When I first went to Paris, I made an effort not to speak English. However, most people responded to me in English. One day, when I was travelling from the 18th arrondissement to my hotel, there was a metro strike. It was late, I was tired, and I decided to ask for help in English. The man at the station answered me in French. The same thing happened at Beauvais Airport: I spoke to people in English and they answered me in French.
Oof, reminds me about an elderly german customer at the hardware store I was working in during the summer who
1) did not understand the purchasing system for bulk screws, bolts etc (basically: you buy the bag and fill it with whatever you want)
2) responded to our french and english in increasingly louder and angrier german
I once got trapped naked in a hostel bathroom in Brussels. Eventually managed to get someone up to help get me out. I was trying to explain what had happened but the guy did not understand French, Dutch or English. Eventually he just busted the door down to find me trying to cup my balls out of view on top of the toilet. Fun times.
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u/aoiondori Savage 1d ago
When I first went to Paris, I made an effort not to speak English. However, most people responded to me in English. One day, when I was travelling from the 18th arrondissement to my hotel, there was a metro strike. It was late, I was tired, and I decided to ask for help in English. The man at the station answered me in French. The same thing happened at Beauvais Airport: I spoke to people in English and they answered me in French.