Parisians are well known for their fashion savvy. Older women, especially, are decked out in what we Canucks would consider Sunday best – even though they may only be taking the dog for a stroll or picking up a baguette from the corner boulangerie.

As we noted this week, even young schoolgirls seem to have a way of wearing their everyday duds that oozes style.

I suppose, then, that I shouldn’t have been so surprised by this sight. As we made our way down a Left Bank sidestreet, a firetruck – complete with screaming sirens and flashing lights – pulled up right beside us.

All of the firemen on board jumped out of the vehicle as soon as it screeched to a stop. Most of them immediately started hauling hose and equipment from inside the truck.

However while his buddies were racing off in all directions, the driver, bless his soul (as they occasionally say in the American south when someone does something quite absurd for which there is no rational explanation), jumped down from behind the wheel, shoe brush in hand and proceeded to bend over and shine up the toes on his boots.

I can only assume that there are ho-hum, everyday emergencies, and then there are the real Fashion 911’s!