Funniest Thing

Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. There are no restrictions on length. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the U.S., Canada or Mexico.) The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.

This month’s winner is DON THOMPSON of Garden Grove, CA:

In Paris a few years ago, my wife and I were just completing a marvelous visit to the Orangerie (Monet’s “Water Lilies” are an absolute must) and were in the gift shop looking around.

One of the staff exited a storeroom with an enormous armload of gift items (painting reproductions, posters, etc.). As she approached the display cases and counter behind which the salespeople work, I noticed that her hands were full and there was a gate that needed to be opened. I was standing behind her, but it was easy for me to reach and open the gate, which I did.

After she went behind the counter, she turned and said, “Thank you.”

I was not wearing anything that could give me away as an American, so I was curious why she had spoken in English. “Why did you say ‘Thank you’ instead of “Merci?” I asked.

She replied, “No French man would do what you just did!”