[PaulRVA]

 

[captainsousie]

 

[Hillcrest]

He’s French.

When asked if their from Florida the mother of the groom says they are French from New York. That's what I was referring to. I am now imagining an entirely different conversation "
"i CAN'T BELIEVE YOU LET YOUR DRUNK [ ] MOTHER AND HER DRUNK [ ] FRIEND RUIN MY SPECIAL DAY !!!! THEY ARE SO GONNA PAY FOR THIS ONCE THEIR CHECKS CLEAR !!! AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE UP FOR THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE !!! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME !!!! "

 

[brian64]

I don’t understand the French.

My great-grandmother was French. One of my great uncles fought in France in WWI, stayed on in Paris after the war and married a French woman, my wonderful aunt Henriette. As a kid, we had a French car, a Renault R10 and I watched “The French Chef” all the time. French pipes are the shizzizzle. Every time there’s a detour on the boulevard, I get the warm and fuzzies. I rode a bicycle from southern Belgium to France about a dozen times, just by zigzagging across a country lane on the border one afternoon. Two of my favorite photographers were French (or lived there). French Cinema: The best.

With those kinds of Francophile bona fides, one would think I have a deep kinship with the Frogs, but honestly, they continually perplex me. Their politics, the deep-seated antisemitism, the drama on all levels.
Is it a national Napoleon Syndrome? The lost two world wars and all of their colonies, are they trying to compensate, or have they always been thike this?

Please don’t mistake my bewildered attitude as hate. I love the French. Except when they disgust me.

Any insights?

“I Am French”

.


.
(OK, the car sucked. Or rather the weird robotic transmission sucked. We once drove 50 miles home in second gear after the transmission locked up)

In fairness to the French (whether they deserve it or not) stupidity is found equally everywhere.

Case in point are these Americans, providing another valuable training video on how NOT to interact with police (especially if you're the ones who called them).

How a family of 3 all caught felony charges in under 30 seconds