Around this time last year I mentioned that I’d bought my usual Paris-to-Cannes train ticket, and that the cost was 185 euros. In the comment thread Bob Strauss said “that sounds like a lot for train fare.” I agreed that the cost was high, but little did I know that I was being charged that amount because I was a clueless American. This morning I discovered that French natives who order SNCF/TGV train tickets online pay a lot less — 67 euros for the exact same first-class ticket. Repeating: I just paid 67 euros for a ticket would have cost 185 euros for if I’d bought it at Gare de Lyon in Paris, as I did last year. This is repulsive. I was half-overjoyed that I’d just saved 118 euros, and half-furious that I’ve been ripped off like a schmuck the last couple of years.