Anonymous wrote:I was just about to post that it's probably French. We are French and love speaking to a couple of staff members in French. However we rarely go now, because the parking is terrible and the newer TJs in Bethesda is closer to our house.

I have lived in multiple countries, OP, and have been surrounded by Britishers, Germans, Spaniards, Japanese, etc. I attended an international private school in Paris. It's culturally and emotionally important for immigrants or foreigners to connect with others in their native language. When I hear Americans talking to each other in France, or in any other non-US country, I am happy that they found each other and can talk their own language together. Even if they're loud, even if there are others right there who cannot understand them. It's not rude. It's healthy.

You should extend some grace, instead of being xenophobic (and racist, because I know who you're thinking of).

Anonymous wrote:I was just about to post that it's probably French. We are French and love speaking to a couple of staff members in French. However we rarely go now, because the parking is terrible and the newer TJs in Bethesda is closer to our house.

I have lived in multiple countries, OP, and have been surrounded by Britishers, Germans, Spaniards, Japanese, etc. I attended an international private school in Paris. It's culturally and emotionally important for immigrants or foreigners to connect with others in their native language. When I hear Americans talking to each other in France, or in any other non-US country, I am happy that they found each other and can talk their own language together. Even if they're loud, even if there are others right there who cannot understand them. It's not rude. It's healthy.

You should extend some grace, instead of being xenophobic (and racist, because I know who you're thinking of).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What language were they speaking?

It's French. A lot of the workers there are African. I like it!

I'm all for normalizing not speaking English! I'm born here and speak English fluently, and I love speaking to my kids in another language. Some people act weird about it, and then when I flip to English they really are so confused. I can literally hear their world expanding.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What language were they speaking?

It's French. A lot of the workers there are African. I like it!

I'm all for normalizing not speaking English! I'm born here and speak English fluently, and I love speaking to my kids in another language. Some people act weird about it, and then when I flip to English they really are so confused. I can literally hear their world expanding.

Anonymous wrote:I don’t shop there because of the parking. I can’t believe they haven’t closed it with the new one opened.

I don’t think it’s rude to customers but it might be rude to coworkers and potentially in violation of antidiscrimination laws. Can you imagine if all your coworkers were Salvadoran and insisted on speaking in Spanish and you were Vietnamese and couldn’t understand them? It can be potentially exclusionary and send a message to the monitory worker that they are not welcome in the workplace. I’ve seen that happen before.

But OP’s post reminds me al little of the Seinfeld repulsive where Elaine was convinced the nail salon women were making fun of her in Korean.

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you aren’t smart enough to speak many languages and have friends at work without telling me…….

Anonymous wrote:What language were they speaking?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or, to PP (17:24): is it too much to ask from a customer to have a better shopping experience? No one said immigrants shouldn't speak their language and they may even need to speak only their language if they don't speak much English yet or because they simply prefer to. Loud staff could be a turnoff while shopping. If that is what is happening, maybe headphones is the way to go and/or grocery pickup.

I wish Tradeer Joe's did curbside pick up. I don't know why they don't. I didn't shop there for a couple of years after I discovered curbside pickup and Whole Foods/Amazon Fresh delivery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does this bother you? If they aren't speaking with you, what does it matter?

Because it's rude, that's why. I don't shop there anymore because the new one down the street is so much bigger and has parking. But yeah, you shouldn't be talking in another language in front of people who don't understand it, same as you shouldn't be whispering in front of others. Basic manners.