As I travel the world, again and again the rudest people I meet seem to be French (with Germans a little way behind). But let me be clear that I don't think that the French as a nation are necessarily this rude - merely that a subgroup of them stick out as the rudest of tourists.

Example from yesterday - descending a narrow spiral staicase in a castle in Wales; we can hear people coming up from below, so we step into a guardroom part way down to give the climbers an unimpeded path. The next group descending does the same. Then, when the climbing party actually come into viuew, and it is evident to a descendiung couple exactly what the situation is, the descending couple continue on down regardless, chattering away in French as they go, pushing past the elderly couple that the more civilized of us had pre-emptively made way for.

This is not only not isolated - it happens so often as to have become characteristic. I encounter this situation agian and again and again with narroow staircases all over the world - and again and again see French and Germans push past those who are waiting for others to climb or descend a set of stairs.

We hear a lot about the "Ugly American", and I'll agree that there is a small minority of American tourists that deserve that description, and most Americans are embarassed by it, just as Brits are of their travelling soccer fans. I'm hoping that the "Sharp-elbowed Frenchman" and the "Discourteous German" will be similarly recognized and disowned by their compatriots. Sadly, more often what I hear from more worldly-wise French and Germans is apologism; it's time for more honest self-examination.

BTW & OT - if you want to see the definitive practical exemplication of the word "contempt" try asking for American Mustard in a resteraunt in France