What freedoms does France have that we don’t?

[YourHangryQuail]

Just coming off of the banned baby name thread and seeing that in France they have an approved names list.

I’ve also read on here before about swimming trunks being banned at the pool.

Mumsnet threads seem to say that France has a lot more freedoms than the UK but I’m struggling to see what.

Yeah, this is a totally inaccurate myth! Epilation is very de rigueur!

Freedoms to switch off

That’s not exclusively French though. I switch off whenever Macron comes on the news and when the French Eurovision entry starts up.

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I actually think it is a safely thing to not allow flappy shorts. They can get caught in vents, lane ropes or other people's hand and feet. (I'm a lifeguard). We should do the same here.

Having said that, I've never seen anyone getting their shorts caught in things but I have seen it happen with long hair.

I shall ask my architect if this is true, because if it is, they will have more than earned their fee. M. le Maire where I am is most definitely not someone you'd want to do the nasty with!

-Better employment rights and pensions
-Better bread! in general more choice and better quality products in supermarkets
-A president as head of state
-Written constitution
-Better trains (more money spent)
-Better healthcare (again better funding)
-cheaper to go to university
-better childcare provision
-better benefit system
-Freedom of movement
-Murdoch-free...

As a teenager I remember reading about banned names in France ! I decided I loved one of them and used it for my dc years later !

Oooh what did you choose???

Re the cat names/dog names, I understand that many people just give an "official" name for registration at the vets etc and use whatever name they want at home.

Hunters have a lot of freedom to roam and shoot at certain times of year. Took a while for me to get used to that.

I went to one in the summer in France where it was in force very clearly, and same for the campsite we were on last year. Portugal is the same, I had to go to Decathlon to get some for DS, and we all had to wear hats.

So at least France has the freedom to not wear swimming hats.

There are some swimming pools in France that still insist on swimming hats.

The only thing the French seem to love more than rules is ignoring them!

We watched the football in an old school market bar this summer the South of France and many an old chap was sitting at the bar with a lit gitane dangling from their mouth.

Freedom to protest peacefully. Something the Tories took away from us...

The rule about no shorts-style trunks for swimming is a hygiene thing. They don't want boys and men who have worn the aforesaid shorts out and about all day to then get in the pool.
Speedo-type swimwear is arguably more hygienic as it wouldn't be worn elsewhere (at least not on the outside).
That's how it was explained to me, anyway.

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In France you seem to have the freedom to park your car almost anywhere. If there’s an event on (like a village boules competition) people will park wherever they can even if it’s on a roundabout or teetering on the edge of a road. In fact I think there must be some kind of competition to come up with the craziest parking space. Of course, many of the events and markets take place on the village car park, necessitating the creative car parking.

Freedom of movement...

Do you work in French air traffic control or as a border/customs official and fancy a few days off because the weather's looking nice for the weekend?

No problem - find something to complain about, and the union will call a strike for you.

Is this just a France bashing exercise? I live in a different European country and many of the French laws are similar across Europe. In my country the swimming pool wear is just accepted as health measures to stop people walking in from the street in dirty clothes. Seems very sensible to everyone here. We also have the pedigree naming thing and absolutely the right to protest and freedom of movement and a world class health care system and good pensions. Maybe my favourite euro “thing” is being revolted at washing machines in a kitchen, mixing dirty laundry and cooking, so ours is in the bathroom, which is very common.

They do that in the UK with pedigree names - on Crufts you always hear "This is Dibble Perkins Dudley Brightwater the Third of Biggly Wiggly, known at home as Geoffrey".

The trunk excuse ain’t flying. UK pools are not filled with dirt or people getting stuck on filters.

The shorts that are used for swimming are different to the ones people wear outside.

UK pools are not filled with dirt

Unfortunately, I've seen some filthy pools here.

It’s not an excuse, simply a fact. Whether you agree with it or not is your absolute right.

UK pools are not filled with dirt

No, that would be the rivers.

No school uniforms. Kids can wear what they want.