Burning cars???

It is reported in the US that %26quot;Over the past several days, protesters have torched approximately 1,147 cars in Paris.%26quot; Could this possibly be true?? Where do most of these take place? Is it safe to visit? What is the purpose of burning cars?

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Oh not to worry. This is just the annual %26quot;torching of the winter%26quot; fete. Sort of akin to the Guy Faulk Day in th UK.

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The car burnings that have blighted several New Years Eves in recent years tend to occur in the rougher housing estates on the edges of Paris and some other French towns. It is not something you%26#39;d see in the areas most tourists are likely to visit.

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You really need to put this New Year%26#39;s Eve %26#39;..event..%26#39; into perspective...and LOCATION. If you were paying attention to the news reports, you might%26#39;ve noticed that this was a holiday-specific %26#39;event%26#39; and limited to economically hard-hit SUBURBS of Paris and regions all over France...NOT Paris itself. It%26#39;s also worth noting another not-so-minor-detail that the 1,147 number was for ALL of France...NOT just Parisian suburbs. It%26#39;s a bit like extending the general rowdiness around Eiffel Tower and Champs Élysées on New Year%26#39;s Eve to Paris all of the other 364 nights of the year. It just doesn%26#39;t happen.

The NOT-so-minor-details--

iht.com/articles/2009/01/01/europe/france.php

time.com/time/…00.html

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I have lived in Paris for 7 years and have never seen a burning car. I have also never been mugged or felt threatened. I lived in Chicago before Paris and feel that Paris is much safer than Chicago.

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i think it is a regular occurence during the New year%26#39;s eve night, every year, BUT in the suburbs and in the rough areas of France, not inner Paris.

Very safe to visit and to live in. Been in Paris 10 years, never felt threatened

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It is a very weird French thing, but unless you are an automobile, you%26#39;re safe.

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There were also a number of cars torched and otherwise destroyed on Saturday (Jan 3), at the end of a march in protest to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Also, lots of store windows were destroyed. There were about 25,000 people marching. This was on Blvd. Haussmann, an ordinarily very safe and staid neighborhood. So my advice would be to stay away from protests, at least for the moment, and especially if you are an American.

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As has been said, it is a very weird French thing.

There was also a suggestion in the French national press that many of the cases, a figure of 20% to 30% was mentioned, are where owners burnt their own cars to claim the insurance. Under new French regulations, drivers can claim for cars burnt during civil disturbances, even if they do not have insurance for fire.

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Now I%26#39;m curious. Traditionally at bonfires and campfires in the US, culinary %26#39;staples%26#39; are often hot dogs or marshmallows (%26#39;S%26#39;mores%26#39;--toasted marshmallow, Hersey chocolate bar between graham crackers a traditional favorite) Is there any similar culinary %26#39;staple%26#39; for %26#39;car fires%26#39; in France?? Toasted baguette slices %26amp; Nutella, perhaps ??..What sort of wine would compliment it ??..or is the %26#39;event%26#39; too new to have resolved the issues ??

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You are very bad, KDK...(lol)