4 ms·
One thing I noticed about France vs. the US is that in the cafe culture in France means it's fine to "stare" at passersby as you sit, slowly sipping your espres
by davidmurphy 17y ago
One thing I noticed about France vs. the US is that in the cafe culture in France means it's fine to "stare" at passersby as you sit, slowly sipping your espresso. (Often, all the chairs face the street -- such as in this photo http://www.luminous-landscape.com/images-99/cafe-thumb.jpg http://www.luminous-landscape.com/images-99/cafe-thumb.jpg). No one minds you "staring" as they walk by.
In America, if you watch passersby on the street you can tell they get uncomfortable.
- mmagin 17y agoOn the other hand, the stock photo on that page is a good example of somewhere the French don't make eye contact -- on the Metro. I am told it has something to do with the fact that you don't have a choice in being there, so people want the illusion of privacy.
- joss82 17y agoIt may has to do with adaptation in human behavior when others enters their "personal space", in a crowded metro train, for example.