In researching Paris transportation options, specifically that during the New Year hours, I learned that the Metro, buses and RER are free – gratis – beginning at 5 PM on December 31 and continuing through noon on January 1 (too bad they didn’t offer this special the day I lost my ticket).
MiniMe, every other person in Paris, and I took full advantage of this generous amenity. After spending the first part of the last part of 2012 in one of Paris’ best New Year’s Eve destinations – Moulin Rouge – we hopped on the Metro and headed to Champs-Élysées, another of Paris’ best New Year’s Eve destinations. The Metro was packed and within minutes of getting on MiniMe experienced somebody getting off. “Someone is groping my ass,” she advised me. “Who?” I asked and didn’t have to do much investigating to find the suspect – a male, traveling alone, and smelling the hair of several surrounding female passengers. MiniMe moved away from him and he began to smell my hair. “Non!” I advised him several times, however, he failed to care. “Comment tu dis ‘Don’t smell or touch me’ in français?” I rhetorically asked MiniMe and then said, “Pretty sure it is fuck off. No need for s’il vous plaît.”
We finally made it out of the smelly grope zone in time to witness the Eiffel Tower light up like never before (with the exception of every other time it has done so) and, after observing hundreds of public intoxication citations waiting to happen, decided to return to the Red Light District. Just as we entered the Metro station, however, we got the red light on leaving because the police gassed the station – gratis! Thus, we exited the station just as quickly as we entered it.
In exchange for the free fare, grope, smell (of hair and in the air) and gas, MiniMe threw up in Paris – also gratis!