The information has probably not escaped you, especially if you’re local. Last November, Lyon was crowned the most rude city in France according to a study carried out by the Preply application. And last week, this same application (the ugly one!!!!) did it again, this time designating the Rhone city as the tenth least welcoming city in the world. Just that !
Deplorable level of English, unfriendly staff, hardly approachable residents… These are the main reasons given. And we’ll forget the dog droppings on the sidewalks, the absence of “Hello”, the indifference of the residents cited in the first full-blown attack. Since then, a question has been nagging us: Why Lyon? Is it a conspiracy or a deserved reputation? To find out the answer, we first surveyed the souls living in the kingdom of cads, where opinions remain divided.
“Every man for himself”
“I confirm,” replies Tony, a postman who has been living in Lyon for twelve years. There are very many people who do not consider you with a glance or a return to a simple hello,” he argues. “Lyonnaise by adoption” for forty-five years, Elisabeth draws “the same observation, especially among 30-40 year olds”. “Indeed, it’s getting worse,” says Michel. Few people say hello in elevators. Most are immersed in their phones and don’t even look around! »
“It’s not from today!!!! », underlines Marie-Christine in turn, remembering the inhabitants who “looked down on you” “already several years ago”. Today, “no one pays attention to each other anymore, it’s everyone for themselves.” And if you decide to make a remark to someone who lets their dog defecate on the sidewalk, “you get a barrage of insults in return and “What does that concern you?” », she quotes.
“Reserved but friendly” Lyonnais
“If we compare politeness in the countryside and in Lyon, it’s something. But having been to Paris several times, I still find the people of Lyon more warm and welcoming,” counterbalances Nicolas. “You would have to have lived in many cities long enough to have a reliable opinion,” observes Jean-Marc in turn. In Lyon, rudeness doesn’t catch my eye. People are more reserved but when you speak to them, they are friendly. » What Patrick confirms: “Before opening up, the Lyonnais are undoubtedly cautiously reserved, but they are courteous”, he analyzes, warning against “opinions written on the occasion of a only visit.
To try to unravel the mystery, we also contacted the Lyon town hall and the tourist office to find out if the applications only took negative opinions into account and if these studies were reliable. But everyone passed on the hot potato, without providing answers. We persevered, this time turning to sociologists to ask them if the city still suffered from its distant reputation as a sleeping beauty, bourgeois and stuck up. Haven’t social networks become the Inquisition of the 21st century? Can the very viral videos posted there, like that of this American blogger filming herself crying in the streets of Lyon, destroy the reputation of a city in a few seconds? Verdict: not better! Radio silence for everyone.
Our analysis
Finally, we ended up imagining the reasons ourselves. Here they are (it’s second degree, eh!)
The “wart”
The city surely has one of the most beautiful buildings in France: the Perrache interchange, nicknamed “the wart”. So obviously, when you arrive between Rhône and Saône by train and discover this marvel first, it’s chilling from the outset. Sensitive architectural souls refrain.
The Pierre-Bénite factories
No better if you arrive in Lyon by car from the south of the A7 motorway. An obligatory passage in front of the magnificent chemical factories of Pierre-Bénite will put you in the conditions of an ideal tourist stay.
The Fourvière tunnel
Or “how to take thirty minutes to do two kilometers”. We still haven’t found a solution to pop the corks.
Plugs
Yes, traffic jams, let’s talk about them. Who still eats on a red and white checkered tablecloth?
The taco
Lyon, capital of Gastronomy which invented tacos. Culinary nonsense, we’re not going to lie… Hello credibility!
The pigs
You have to be psychologically prepared when you are presented with a dish of tripe, sapper’s apron, pig’s trotters or frog legs.
The praline tart
The local specialty that will make your teeth stick, especially if it’s messed up. Visit to the dentist assured, otherwise you cannot be guaranteed to be able to reopen your jaw.
Guignol
Individual who spends his time hitting police officers with a stick. When they tell you that things suck in Lyon…
A city very well located
Lyon is “3 hours from the sea and 1.5 hours from the mountains”. Obviously, that creates jealousy.
Flowery language of “y”.
In fact, there is no equivalent in English and tourists “can’t understand it”.
It’s expensive “
You will end up punctuating all your sentences with “dear”: “It’s expensive” or “There are expensive people”. And that, frankly, is the height of elegance.
What do you mean “The PSG is the best team”?
Have you already forgotten our seven French champion titles in a row? And the women who have won the Champions League eight times? Conclusion: There are people who are looking for trouble when they want to talk about football…
It’s not the South
With raging winds and 41°C in summer, the tourists thought they were in the South. Except there’s no sea.
Barbarian music
We had praised the sweet melody of the barrel organ but finally, you discover that Lyon today vibrates for funk and electro. This is probably why you left a negative comment.
The (not) easy joke
Quirky humor that not everyone can understand. To better prepare for your stay, go see a show by Florence Foresti, Alexandre Astier and Bérangère Krief. Or listen to Stéphane Bern’s jokes.
And if you still have reason to doubt Lyon, here are some tips for discovering the city differently, far from studies.