An unnamed French man shattered the stereotype of the French being smooth, cultured lovers when he called his ex-girlfriend more than 21,000 times. The calls occurred over a 10-month period, averaging around 73 a day, only stopping after a court mediation. The man had fixed up her apartment while they were dating and wanted his money returned or, at the very least, a thank you for his time and effort.
The object of his ,stalking switched her phone lines and blocked his number, but he just started calling her parents' home phone and her work number. During a court mediation, she did thank him, and he has not contacted her since — probably because a judge has sentenced him to a year in jail, 1,000 euro fine, and a restraining order. He's also undergoing a psychiatric evaluation (he's been hospitalized for depression in the past). "I tell myself, with hindsight, that it was stupid," he said in court. "Stupid" is an interesting way to phrase it. I wonder how many phone calls in a row he would consider "crazy."