Paris is a large city so, yes, we have our little share of urban disturbance. Without any accurate figures I’d say “less than London more than Dublin” although I heard that Dublin was not really improving these days. I am a 45 year old tall-but-not-that-big fellah and I feel safe to walk around the center of Paris at any time by day or by night. A group of towering rugby fans should avoid any form of trouble other than being ripped off by a taxi driver. Still avoid drinking too much, some might think you’re an easy prey. As Paris is very touristy, we also have a variety of well trained pickpockets. In the métro, watch your wallet if someone steps in the carriage with a coat folded on his arm.

Police : the French police officers very seldom speak English.
Police : their French is not that good either.
Police : the French police officers are lazy. To be more lazy than a French police officer you’d have to be a plant, although some species of bamboos grow faster than our coppers move.

Wankers: England has its chavs, Ireland has its scumbags, but France has no word for the kind else than “the youth from the council estates”, as some politicians still try to persuade the public that those kids are aggressive because they are socially rejected. I personnally call them “branleurs”, the French for wankers, because in my wanking years I kinda tried my bad boy impression on my parents. It failed. If you travel by Eurostar you might see a gang of branleurs or two near Gare du Nord, else they congregate near Les Halles shopping centre in central Paris or sometimes stroll Les Champs Elysées.