Those are a tad higher than mine, but nothing wrong with that...

No offense, but why the "heck" would I wanna go and do a pansy thing like say that I'm a friggin' Canadian for? I'm not saying that we as visitors to other countries should act out the whole "ugly american" bit...please no one take this as a personal attack. I just think that we should be proud of where we are from.Many young men and women fought and died to make the U.S. what it is today, a country that is quick to give a helping hand to any other nation in a time of need be it bywriting a big check, sending over food and meds or sending over troops. Yes we are a rich nation, and that fuels the hatred of those that have less than us. We Americans did a lot for France and others in the past & will do the same in the future. The rich & fulfilling lives that we lead today are because of where we live...Don't forsake your heritage.

Yo !! No offense, but to admit to being an American is akin to committing suicide. The local LE aren't going to go out of their way to protect you, nor are the locals. As an American, you are considered fair game. Those other than Americans, care not one wit what we've done for theirs or anybody else's people!!

Try to reason with them and if you're lucky, they'll reply with: "Don't confuse the issue with facts"!

It was that way, in my experiences, throughout the Med area, including Eastern Europe and North Africa. I also came across that attitude in some of the Carribean Sea.

Telling people you're Canadian sounds like a good idea. Maybe they weren't telling all those French-cowards jokes like the Americans...

But if you're "Canadian", make sure you know how to pronounce some of the names correctly. Sault Ste. Marie is "Sue St. Marie"; Quebec is "Ke-bec" or "Kay-bec" -- there is no W sound in it at all.

If you go to the Philippines, be careful. Their elections are taking place next week, and those people and their bodyguards are SHOOTING at each other! No kidding! Virtually everyone there is on the take, and they will take American money. Keep five and/or ten dollar bills folded where you can get to them very fast and unobtrusively, like under your driver's license or other ID. Understand that you are fantastically rich compared to the people there. Be aware.

Sue

I wouldn't worry too much about telling people who you are or where you're from. Likely you won't be hanging with the sort of crowd who is going to care, and those that might aren't likely to confront you in that sort of context, unless you are out looking for trouble, that is.

One thing I would strongly recommend to anyone out in public anywhere these days: If you see someone in public having some sort of an attack, or maybe fainting or otherwise having difficulty, go in the opposite direction, preferably quickly. Something I am seeing more of these days are suicide bombers with explosives strapped to themselves acting like they are ailing from something. As the crowd gathers around to offer aid/see what is happening, the bomber detonates his load and takes a whole bunch of people out. I saw it in Iraq, and I am aware of such events happening elsewhere with increasing frequency. It is a nasty ploy playing on both our good nature and our curiosity. There are variations on this theme, such as the alley victim apprently being attacked, etc only to blindside you as you attempt to confront the assailant they are in cahoots with. Much as you might want to help out people in apparent distress, or gawk at the event, it is best to evade the scene, try and contact the authorities, and let them deal with it while you go on about your business.

Exactly why we chose to stay in the good ole U.S of A. Why spend our money in other countries, where they love our money but hate us. We will spend ours here, where we are loved, or at least tolerated (when they find out we are from CA). Of course traveling there on orders from the boss is a different deal entirely...

Just a few thoughts regarding Paris. Not to sound paranoid by any means but in my experience Paris is one of the more dangerous European cities these days. There is quite a lot of street crime and violence, mostly gang related. Some neighborhoods are quite bad, especially around the highway ring and in the suburbs. Hard to compare to some of the ghettos in the US but you could still easily end up in trouble just passing by the wrong part of town. Some metro stations are also pretty bad at night. I've had more than one unpleasant experience at the Gare du Nord during my 10-day stay in Paris last year. Simply being a white person and walking in the street could attract hostility. At some point I was assaulted verbally, and almost physically, in broad daylight walking down a beautiful avenue not far from Bastille (another location where caution is advised because it's a place where a lot of political demonstrations/riots start).

I hope this doesn't discourage you from your visit as Paris is a beautiful city and the people are for the most part quite nice. Just keep in mind that the threat of theft or assault is real and it's a good idea to be aware of your surroundings. Though if you take some common sense precautions and try to blend in with the crowd as much as possible there is little to worry about.

Like everone else has said,

1. (and most important) Don't look America or anything else that makes you stand out. The more you look the average French Joe the safer you will be.

2. If things get dicey, get inside!! Get in a store or resturant, and avoid bars. Most crowds will not fallow in doors as the confinded space breaks up the mob mentallity.

3. Always watch you surroundings, with the current riots in responce to France's new conservative Gov keep a specially sharp look out for groups of young males 15-30 as that is the most likely demographic to cause a confrontation.

4. If you find yourself in a riot, don't fight against the crowd it will make you stand out, go with the flow of the crowd and work to the edges to escape.


Good luck and try enjoy Paris

Well, let's keep things in perspective ..

IMHO, you should not be more afraid of walking in Paris than you should walking in New York, LA or Washington.. (I guess... never went to Washington...).
I'm sure you won't wander at night in some areas, in those towns, without some wariness.

Paris is not (yet ?) as dangerous as Bahgdad (check with Benjamin).
We have yet to bomb Aussie tourists, as in the Philippines (IIRC).
Nor have we got Tchetchenes taking hostages in the Opéra, as in Moscou...

So keep cool.... You won't be roaming the poorer suburbs in the middle of the night, anyway. That could be another story.

Just stay aware of your surroundings and keep your wallet well covered : pickpokets are a really threat, in the Metro (especially when cars are crowded during rush hours) or on the Champs Elysées... (tourists from any country are a god send gift for some people, like everywhere..)

As for civil unrest, just take care not to be caught in between the demonstrators and the police forces... Then I could not predict which ones are the most dangerous in those instances ....

As for passing for a Canadian, it would be OK only if you could speak french, with french-canadian accent..
If not, just keep being an American : not all french people have an anti-american bias. If you keep a normal, sensible human being
profile, you will be surprised, but some of us do really like american people !!
OTOH .... well, now, ...a texas' guy... that could be a problem though...... ;o)) .... just say you are from "Californie" ...

LOL....

Yes, perspective is right. I wouldn't believe all of Paris is nothing more than a den of theives, cutthroats and assorted villains, anymore than New York, LA, or Washington might be. I roam the streets in Manhattan daily, without feeling wholly threatened or in great danger of suddenly being attacked. The reason is I don't go places and do things that don't make sense. You would never find me in the west end of Brooklyn or certain parts of Queens after nightfall, unless I am being escorted by a significant security contingent. Likewise, I would not walk down the backstreets in Compton alone any time of the day or night. You ought to be able to recognize and avoid places that you don't belong in. Heck, even in the suburbs of Brisbane in Australia there's certain areas and times where the chance someone like me could be confronted by a group of well armed 14 year olds is quite likely, and would end not well. Fortunately I knew enough to avoid those situations just by virtue of not being a dumba$$ about it. Paris should be no different. People who get pinched are most often folks who fail to stay aware of their surroundings and act like an easy mark. If you are travelling and you haven't yet developed those skills, then you should really limit the amount of time you spend outside by yourself, and find someone you can trust that will help you learn how to function in public better. Somehow Blast, I reckon you are not so naive as that.

Take care bub