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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!lzaz!vas
From: vas@lzaz.UUCP (V.SNYDER)
Newsgroups: net.travel
Subject: Just one more Paris observation
Message-ID: <454@lzaz.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Jan-86 11:20:29 EST
Article-I.D.: lzaz.454
Posted: Thu Jan  2 11:20:29 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 3-Jan-86 02:01:07 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft
Lines: 24
Keywords: Their pets!


The oddest thing we observed on our October Paris trip was the
obsession Parisians have with their pets, particularly their dogs!
On our very first night and every night thereafter, we observed
at least 1 Frenchperson bringing their dog to a restaurant with them.
On one occasion, we were in a very nice, elegant restaurant and in
comes a female heffer with her dachsund in tow under her arm.  The
matre de (spelling?) clucked happily at the dog and sat the woman
next to me with its rump facing me.  She was going to hold
FiFi on her lap all through dinner while her and her companion
would feed it from the table!  Since the restaurant was already
crowded and our food was on the way, we couldn't very well ask for
another table.  (When in France ...you know the saying.)

Another observance, while the French are obsessive about their pets,
they are very clean about the mess they make on the streets.  The municipality
hires workers to hose down the streets every morning and another
group that ride specially designed motorcycles. You could call them modern
pooperscoopers, if you pardon the expression.  Here is how they work:
as the cyclist stops the motorcycle above a pet's feces on the sidewalk,
a small broom and dustpan emerge from under the scooter and quickly cleans
the mess.  As the motorcycle putters away, painted on the back 
of the motorcycle is a picture of a dog with a broom and dustpan waving
to you!  Ooh la la!!