Wentworth

My dear Klouis,
There is no need to be aggressive. I am French, I travel to the States very often and I have many American friends who have been mugged in France because they tend to get lost and to be so ***obvious***. AND this is not a racial slur--simply a remark on body language, dress, tone and pitch of voice, etc. Moreover some of the hooligans are Muslims and are are violently anti-American and anti-British. They are anti-everybody to tell the truth (they even torched a handicapped person some days ago on a bus)

It is all a problem of risk evaluation--you would be silly to flash a gold & diamonds Rolex in the South Bronx--and you would be equally silly to flash your laptop, your expensive clothes and your American passport in the RER in the suburbs of Paris.

I think it is irresponsible to ***advise*** foreign travellers to use the RER in the suburbs NOW. I shall always be grateful to a lady of the night who told my wife, my 3 children and myself "You don't want to be here" when one evening about 15 years ago we were blithely walking down the bad part of Market in SF.

As human beings it is our duty to protect others as much as we can.

sundriedmilk

I am(or was) planning to take a side trip to Paris when I'm in Europe next week. Now I'm a tiny bit concerned.

IIRC, these rioters are considered "rioters" and not "terrorists" or am I wrong? Only asking this question because I just got an email from my travel insurance carrier that they have added a new clause that specificly EXCLUDES claims caused by terrorists acts.

My original plan was to take the TGV into France. I assume this is still safe, no?

My only experience with any kind of mass riots was the LA riots after the King verdict. How does that compare to what's happening in France right now?

Lastly, is there any chance the riots will spill over beyond French borders into neighboring countries?

Wentworth

These rioters are not terrorists.

The TGV is perfectly safe.

There have been some skirmishes in Belgium but nothing to worry about.

Our riots are not quite the same as the LA riots because very very very few of those young men have fire arms. Their weapons of choice are paving stones, baseball bats and Molotov cocktails. But the troubles are quite local and circumscribed and only affect parts of neighbourhoods which no tourists ever get to see because they have no business there.

The only reason I advised using Roissy Bus or the Air France bus is because the RER line crosses those very areas where the troubles are brewing. IF you took a local train instead of the direct train to Gare du Nord (and jet-lagged foreigners may be confused and choose the wrong platform) at the wrong time, you MIGHT be in trouble. It is only a remote possibility but it is better to be safe.

As always, only the poor and under-privileged are confronted with violence. I have friends who live in LA on South Lucerne and in Hancock Park. During the LA riots they lived perfectly normal lives. You will be safe in France unless you are really and ***actively*** looking for trouble.

The situation is improving in any case as the government have finally decided to impose a curfew for all minors under 16 in the affected areas. Today's [Nov. 9] New York Times has an article you should read if you want to get an American perspective.

Have a safe trip.
Wentworth