French car burning record attempt fails

According to French news agency AFP, boisterous French youths, who traditionally welcome in the New Year with street riots and an orgy of car burning, were quite well behaved this year:

This New Year's Eve in France was relatively peaceful, with figures suggesting fewer cars were torched than in [2008]...

"It is quiet for New Year's Eve -- no clashes with the police and no city violence," said one police source in the Seine-et-Marne district just outside Paris.

"There were fewer cars burned than normal," said another in Val-de-Marne, also near the capital.

There is another take on the celebrations, however:

Youths burned 1,137 cars across France overnight as New Year's Eve celebrations once again turned violent, the French Interior Ministry said on Friday.

Thus the car burning record established a year ago - 1,147 - still stands. It's almost like French kiddies have given up trying.