Paris 11 Ancien - Quartier École-de-Médecine

Saturday October 8th
In Which Suckers are Born Every Minute

According to the old saying, there is a sucker born every minute. That is certainly true in Paris. For many years tourists have been falling prey to the same old Gypsy scams. I spent some time today watching numerous naive suckers make themselves victims.

In the past I have tried warning people when I have seen them about to get caught, but I have found it is a waste of time - they have to learn for themselves. From time to time the police have tried to remove the Gypsies from the streets, but they appear to be back in greater numbers than ever.

Their most common scams are the "sign my petition" perpetrated by groups of young Gypsy girls, and the variations of the old 3 cup game, perpetrated by groups of older men.

The black Africans have another very profitable scam called the "friendship bracelet". In one 10 minute period I saw at least 6 people conned out of lots of cash with that one. No wonder the scammers are so hard to drive away when they are making so much money.

Maggie and I spent the day wandering the city to visit some of our favourite places. This is getting near the end of the tourist season, so the crowds are not as bad as they are in the middle of summer. We always try to keep clear of the dreaded tour groups and spend most time where the Parisians themselves go. I love the tiny quirky shops in the back streets and the big gardens. The weather was perfect for walking and I have absolutely no idea of just how far we walked, but I am certain that my feet are suffering.Read more