Paris, being the city of lights, carries a reputation for being romantic, artistic and scenic. But like any city with such a long history and such a mix of population, there is a dark side of Paris which you need to know about before travelling to it.

Drugs

Shreyas and I were walking to our hotel on the outskirts of Saint Ouen. It was a crowded Friday evening. There was a drizzle in the air. A man in a black leather jacket stood at the street corner holding a black polythene cover that appeared to be carrying a small box. Another man got out of the car and rushed towards this man in a leather jacket. He gave him a polythene cover that carried something rectangular and took the box in exchange. Both individuals moved to their vehicles with lightning speed after this meeting. Throughout the process, they kept looking all around them in what appeared to be a suspicious fear. Now, we assume this was a drug exchange but it could have been some other item as well. One thing is for sure, it was something illegal. As for the presence of drugs in this city, you can see people snorting or smoking in the dark around street corners or small alleys. They are found, most popularly under the bridges over the river Seine and outside metro stations.

Pollution

The pollution in Paris has a major hub at metro stations and popular tourist spots. Bus terminals can also be found dirty with garbage thrown everywhere except the bin. The locals argue that this habit of dirtying the city is not European. It comes from the Asian or African tourists. Also, other non-European immigrants bring this habit with them. Though there is some truth in this argument, you can often see the French locals leaving picnic garbage behind in the gardens and the walk-only bridges. For example, Pont-des-arts and the garden behind the Eiffel.

Theft

Every time you enter a Parisian metro, you can hear the announcements that warn you against theft. They ask you to take care of your wallets and bags. The same needs to be followed at crowded spots or markets throughout the city. Once when we stopped for a view of Saint Lazarre from the second floor of Printemps, we saw two thieves run out of the mall opposite it. In a dramatic twist, one of the guards ran behind them and managed to grab the bags of both thieves at a time. The smarter one of the thieves let go of the bag and fled. We saw the dumb one trying to wrestle the guard for his bag. The guard came out victorious and pulled this thief away with him. Saint Lazarre is one of the most luxurious places to shop in the city, second only to Champs Élysée. If this is the condition of such an arrondissement (area), you can imagine what happens in other markets.

Sex trade

Pigalle symbolises the arrondissement where you can find sex toy shops and sex trading strip bars. Some other areas like Place de Clichy also house several brothels disguised as bars. Also, you can commonly find sex workers hunting for customers in crowded squares throughout the city, even on the posh Avenue of Champs Élysée. One of my colleagues was constantly pursued by a sex worker from the metro station on Place de Clichy to his apartment for several days. His fault was that he stared at her one evening. That triggered a series of days of him being pursued. He says he never gave in but the truth is for him to know and for us to guess.

Language preference

Ah, the famous French language arrogance. You could at least get away with English in some parts of Paris but emphasis on the French language is obvious throughout France. When asking for routes or when approaching government offices for paperwork, be prepared to communicate only in French. I got away with English while finding my way occasionally. This is because I got good at spotting tourists. The tourists who knew a bit about Paris helped me with my search. My worst experience concerning French exposure was at the government office providing Carte de Sejour or Residence permit. There was some delay which I wanted to know the reason for. The staff consistently denied knowing any English. I had to struggle through a conversation in my broken French until they just picked up the card which was sitting right on their table. I am sure it can’t be so difficult to match the name and picture of the person standing right in from of them when they are holding the card in hand. The language barrier seemed forced and intentional in my perspective.

Racism

This is a topic I would tread carefully. Firstly, I would like to mention a disclaimer that I have not faced racism in Paris myself. Also, this issue is not known to be common. But just like most busy capital cities, there are fragments of society in Paris that could be regressive. At least two recent incidents were reported in Paris of police brutality towards African innocent boys. These triggered protests in certain parts of the city. Paris is one of the most Cosmo cities you could travel to. Many cultures and nationalities gather here to make a living. In such environments, there are bound to be occasional episodes. But it is important to mention it when it comes to making a list of the dark aspects of this city. Racism is sometimes subtle and not so obvious. Awareness and empathy can help tackle this.

High Cost of Living

I lived in Paris paying 1500 euros a month for a matchbox-sized apartment with one wall as a kitchen and a tiny bathroom attached to it. This was in 2012. The price was deemed justified because I chose a premium arrondissement like Ternes. Ternes is the house of the great Arc de Triumph. Champs Élysée is walkable from it. So I guess it is understood why your pocket would burn living there. Even otherwise, cabs and essentials are quite expensive here. Metro is a popular transport for the middle class but this makes it super crowded and often unsafe.

These were some dark aspects familiar to me in Paris after having lived there for a year and travelled to it several other times. Please share your stories from Paris, dark or bright in the comments below.