Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

So if you caught someone in the act of robbing you in your bastille, can you beat them up?  Shoot them?  Would you get in more trouble than the robber would?

You are unlikely to possess a gun, though it is possible to do so.  In the country, a lot of farmers will have a long gun.  We had a large group come over - retirees from the company the wife worked for, about 60 of them, for a tour.  We had about 20 over to our house and they were to a person astonished we had no walls around the yard.  One guy said they would build walls to the sky if they could.  I told him quietly "Well, here we just have guns."  He nodded.

My good friend in France was beat up in his own garage by three bums.  They took his watch and wallet and a few other items from the garage.  He said reporting it to the police would be a waste of time.  He went to the hospital for his injuries, didn't stay over night.  He's 75.  He left his garage door up briefly to walk into his fenced backyard and when he returned a few minutes later they were in the garage.

He lives in a small village about 60 miles east of Paris.  

We usually stay at a friend's guest house in Fontainebleau.  The house is surrounded by 30 foot walls and heavy doors that have a thick metal bar that reinforced the doors because they were forced one night,  These are heavy metal doors.  We don't go out without securing all of that, it's a bit of a pain at times.

This is in a good part of town.

The wife would never live in France and this is one reason for that.  

I could tell a lot of stories, but basically I adopt a different mindset when we're there.  You probably won't be hurt, but you can easily be robbed.  You don't leave your wallet out at a restaurant, you don't let the credit card out of your sight ever, I carry a fake wallet in my hip pocket.  I am very careful with how I place my camera.  The wife has a special pocketbook for use in France.

Sounds similar to New York City--with the "squeegee men"--just prior to Rudy Guliani's term as mayor.
Is there no law-and-order movement/political party in France?

The French seem to accept it as how things are.  There is of course Le Pen who blames immigrants for what ails you. 

I should mention that France is a lovely country and I visit often.

There are some very good large French companies out there like Michelin and Saffron that are world class.  French cars are OK now.  Japanese and Korean cars are making inroads relative to 2007 when I first visited.

My friend was flight engineer on a Super Constellation when he did his military service.  He said it was the best three engined aircraft in the world.

When he was 8, he had a German trooper point his Mauser at him and laugh in Brittany.  He's had an interesting life, grew up poor on a farm and became President of a large aircraft engine company.  He lived in Ohio for 6 years and travels a lot.

So Le Pen's message is get rid of the immigrants and--snap!--the real French will become law-abiders?
The remark about the Super Connie puzzles me a little.  Was he saying that they had lots of engine failures, hence they flew a lot on three engines?  Or that, if you're going to lose an engine, the Super Connie is the best airplane on which to have that happen?
IIRC, the Super Connie had a bazillion-cylinder turbo-compound engine set up like the B-50 and KC-97.

EDIT: The Super Constellation was powered by four turbo-compounded 18-cylinder Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclones.

Is that a Bentley emblem above the grille?

The demise of the station wagon is interesting, to me.  Very practical vehicles  Some variants could perform like a sports car.  But, folks think they look dowdy and they are not stylish (whatever that means).  The minivan is also a dying breed despite their practicality.  Folks desire style over function even with a conveyance meant to be functional.  Station wagons are even becoming rare in Europe.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/bentley-sportscar-concept-to-debut-in-paris-48811.html

Bentley concept car, but the emblem resembles that of Genesis the second photo in that series.