I never cease to marvel at the French ability to get all things economic so wrong! In this case one can just choose another café, unfortunately for so many young French people there are few options and few new jobs in their economy, mostly because of bad economic ideas such as the one this café displays.
If people are seriously interested in partaking of what a good restaurant has to offer (thereby spending money), this sign will not offend those folks. On the other hand, it may turn away those who want to order a cafe creme and sit there all day. I'm all for anything that encourages more one-on-one personal conversation. While dining outdoors last evening with my daughter, two young women were seated at the table next to us. First thing both do after being handed a menu is to pull out their iphone or whatever is their hand toy of choice, and proceed to scroll around the screen. I am appalled at how much this occurs nowdays, not just by adults, but even among children under the age of 12. The parents obviously do not know how to encourage polite table conversation. Certainly a different kind of world from when I grew up.
It is their restaurant. They can make their own choices. If this drives some people away but appeals to others, the mix of yays and nays will play itself out in the economic marketplace and the owners will thrive or fail or fall somewhere in between.
An interesting pic Virginia .... When last in Paris I took my iPad into many establishments using Google maps to plot my next move or downloading pics from my camera while partaking of a café crème and viennoiserie ..... I would have been disappointed if asked to click it off.
INteresting comments as usual. My thoughts are that this is one very small establishment. I can imagine that if some come in and buy a cup of coffee and spend the day at a table doing their business online, it could eat up their profits. Here, I can't tell you how many times we've had to wait on tables at delis and coffee shops because we couldn't get a table while three or four people were using the place as their office. Dianne, I'm sure it's not the tourists checking for directions that is the root of this problem. Anyway, as an Apple zealot and former employee, we said "Pas de PC! " a lot! :) V
Around here it has to do with the difference between a restaurant and a coffee shop. Cell phones and laptops are not encouraged and sometimes not allowed in restaurants, but in coffee shops it's like you said, V--the office.
I am a former elementary school teacher, a full-time photographer, lover of all things French ( whose French is slowly improving), obsessive Paris traveler, enthusiastic church and community volunteer, and grandmother to 5 delightful grandchildren.
I fell in love with Paris in March 2007. It was as the French say, le coup de foudre : love at first sight. As a result of that trip, my photography took another direction. Since that time I have pursued a career of sorts in photography and dreamed of returning to the City of Light. November 2008 found me strolling the streets of Paris once again. My first visit I was so overwhelmed with the incredible beauty of the city, I photographed it as a "tourist". In 2008 I returned and I looked at the city with more of a photographer's eye. I wanted to capture the unique, the small details, and oh yes - the people! This blog was started as a photo diary of that trip, but I have been most fortunate to return to the city j'adore 15 times since. Each time I leave, I wipe a tear and start planning my list for the next trip. Paris may well be a moveable feast, but I think it's best savored in person! Someone told me that once you have been to Paris, you will leave a piece of your heart. I left mine right there, but I brought home some wonderful memories. It is my pleasure to share them with you.
11 comments:
I never cease to marvel at the French ability to get all things economic so wrong! In this case one can just choose another café, unfortunately for so many young French people there are few options and few new jobs in their economy, mostly because of bad economic ideas such as the one this café displays.
C'est bien la première fois que je vois une ardoise pareille, d'habitude
on annonce quelques douceurs !
à bientôt
Danielle
Pcs disturb me much less than mobile phones...First time I see such a sign.
Now I"m thinking maybe the owner is a Mac user! HA
Very nice indeed!
If people are seriously interested in partaking of what a good restaurant has to offer (thereby spending money), this sign will not offend those folks. On the other hand, it may turn away those who want to order a cafe creme and sit there all day. I'm all for anything that encourages more one-on-one personal conversation. While dining outdoors last evening with my daughter, two young women were seated at the table next to us. First thing both do after being handed a menu is to pull out their iphone or whatever is their hand toy of choice, and proceed to scroll around the screen. I am appalled at how much this occurs nowdays, not just by adults, but even among children under the age of 12. The parents obviously do not know how to encourage polite table conversation. Certainly a different kind of world from when I grew up.
It is their restaurant. They can make their own choices. If this drives some people away but appeals to others, the mix of yays and nays will play itself out in the economic marketplace and the owners will thrive or fail or fall somewhere in between.
See, you kicked off an economic debate!
An interesting pic Virginia .... When last in Paris I took my iPad into many establishments using Google maps to plot my next move or downloading pics from my camera while partaking of a café crème and viennoiserie ..... I would have been disappointed if asked to click it off.
INteresting comments as usual. My thoughts are that this is one very small establishment. I can imagine that if some come in and buy a cup of coffee and spend the day at a table doing their business online, it could eat up their profits. Here, I can't tell you how many times we've had to wait on tables at delis and coffee shops because we couldn't get a table while three or four people were using the place as their office. Dianne, I'm sure it's not the tourists checking for directions that is the root of this problem. Anyway, as an Apple zealot and former employee, we said "Pas de PC! " a lot! :)
V
Around here it has to do with the difference between a restaurant and a coffee shop. Cell phones and laptops are not encouraged and sometimes not allowed in restaurants, but in coffee shops it's like you said, V--the office.
Ah ! L'accueil Français !
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