The Paris Metro – efficient and beautifully decorated in Art Nouveau style and my first experience with Metros/Subways. It was also how I figured out I had an excellent sense of direction. I became the navigator for my family, directing us to the right Metro stops and platforms.
But on our way to the department store, La Samaritaine, something strange happened. A woman and a young boy were standing close to us on the Metro. I didn’t pay them much mind, until I notice the boy was coughing a lot. I actually moved a bit away from them. The woman then said in French “Don’t cough so loud, you’re catching their attention.” I was a bit shocked. Firstly, that I understood it. Secondly, I was confused as this seemed to mean something nefarious. And it was… “Lean in and grab their passports from their pockets.” The woman then said in French.
I looked right at them and angrily said in French, “Go away, I don’t want to get sick!” They were shocked and sheepishly moved away from us. They made two wrong assumptions, that I didn’t understand French and that we’d be stupid enough to carry anything in our pockets, let alone our passports. My mother was a bit upset with me. “What did you say to them? Why are they leaving?” She whispered. I just watched them leave. After we got out of the Metro I explained to my family what had happened. My mother seemed pleased that I was actually using my French…and so was I.
Travel Missteps is an every-other week series on how sometimes part of the journey is making mistakes and getting lost.
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