In article , Lobster
writes

Hmph. I (an Englishman) remember holidaying in France many years ago
and visiting the baker with a view to the acquisition of some breakfast.
Behind the counter were racks upon racks of freshly-baked baguettes.
"Un baguette, s'il vous plait!" I said, in my best schoolboy French,
when my turn came.

"Huh?" Much Gallic shrugging and furrowing of brows ensued. "Un
baguette, s'il vous plait!"

Zilch. I mean, I'm sure my accent isn't the best, but come on, how bad
can it be?

My new friend consulted her colleague at the counter, and the shrugs
just doubled. Mystified, I pointed at the shelves behind her, and
repeated my request again.

"Ah - vous voulais UNE baguette!" and realisation apparently finally
dawned, as she handed one over. FFS. Excuse me for forgetting that
your bread is female.

Symptomatic of why France is not my destination of choice for holidays.

I think you'll find dicks wherever you go but I may have been lucky. My
nicest experiences were in the south where reputedly things are a bit
more laid back. The guys at the ticket counter in Gare du Nord were
utter arseholes but they may have been worn down by (some) English
speaking foreigners expecting English to be spoken wherever they went.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .