Letter: Leader in waiting

Sir: Andrew Bluhm (letter, 16 August) explains the "rudeness and cheating" of some restaurants in France by their taking on "large numbers of French students" in the summer. I have not in 20-odd years of living in tourist centres in France met rudeness or cheating. Nor have I met any but rarely changing professional staff, often pretty cold, brisk and correct on a first visit, but usually very friendly over the years.

Is he thinking of President Chirac? As a student, he did work in a restaurant - in the US. Few French restaurants would have accepted him as serious.

JOHN LIVINGSTONE

Biarritz, France