When one is in a hole, the best strategy is to stop digging. That means you, shitbird.
Yes, but the things I like do NOT generally include the average run-of-the-mill French population. As stated before, the skiing was pretty good, and the chalet we stayed in was quite nice as well. It would be - we had an English chef and it’s run by English. 
And I do not have any of the things you mention -
Sense of entitlement? Nope. been living in England far too long to expect anything, especially in the way of customer service.
Unfashionable clothing? Have you been to France? Do you know how they dress when they ski? It’s like a return to the fucking 80s with neon, straight skis, and white. I think black and orange looks a fuck load better than that, and so did pretty much everyone else.
Flabby overhang? Nope, not got one of those either. I’m a big guy, but I row 4 times a week and run twice so not much of it is flab.
It’s almost funny someone in Scotland talking about American stereotypical flab, though. Go eat a deep fried mars bar mate! 
Good start, you actually remembered what you said. And extra points for finding the bold and large type options, as well as gently reminding me we were in the pit.
Now, the next step is to prove your laughable statement that the US was responsible for the rise of the Third Reich, and that capitalism was the cause of the Russian October Revolution.
But I didn’t make that statement, laughably or otherwise.
post 74 in this thread, on 3-4-2008, at 03:24pm
Care to explain how that isn’t blaming the United States and Capitalism for the rise of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union respectively?
Without the United States, there’d have been no Jeffrey Dahmer, no Timothy McVeigh, and no 9/11. That statement does not pin responsibility, which is the point I’ve been trying to make to you since your rant began. You tried to pin responsibility on a whole nation for a couple of marginally rude people you ran into. You selected one commonality — that they were French — and extrapolated that to tens of millions. Well, there was another commonality as well — you were there each time. Maybe you caused their rudeness.
But this is all a clarification of your previous drive-by statement - are you now saying that the United States had little to do with the rise of Nazi Germany and that Capitalism had little to do with the rise of the Soviet Union? Just to set the record straight, you see…
Further commonality - I have traveled extensively (Spain, Italy, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Thailand, Israel, Egypt, and India to name a few) and lived abroad for many years now (in at least three countries - Germany, South Korea, and England); I’ve not had similar problems in other countries. So you’ll have to forgive me for drawing correlations between the one country that I have repeatedly traveled to (France) with repeated instances of rude, inconsiderate people. Cultural conflict? Perhaps. Problem with me behaving in some way that offends French people? Perhaps. Ignorance on my part? Perhaps. If you’ll care to note, I’ve not ignored those possibilities, even in the midst of this rant.
I’m saying you’re generalizing and assuming effects based on arbitrary causes.
If you’d like an example of how your behavior might offend French people, have a look at your thread title.
Uh, this is a rant? I think generalisations in a rant are much called for these days. YMMV.
You’re assuming many things, not least of which that I am the source of these problems, without either the full backstory or knowing me in any way. But as that’s a comfortable assumption for you, you go do whatever blows your hair back; I care not.
I think you’ll find, with the tiniest little bit of comprehending what you read, I have not generalised the causes. I had bad experiences. I have said what my response is to the experiences (fuck being a slang verb in this usage as ‘not going to do that again’). I never once investigated or described the cause of anything except the cuisine.
Describing causes I would have said something along the lines of ‘tiny dicks’ or ‘total inadequacy issues’ or some such (to keep up the thread’s general tone and location) as the reason the French were rude towards me, or possibly even ‘intimidation at such a red-blooded sample of American beauty and strength’ just for fun, but you’ll see that I didn’t - I am not in any way interested in the cause of the French behaviors, I’m just not going to waste my time going there in future.
If I had said this to a Frenchmen, or said anything like it, then I would tend to agree with you. But as this rant is based on this latest, of many, negative experiences where I was absolutely NOT the instigator to the best of my knowledge, I’ll stick with my generalisations thanks.
Well, duh. 
What percentage of the French people do you know, and what do you know of their backstories?
The irony. It burns.
LOL. Yeah, that might have something to do with it. Though, I was worried they might be sick of American tourists by the time I got there in 1999.
OK, I gotta chime in here. I’ve really, really enjoyed reading this thread. I’ve been to Germany, but never to France, have met some French people here and there, and found them to be an agreeable lot.
But this here, is crap. The French practically invented cooking, for Chrissakes. This is really grasping at straws. French cooking technique is the literal foundation for almost everything you can learn in culinary school, from knife cuts, to mother sauces, you name it…the French developed it.
I’m not much for coffee, but as for “offal”…see username.
Foie Gras truly is evil…because it’s so GOOD!
Since when do rants have to be rationally based, logical and supportable positions, even here?
Let the man rant! Who cares about his opinion of the French? Next time he’ll go and probably have a good time and rave about how wonderful the French are–and that will matter just as much as this.
I’ll never understand this compulsion on the Dope to prove yourself “right” and everyone else (or at least the OP) “wrong”. Get over all yourselves. No one would have enjoyed the treatment and service the OP suffered through. Can’t you relate to that aspect of it and let the rest go or does looking petty and mean appeal to all parties?
<administers smacks with wet truite to all in thread>
They don’t, which is why I haven’t said a word about how much he dislikes the French. He lost me when he tried to quantify the suckiness of French food. Had he simply said: “French food isn’t for me”, I wouldn’t have responded to that either. Instead, he trots out some bullshit, unsupported reasoning for the inferiority of French food, then starts calling for cites when he has offered none himself.
Well, there is that. That has crossed into post-rant territory, perhaps into full blown crank area.
What I am saying is that I support anyone wanting to rant (because we’ve all wanted to rant about something at some point in our lives). I also think that rants are the adult equivalent to temper tantrums (don’t get me wrong: I know some adults who still have temper tantrums; rants are the more socially acceptable method of blowing off steam). Since we all mutter things like “die soon” or “All X ethnicity/gender/sexual orientation/SES level suck” and don’t truly MEAN it, I say give some leeway to the emotionally overwrought.
Now, if someone came in here to say that s/he had told someone else to “die soon” or “X ethnicity/gender/sexual orientation/SES level suck”* and MEANT it–that’s unacceptable and deserves Pitting. This thread didn’t start out that way. IMO, since neither “side” is willing to just live and let live, each side has gotten more and more intense and outrageous in their claims and moral stance etc. Where will it all lead? What’s the point? I doubt the OP is going to come back and post that he was completely wrong and is now applying for French citizenship and wants to learn how to cook Julia Childe-style.
- I post this knowing full well that any number of Dopers will chime in to say that they have never, ever said such a foul thing, nay–such a heinous thought has never so much as crossed their mind. Yeah. I believe that…
No disagreement there. I’d bet that at least half pits end up with some group going against the OP. I think it probably is due to the fact that it is easier to criticize on the internet than in real life. Everyone needs an outlet, and the pit is already set up specifically for that reason. I consider any OP in the pit to be rather brave, and I don’t mean that to sound sarcastc.
Perhaps the righteously indignant claim it as a hobby? The reactionary in me sometimes wants to just spew all manner of ridiculous shit here, just to watch people’s knickers get twisted… Heh. (also, I like your user name).
Thanks. Your’s is my favorite Beatles song.
Aw… I found a friend in the Pit. Shucks… <digs toe in to carpet>
I like you, too…