French Policeman are Awesome

And not just because they are all about 12, yell at pickpocketers when they arrest them, and drive really fast through red lights when it is totally not necessary. (I know it's not necessary because my dad was State Police for 25 years and I never got to ride in his car with the siren blaring.)  Our detective was a hipster - a skinny jean, scruffy beard, tee-shirt, head-phone wearing hipster. My dad has never worn skinny jeans. Scruffy beard - yes (maybe not scruffy). Tee-shirt - yes. Head-phones - I'm not sure but he probably owns enough technology toys to fill half a Radio Shack - I'm going with yes. Sorry dad, but I'm calling it for the French. The skinny jeans alone tip it over to them.  Sad Face.

Anyway, they sent my husband an email on Friday morning to come pick up some of the euros the pickpockets had stolen.  The wife had turned herself in and said she was really sorry.  We got 120 euros back and four dollars.  (Technically, the four dollars weren't ours but obviously came from some American they'd stolen from and there was no way to know who they belonged to so I kept my mouth shut and pocketed them.)

So, down 60 euros but up four bucks - point to the pickpockets
Two nights in jail vs. 60 euros minus 4 bucks - point to us + police
Surrounded by French citizens and old women making unknown hand gestures - point to us
Great story vs. minimum two nights in jail- point to us

We Win.

The Full On Parisian Experience

We rounded out our French experience today. Yesterday we visited the Musee d'Orsay, Tuilleries, Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concord. Today we visited a police station and were treated to a chauffeured ride in the back seat of a siren blaring police car. Elizabeth loved it because we went through red lights at a really high rate of speed! We got pick-pocketed today. I'll write up the whole story tomorrow but I'll admit to a certain sense of satisfaction that the man who stole my husband's wallet is spending at least tonight in jail.