# I love France, but watch where you walk



## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

We've just got back from touring around for 18 days - from Burgundy to Western Provence & the Camargue, and back via Millau / Clermont Ferrand / Sully S Loire / Chartres and St Valery en Caux. We love the French lifestyle, the countryside, the relative freedom for motorhomes and sometimes even the people(!), but you try walking anywhere and there's piles of dog**** (sorry to offend anybody, but I find that term has more effect than any euphemisms  ), and the dog owners just let the dogs do it on the street, or in parks, and just don't clear up :x . We saw places where they had special doggy WC's - nobody had used them. The worst was on Monday at St Valery En Caux - for anybody who knows the aire, there is a triangle shaped green, with motorhomes parked on 2 sides , and we saw several owners just take their dogs over and encouraged them to go on the grass. If anybody goes there, don't even try walking on the grass 8O 

Disgusting :twisted:


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## neilmac (Dec 31, 2008)

Have to agree  and, its the same in Spain. Many dog owners just let the dogs walk themselves so no chance of a clear up.

I haven't noticed amongst motorhomers though - that really is a shame.

Neil


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

Totally agree - and they look at you in amazement when you clear up after your own dog.
We have also had problem with the French themselves using hedgerows etc as human toilets - not pleasant when your dog gets in there.

Having said all that - we still love it over there too!!
Sally


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

taz said:


> We have also had problem with the French themselves using hedgerows etc as human toilets - not pleasant when your dog gets in there.


Quite so, last year we had the misfortune to stop in a layby where the loo was locked (don't know why) but the French simply used the surrounding grass instead, the piles of **** had to be seen to be believed. 8O

What hope for the dogs if they behave like that themselves. :roll:


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## Codfinger (Jan 11, 2008)

*Doggy doo*

Poop everywhere!!!! never wander into the undergrowth alongside any lay-bys or parking areas in France not pleasant!!! in major citys they have special poop sucking motorbikes http://news.motorbiker.org/blogs.nsf/dx/07042003140818MIKG9A.htm
I think the French dont think that swinging a poop bag while walking their dogs is tres chic lol
chris


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## Tucano (Jun 9, 2006)

I like goldfish :lol: 
Norman


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## Chrisv (Jun 10, 2007)

In my experience Bayonne (next to Biaritz) must be the D.. S... capital of France.



Chris


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## camper69 (Aug 30, 2007)

We stopped in quite a large motorway aire in Belgium in August on our way back to Calais. We didn't inderstand why everyone got out of their cars and walked over to the trees about 30 yards away. The penny  dropped when we realised that there were not toilets at this aire

Derek

edit spelling


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## ThursdaysChild (Aug 2, 2008)

Ah Mike

While you've been away there has been a 170-odd post thread running on the Caravan Club and dogs. When you have an hour to spare


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## Briarose (Oct 9, 2007)

ThursdaysChild said:


> Ah Mike
> 
> While you've been away there has been a 170-odd post thread running on the Caravan Club and dogs. When you have an hour to spare


BUT its got nothing to do with France :lol: unless all the French have decided to join the CC :wink:


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## lookback (Dec 4, 2005)

I remember in 1965 camping in the New Forest where it was the norm for campers to head for the nearest clump of trees to defecate - toilet paper scattered everywhere. Fortunately that does not happen now. It is also a common sight on the continent with cars stuck in a traffic jam for the male drivers to get out of their cars and urinate with no intention of doing it discreetly. I cannot see the continental gentry changing their habits.

Ian


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## Tezmcd (Aug 3, 2009)

To be fair there are times I wish I were French

Imagine the scene - large black Labrador, stomach troubles, and me following behind at the ready with a bin liner sized bag ready to scoop up Elephant sized portions of Mr Whippy type poo - it can but you off your bacon and eggs in the morning you know!


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## caulkhead (Jul 25, 2007)

Hi All,

As this thread has widened to include the defacatory habits of the two legged species as well as the four, I will relate the folowing!

Back in August the wife and I were parked in a lay-by on the N17 just north of Senlis. We were enjoying a cuppa and a sandwich before continuing back to Calais when a car pulled up just in front of us (French plate) and the occupants decamped. A small boy (about 5 or 6) pulled down his trousers and pants and with his bum pointing straight at us proceeded to take his ease in a very leisurely manner. When he had finished, a grown up in the party wiped the small boys a_ _e and threw the paper onto the pile. They all then jumped back into the car and drove off. At no point during any of the above did any of the occupants even so much as glance in our direction!!!

Over 30 odd years of visiting France I have become used to seeing French males watering their tyres but this incident left both me and 'er indoors with our gobs well and truly smacked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vive la difference

Caulkhead


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## 127057 (Aug 18, 2009)

I too love France but I know what you mean 

i take the dogs onto the beach near the Calais Aire in the off season months and there are always poops on the beach not picked up and i do get funny looks when I clean up after the boys. Like it is so difficult to pick up on a sandy beach, must the easiest place to pick them up I reckon!! 

Cheers 
Gary


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## Motorhomersimpson (May 9, 2005)

Hi,

I remember we were at Carrefour waiting to fuel up, south west France. Anyway, quite a queue waiting, sunny afternoon, from the car in front of us emerges a good looking young French lady (I assume French because the registration was), she simply dashed into the the tree's adjacent, a few minutes later re-emerged whilst rearranging her lower clothing with leaves and twigs attached - you get the picture :lol: 

MHS...Rob


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## olive (Feb 5, 2008)

Perhaps if the offending t*rds were more easy to spot they (the frogs) might be encouraged to be less messy.

Would someone ( outdoor bits ??) sponsor the design of a FLAG ( or a competition to design a suitable flag) which we could all download ( unfortunate choice of word) and with a suitable twig or lolly stick point out the exact place and thereby number of the little richards.

Personally I think a triangular one would be most effective but a sausage shaped one has a certain appeal.

Time for another glass of French wine I think bye bye


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

Oh heck - don't start me on the hygiene, cleanliness and totally bizarre behaviour and habits of we humans cos I could write a book on that one LOL! I dunno - that old saying "there's nowt so queer as folk" is flipping well spot on in my opinion! :roll: 

We own a gift shop in a busy seaside resort and my god you would not believe some of the incidents we have encountered over the years??? We've had an old man stand there and piddle on me carpet, no apologies, no attempt to clean it up, no nothing - he just stood there and p*****d himself! 8O I once caught a coloured guy coming out of our staff room, where he had access to staff handbags and purses not to mention the shops safe etc, anyway after a bit of a fracas he suddenly decided to show me his "wedding tackle!" yes it's true honestly, I speak no lie! (Mind you ladies, it sure is true what they say you know and he was a BIG boy!) I think he must have objected to me demanding he show me what he'd got in his pockets!!!!!!!!! 8O We've found people's nasal contents smeared all over me lovely posh glass display cabinets, vomit up our front windows and door and once, we even discovered to our horror, human excrement in the shop doorway when we opened up one morning! You see - our shop is sandwiched between 2 busy pubs and the men see our shop front as an ideal spot to use as a loo when nissed as pewts and full of pop! 8O Before the alterations we had done a few years back, we used to have a little side alleyway in between us and the pub and jeez they didn't half relieve themselves of all kinds of human fluids and waste down there hidden away in the shadows! Now maybe it's just me but in amongst the smell of pee and vomit is NOT the most romantic setting for a hot and steamy clinch is it? 8O Thank God my hubby has a strong stomach for washing such things down, cos I just couldn't do it!  :roll: 

Wanna hear some more stories .................... ? 

Before all the smoking bans were introduced - folk regularly would walk in with *** ends hanging out their mouths, dropping ash all over and stinking the place out and boy would they get stroppy when we politely pointed out that smoking was not permitted! However, the odd smoker would sneak in unoticed and very often we would find butt ends extinguished inside ornaments or just dropped and put out on our carpet! Then there was the time when a lady who worked for us was vacuming down the bottom of the shop and found a dirty nappy full of poop dumped in a basket full of cuddly toys, we really could not believe that one as obviously the culprit had a kiddie themselves and must surely have realised that an innocent little child was more than likely to rummage through that basket???? :roll: 

I have seen how disgusting humans can behave in public and I tell you something NOTHING suprises me anymore!  

Sue

PS I know the above is nowt to do with France but I thought I'd just throw me two penneth in! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## digbywolf (Feb 22, 2008)

i don`t like dogs! ! tin of pal in one end s**t out the other!
dave


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

digbywolf said:


> i don`t like dogs! ! tin of pal in one end s**t out the other!
> dave


I don't like a lot of humans! Load of codswallop in one end - bullsh*t out the other! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sue


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## digbywolf (Feb 22, 2008)

WHAT CAN I SAY ! !
will SORRY do?
it was a tongue in cheek comment!
dave


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## Sonesta (May 10, 2005)

digbywolf said:


> WHAT CAN I SAY ! !
> will SORRY do?
> it was a tongue in cheek comment!
> dave


Hee hee - no need to apologise Dave! I took it as a joke and thought it was funny! Anyway, it made me laugh! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sue


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

We were on the aire at Montagne-sur Gironde a couple of weeks ago (lovely spot by the way. OH was just shutting up and happened to look out of the blinds - about 5 yards away from our van and right in front of the little row of shops was a lady in the process of dropping her knickers and having a quick wee. He couldn't believe it - biggest pants he'd ever seen apparently!!
S


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## wilse (Aug 10, 2007)

digbywolf said:


> WHAT CAN I SAY ! !
> will SORRY do?
> it was a tongue in cheek comment!
> dave


Funny though.

hahahaha


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

digbywolf said:


> WHAT CAN I SAY ! !
> will SORRY do?
> it was a tongue in cheek comment!
> dave


  you were asking for it!! :lol:

But going back to the original point (!), I seem to remember there was the same problem in the Uk a while back - then there was a load of publicity about clearing up after your dogs (with support from local & national governments, and penalties) and now the majority of owners clear up after their dogs. Could it happen in France and elsewhere?


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## grouch (Oct 1, 2005)

We were at Le Mont Dore sheltering during a heavy storm. When the sun came out,so did the dog walkers. One poodle "performed" and the owner took out a paper tissue. Unbelievable we thought, someone clearing up after their dog in France. Unbelieveable it was. She wiped the dogs bottom and then threw the tissue away.


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

You should try Amsterdam!

C.


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