I think you said it all many years ago.
A post like this in the early hours of the morning, was alcohol a factor? Your title was enough to ensure that you would not get any sympathy from me, you make it sound as though tens of millions of people act in exactly the same way. My nearest British neighbours speak no French and I’ve been amazed by the number of local people who are happy to speak English to them. People that I had never considered would have more than a word or two of English.