France: Either or Or

Before travelling to France, I heard horror story after horror story about rude French people, that they're impossible, refuse to speak to you in French even if you have addressed them so and generally wish you didn't exist.
Let me correct this fallacy: only half of all French people are like this. The other half are brilliant, kind, funny and sweet. Like the gentleman who runs the crepe place up the street from my hostel in Montpellier, who discusses his favorite movie actors with us, and talked about the French author Marcel Pagnol who he says really stirs the emotions. He was absolutely lovely.

Compare him to the wait staff we had at a cafe this afternoon. My friend went to get change for a twenty and the the woman behind the counter said they had no change, and perhaps he should try to find a little cafe that could help him. My friend was understandably confused, seeing as we were AT A LITTLE CAFE. Then the waiter refused to give us change for the twenty, and had the gall to tell me that in France NO ONE USES A FIVE EURO BILL. EVER. French people only use tens or twenties. Nothing else. It should be noted he said this while waving around the only five euro bill he happened to have in my face.

So, we did the only reasonable thing, and paid the bill in one, two and five cent pieces, because he obviously needed some change.

France really is either terrifc or terrible. Nothing in between.