Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's surprising how many people don' t understand basic manners. Yes, it's great we have people from all over the world here -- and also we need to live together. These employees are not "other." They're just regular people with jobs at Trader Joe's who go home to make dinner at the end of the day, just like everyone else. And when they're at work they should be part of the larger group which is inclusive of all of us -- and in that group we speak English.

This is crazy. Its not rude to speak in public to a friend even if someone, who is not part part of the conversation, is present and doesn't understand the language bring spoken.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do all TJ stores play music over speakers? Woodmoor one is so busy can't remember.

Yes they all do and the music is TERRIBLE. Why do they think we share their taste in music? It's bad enough we have to look at their ugly shirts. I would spend way more time there and spend way more money if I weren't subjected to their terrible taste in music. Leave me alone so I can shop in peace. That goes for all grocery stores, but TJ's is particularly bad. The only store with worse music is Safeway which I haven't set foot in in years. I don't want to hear some white man wailing about how brown leaves swirling in the fall air have him missing his failed love. STFU and let me focus on shopping.

Anonymous wrote:It's surprising how many people don' t understand basic manners. Yes, it's great we have people from all over the world here -- and also we need to live together. These employees are not "other." They're just regular people with jobs at Trader Joe's who go home to make dinner at the end of the day, just like everyone else. And when they're at work they should be part of the larger group which is inclusive of all of us -- and in that group we speak English.

Anonymous wrote:Do all TJ stores play music over speakers? Woodmoor one is so busy can't remember.

Anonymous wrote:Frankly, at that TJ’s, I’m just happy to have survived the parking lot.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It's not French.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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).

I'm picturing in a cafe or running into each other on the sidewalk. No one would object to people speaking any language they want then. Don't pretend this is about racism or xonophobia because it's not. It's about basic manners, where the people around you feel included.

You do not need to be included in their conversation. Are you so lonely that you’re looking for inclusion just anywhere, including in TJ employee banter? Work on your own social skills and build your own circle so that you’re not looking for inclusion in random places.

OP didn't seem to want to be included in their conversation, rather was complaining about a less than optimal shopping experience due to it being loud (OP describes what/why it was loud). If the employees were blasting music on their personal phones during the time OP was shopping, OP might have also described how loud it was when shopping (regardless of what type of music).

I suspect that OP would not have been so excited if the noise was American.

Also, just to be very explicit, the staff member I know who speaks French is black. Let's be very clear about what this thread is really all about. OP is probably racist.