Frog: apparently the departement number will be mandatory but you can choose anyone you like.

I heard that every city is built the same way, power suburbs are historically placed according to the dominant winds.

About Grand Paris, don't you think it might get worse. Now you can say "but there the metro here". In the future "not in paris" would mean "no metro" as in "third world place". :)

As Daniel mentioned, I think more important than the name is the fact of having a metro line deserving your city (whether it is Paris proper or grand Paris).

I was working in Saint-Denis till last year, and there was a metro station just down my building, which was extremely convenient to reach Paris.

But it is true that Parisian look down at people living in the close suburbs saying they're from Paris... but you have to understand them: it's SO MUCH MORE expensive to live in Paris! :)

I think its really normal to get attached to your license plate number, imagine if they got rid of state license plates in the US, you'd never know where someone was from! And although I often make comments in a rude way about different departments license plates (errrr another 75? grr!!!!! or, oh there goes another GB... lol we get a lot around here with the ferry) it also allows you to be nicer to some people, some weirdo is making a U-turn in the middle of the street? go ahead brother, you're one of us! :-)

I've talked to a lot of French people who say they definatly identify much more with their region then being French; so it makes sense they want to hold onto that regional identity.

I will so put a norman sticker on my car when i buy one! whoooo!! :-)

oh, ps. i remember reading that in the past rental cars had their own special number, which worked out fine until people realized that they were rental cars and then they got systematically broken into... that system was changed quickly!

Hop, just (very partially) read the doc (in French) about all this regions mess.

So check it out here:
http://www.reformedescollectiviteslocales.fr/download/index.php?mode=news&id=77

And read from page 108 the thing about "Grand Paris". So basically, there will be the Parisians and the Grand-Parisians. The first will keep looking down at the second. No change, big deal!

milkjam:

I not attached to a particular department I lived in 4 different ones. I'd like my not to give any indication to thieves or hooligans about whether they should trash my car:)
If people where really so attached to their departements, the number wouldn't need to be mandatory!

Pierre: Of course it wouldn't change much, left bankers look down on right bankers and vice versa. Some say real parisian are born in ile de la Cité. Grand parisians will look down on Small parisians etc.

@Pierre - most suburbs are cheaper than paris proper, but it depends on the suburb. There are some pretty hefty prices in some!

Am I the only person who is purturbed over the fact that Frog doesn't have much of a French accent when he speaks English?

When I come to France, I had plans on dry-humping every single person (male and female, gay, straight, bi, black, white, Asian, Eskimo, & Peruvian, alike) with that sexy, mellifluous, French accent! WTF Frog! Your English is near perfect!!!

When I form my "dry-hump" conga line -- I'm skipping you! :-) Hahahahaha!!!

@Janilani
If you promise dry-hump conga lines, I can have any kind of accent you'd like. Just place your order...

@K&K: I love Janilani, she/he/they's my new best friend.

Frog:
I'm joining your site today but only if you speak with a French accent thicker than Inspector Clouseau. I will include a cyberhump.

K & K: Due to my tits and vagina I am usually classified as female...usually.

P.S. Which ever one of you has the webbed toes...THAT'S AWESOME! You can be Aquaman's paramour. I now deem you AQUAGIRL...or Aquaho...whichever you prefer.

@K&K: Next time I'm on the show, we should really talk about dry-humping conga lines.

And after watching an episode of season 4 of Desperate Housewives tonight, I also thought we should discuss the major cultural difference between France and the United States i.e Circumcision.

PS: This message had better not go through the QMF!

;-)

@daniel : yes, a wee bit late catching up on this conversation but maybe Parisians don't want dept numbers on their license plates but out here in the country we're not too worried about our cars being burned! You might want to think about moving if you are...! or get rid of your car! ;-)

Frog:
They're now showing penii on Desperate Housewives? What have I been missing?

I love penis talk.

K & Aquaho: How about dedicating a whole episode to The Penis.

What say you?

Janilani, an episode like that would send TQMF (the queen mum filter) off the scale ;)

I finally got around to listening to this episode and I have to chime in - I had a HUGE attachment to my 56 license plate. Even here in Paris when I see 56's, I always think "Aww, that's my people". And Katia, I have to meet your FIL some day, I think we would get along swimmingly! I always shook my fist at 75's while driving too. lol

And I'm sort of embarrassed to admit it, but I'm starting to become an arrondissement snob. Now that I've lived in the 5th, I have a hard time imagining living elsewhere. If I have to say though, if I was "en couple" and not going out as much though, I wouldn't be against living outside Paris proper.