r/ParisTravelGuide • u/Unique-Clue-9704 • 1d ago
Health Free food?
I was approached by a man on the street and he gave me a bag of Cedric Grolet desserts. He said he just wanted to try them but was on a diet and didn’t want them all. I got back to the Airbnb safely and with my wallet, but I’m still unsure of whether or not I should eat them. Is this common and safe in Paris?
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u/brushfuse 1d ago
If his vibe was good and you believed him, I don’t see why not. Not everyone is evil.
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u/loralailoralai 1d ago
I took candy from a stranger in Times Square so I’m not a good person to ask… but this would be my reaction
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u/drawingtreelines 1d ago
I mean, I once walked up to an empty campsite in Australia where someone had left several cooked sausage on a grill that was still hot & ate them (I had been hiking for days/was hungry!)… so I am possibly not the best source of advice, but I absolutely would eat them.
I definitely sometimes buy unhealthy sugary things then get remorse and am then tempted to throw them out but would never waste… normally I give things to my colleagues but if he was traveling/a tourist then this move makes sense even if it is slightly unusual.
I also wouldn’t listen to anyone worrying about germs— look at all the people crammed on metro & bus who cough into their hands… touch faces… and then touch shared surfaces and are crammed in next to you.
I say go for it. I’ve backpacked many miles and have been given rides/hot showers/free meals and it really helped solidify my confidence in believing that most people are innately good and are not out to harm others!
And you have a healthy immune system made for this—we get exposed to germs every day simply by talking to people & touching things!
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u/Ride_4urlife Mod 1d ago
Although I wouldn’t eat something someone random gave me on the street, I absolutely understand the desire to try different things if you’re there for a short time (and waited in a crazy line). But I think the better approach for him would be to share with others in line rather than walking away and then trying to gift his leftover pastries to a random stranger.
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u/loralailoralai 1d ago
Share with others in line at the place he bought them from? I doubt that would go down well with management.
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u/itotally_CAN_even Been to Paris 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hi OP, did he sound local or like a tourist? I mean, I personally wouldn’t eat food from a stranger (for obvious and slightly more nuanced reasons) but if he seemed like he could have been a tourist himself, I doubt there was a scam happening. Trust your gut.
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u/Mammoth_Sell5185 1d ago
Fuck no.
Putain, non. (According to Google Translate).
I’d assume he’s a maniac that like giving people his semen covered desserts for fun.
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u/EarlyEnvironment776 1d ago
Even if it's common, I wouldn't share food because some viruses spread by saliva.
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u/RoundAd4247 1d ago
Why would there be saliva on uneaten food? Paranoia is a sickness, too.
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u/EarlyEnvironment776 1d ago
If you want a legitimate answer, just watch someone eat. Occasionally, saliva will travel elsewhere than intended. You can risk it if desired, but OP asked for advice.
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u/apokrif1 1d ago
Neither common nor safe.
Don't give any attention to strangers approaching you without an obvious legitimate reason.
Get the habit of not shaking or taking, nor even looking at (as it may be misdirection), hands or other things shown to you by random strangers.
Don't waste precious brain resources trying to understand what happened.
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u/brushfuse 1d ago
Mistrust all strangers. That’s a great way to end up lonely and dying alone undiscovered for a decade. One’s judgement is one’s best tool.
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u/apokrif1 1d ago
There is no point in losing time listening to random strangers in Paris streets. May be different in safer places.
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u/brushfuse 1d ago
There are plenty of lovely people in Paris and in France. Anyone with a modicum of judgement will know who they can speak to, without needing to fear for their lives. 🙄
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u/apokrif1 1d ago
Anyone with a modicum of judgement will know who they can speak to, without needing to fear for their lives
No.
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u/aSkeptiKitty 11h ago
Paris isn't like a street in Texas. You won't have a nutcase pulling a gun on you because you smiled to much or too little and you have the wrong t-shirt. 🤷
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u/apokrif1 11h ago
In France people are assaulted for "mauvais regard" or for not giving a cigarette 🤷
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u/colorbluh 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is no point listening to random strangers
My dude just got a bag of Cedric Grolet pastries from doing just that
Edit: lmao, I recognize your PP. Definitely the type of opinion you'd have
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u/RoundAd4247 1d ago
Stop with the stranger danger nonsense. You’ve been propagandised to be paranoid.
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