Open when they feel like it

June 30th 2007

Today my wife wanted to go pick up a chair that she ordered for our daughter. She ordered it online, and had it delivered to a local pick-up point because it was quicker than having it delivered to the house (which takes 3 weeks). The local pick-up point is a dry cleaners about 5 minutes from our house.

Cleaners

So we set out this morning to the cleaners. My wife and daughter waited in the car while I took her id with me. I climbed up the steps into an old and dirty building that usually contains lots of little stores and shops but today was Saturday and most were closed. I found the cleaners and to my surprise, the door was locked. No one in side. Nada. Rien (”Nothing”). Merde! (”Shit!”).

I bang on the door, hoping that they just went to the bathroom or something, but to no avail. Another woman arrived “Are they closed?” she asked in suspense. “I believe so” I replied. Disappointed, I walked back to the car with my head down, wondering how I was going to break the news to my wife. How was I going to tell my daughter she’d be sitting on the floor for a few more days?

I was actually less surprised that they were closed than my wife. It’s the end of June. School is almost out for the summer and people are already leaving Paris for the beaches. What I find interesting is that the people who don’t leave on vacation are physically present but mentally absent. And as in the case of our friend the dry cleaner, physically absent as well.

In France there are a lot of small “mom & pop” type stores and businesses, but the big chains are making inroads. France is, in a way, defying these huge chains unlike in the US where everyone has embraced them with open arms. However today “mom & pop” disappointed me. Yes they need a vacation, and maybe someone was sick today. Or then again maybe they were at the beach?

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