L'américain in Paris

I've been in Paris for 24 hours and there's a shocking quota of Americans (and perhaps, but honestly not so sure, anglo peeps) that can't switch their thank yous for mercis. Come on everyone knows merci. Maybe it's particular to the Marais and les Halles but come on, even the daftest of Frenchies is able to switch his native semiotic reflexes for a thanks when in an English speaking country.

I'm not a puritan but I'm all about integration - so if you loved all that Hemmingway and Shakespeare and co. give more than the muted buildings a chance. merci.