I used to think that if there was one thing that could make a Frenchman bleed from the ears in fury, it would be mentioning McDonalds. Oh, next to Disney, of course.

Yet, while I was in France, particularly Paris, I saw a McDonalds every three blocks. I swear to God, you couldn't turn around without seeing one. This was a complete surprise to me. I expected the Paris McDonalds to consist of one franchise at the most, probably isolated behind razor wire. I never saw any strikers there, like the article mentions, but I did see French folks packing into the restaurants. I took my kids there a few times (to great acclaim), once when the meal presented at the restaurant was pronounced inedible, even by the tour guide.

McDonalds knows air conditioning. McDonalds knows ice in the drinks. McDonalds knows free toilets. McDonalds knows ketchup, but charges for it. Hey, nobody's perfect.

Current Happy Meal toys in France are all about this guy: