i haven't had much experience with French people, the only French person I've ever met was actually a pretty kind person. I'm aware this story very, very likely fabricated

comment from u/KombatKid, "I had a French quy fill my rental car with the wrong gas intentionally (diesel instead of regular gas) while I was on my way to Mont St. Michel, a place I had wanted to see ever since I was a little kid. I gave him so many more Euros than the gas was worth upfront. Yeah I know, stupid right? I couldn't get gas any other way. It was a sunday and the gas stations were closed so you needed a card to pump your gas. I knew little french, I was helpless. I waited at this small, abonded gas station for a half hour before a middle-aged man in a van showed up. I beckoned him over saying "hello" and "help" The gas-cap said what I needed right on it and I pointed to the man to show him. He nodded his head with all my money in his hand and pumped my gas car with a full tank of diesel. When my car sputtered to a stop maybe less than a half a mile away he drove by laughing and honking. Out of all of my travels no one has ever been meaner to me in my entire life. That man ended my dream of seeing Mont St. Michel forever, maybe. I have no idea when I'll get to go back to that part of France. That's why I hate the French."
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[–] 15 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

Honestly, I make an effort to learn some basic phrases in the language of any country I visit, in no small part to simply not get put in the same category as those who don't bother.

That and some of the more fun holiday memories I've got over the years started by me fumbling through the local language—as you say, most people are magnitudes more friendly if you don't give the impression you think everyone should speak your language

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago

    I don't get why people care about that, i mean sure if a foreign visitor shows up speaking actually good swedish i'd be pretty impressed but otherwise it kinda just feels a bit pretentious and cringy.

    It's not like speaking english means you're from an english-speaking country, and assuming that feels really anglocentric, ironically.

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