I’m an American in Paris – this stuff will make you look dirty here

lifestyle

by Gene Hers

April 9, 2023 | 6:19 p.m

@employee

If you do these things in Paris you will get dirty looks. But also who cares #Visiting_Paris #Paris #French culture

♬ original sound – Amanda Rollins

France is a little different from the United States

An American woman living abroad in Paris shared a list of the 5 things that will make you look dirty in Paris on TikTok — and some of them are so popular that we won’t think twice about them.

Amanda Rollins, who goes by the username @employee On the social media app, it has already reached over 1.3 million views on the video.

The first refusal on the list was eating while walking.

“The French don’t really snack,” Rollins claimed. “The only thing you’re allowed to eat while you’re walking, only one thing, is a baguette, obviously. That’s the only thing you’re allowed to eat while you’re walking.”

Eating anything else on the street, she said, is “not very popular”. The Francophile also explained that most people don’t really eat on the metro—their version of the subway—and that eating mostly happens at meals.

In an email to The Post on Sunday, she clarified that the video is a “circular” and that the tips are only from her observations living abroad.

“The things I mention are from my observations of life in Paris, my personal experiences, and what I heard from the French. My speech is not gospel (and if you think it is, thank you but I haven’t started my own worship yet), these are just notes,” she wrote.

Rollins continued to The Post, “Life in France is different from the United States in many ways, and these are just some of the quintessentially American things that can raise some eyebrows here in Paris.”

The next piece of advice Rollins shared was to not speak English loudly while you’re out.

“When I say loud, I mean the volume at which you normally speak,” she explained.

“Listen, I love you guys, I love you guys, I’m one of you guys, that’s tough love right here. You scream.”

Rollins then followed up with the next piece of advice, which was that ordering a box to go in a restaurant was unusual among Parisians.

“It’s really uncommon, and it’s not very French,” I claimed. “You’re allowed to do it, I’ve done it before, it’s literally fine, I’m not saying you can’t do it, but since the portion sizes here are the normal size…it’s not very common to not finish a meal.”

She admitted that if you order a box, you might get some “looks” from others.

Her final two pieces of advice involved clothing – that being sporty is not uncommon, and not being overly dressed for going to a nightclub.

“Athle” if you leave the house like leggings, sweatpants, or even sweatpants, she warned, depending on how you style them, you’ll get the look. I’m not just how people dress here.”

And she added that wearing jeans and a blouse when going out on Friday night is recommended over heels and dresses.

“You’re not going to see the full outfits, the full mini skirts, the heels, the makeup,” Rollins said. Having said that, you can do whatever you want, literally who cares if you get the look.

In the comments section of her video, many users seemed to agree with her giving her opinion on appropriate Parisian behaviour.

So what you’re saying is that people in Paris have better manners. I’m a fan. ♥️ wrote someone.

Another lamented, “💯 On point! Especially eating while awake 😂.”

However, the others seemed to be offended by the pointers.

“The way we don’t eat a baguette in the street,” one claimed.

Another person wrote, “Being in France seems stressful 😳.”