I visited Montreal on business a while back and was treated with general disgust and rudeness every time I entered a restaurant or store and asked if there was an English menu or someone who spoke English. I realize that I was the one out of place, and I was trying to do the best that I could.

I tried an experiment. When I would enter a restaurant or store I would say, before anything else, "I'm sorry, but I am from the States and do not speak French do you....." It made all of the difference in the world. Everyone was friendly and very helpful. They asked what part of the US. They told me about visiting the US. Sometimes it was still difficult, but everyone was great.

I would walk through a mall and go in many stores. Some I would say I was from the US and some I would not. In those where they thought I was a Canadian that did not speak French, I would be treated rudely or ignored. If they knew I was from the US, just the opposite.

Of course, this is anecdotal evidence and may be limited to the specific people that I talked with. Maybe not......