Smelly French or Americans?

[Cat_Jones]

I think the Italians have moved on, a bit at least - I spent 18 months there '98 to '99 and never had any problems finding all the toiletries I needed, but then I was up North (Milan & the Veneto) and the Northern Italians would have you believe that civilization ends once you do south of the river Po

[compositejoe]

@Neurotik

From my travels in France, Paris seems to be pretty up on the whole cleanliness thing. But when traveling in the south of France, the stinkiness tended to increase noticeably. I think that’s mostly because we were dealing with more rural folk, who tend to be less concerned with things like deodorant, etc. even in the US.

I wonder if that is so in Monaco as well?

From my experience of visiting France, not once did I encounter any French people with serious body odour like mentioned in this thread, but then I only ever visited the north part of France.

[Tapioca_Dextrin]

Maybe they’ve learned to use deodorant in the last ten years

[FAL01]

I am not sure that it is the French that smell but rather it might be that France smells in general. Some of the streets are old and narrow and people have different standards of hygiene - on several occasions I have witnessed people using the sidewalk as a bathroom (and I do not just mean urinating). It is common that people in France smoke and most people seem to have a dog (someone else who uses the sidewalk as a bathroom). Combine all that with the heat and the stray animals that inhabit Europe I think it is a fair call to say that it is France that smells.

[compositejoe]

@FAL01

I am not sure that it is the French that smell but rather it might be that France smells in general. Some of the streets are old and narrow and people have different standards of hygiene - on several occasions I have witnessed people using the sidewalk as a bathroom (and I do not just mean urinating). It is common that people in France smoke and most people seem to have a dog (someone else who uses the sidewalk as a bathroom). Combine all that with the heat and the stray animals that inhabit Europe I think it is a fair call to say that it is France that smells.

Interesting theory…

[SerafinaPekala]

@FAL01

I am not sure that it is the French that smell but rather it might be that France smells in general. Some of the streets are old and narrow and people have different standards of hygiene - on several occasions I have witnessed people using the sidewalk as a bathroom (and I do not just mean urinating). It is common that people in France smoke and most people seem to have a dog (someone else who uses the sidewalk as a bathroom). Combine all that with the heat and the stray animals that inhabit Europe I think it is a fair call to say that it is France that smells.

… and the cheese. Dont forget the cheese. It stinks.

[Chefguy]

@Tapioca_Dextrin

Maybe they’ve learned to use deodorant in the last ten years

I met an old Frenchman on the rue last night
He seemed so sad to see me, I just smiled
And we talked about some roll-on as he washed behind his ears;
Still stinking after alll these years,
Oh, still stinking after alll these years.

[SerafinaPekala]

+1 Did you just come up with that??

[Chefguy]

@SerafinaPekala

+1 Did you just come up with that??

Yes. Should I copyright it?

[the_diego]

Just from my experience it’s the Scandanavians. That’s for here in the Philippines. I suspect visiting French take to bathing everyday like the locals do.

On the other hand, our office presently has a problem with our Indian consultants.

[drewtwo99]

@Chefguy

Yes. Should I copyright it?

the straight dope owns it now, sucker.