When all else fails in France, release the manuals.
Paris’ public transport authority has issued a “politeness” manual in an attempt to curb uncivil behavior among customers, The Telegraph reported.
Customers who are unsure how to act in public can visit the online “manual on savoir-vivre for the modern traveller,” which spells out a list of “commandments” passengers should follow, according to The Telegraph. They cover issues such as smoking, manners, helpfulness and politeness.
The new manual follows the introduction of France’s “polite police” last year, The Telegraph reported. The officers, about 3,000 in total, have been given the mission to rid the nation’s intercity trains of bad manners.
“Impolite behavior generates a feeling of anxiety and discomfort,” said Guillaume Pepy, the head of France’s state-owned railway company, SNCF. He added that impolite behavior made getting Frenchmen to abandon their cars more difficult, The Telegraph reported.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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