Spanish waiter vs. English-only rude tourists: “Like we’re born speaking English!”

A waiter from Asturias has taken to TikTok to vent about a frustrating run-in with a group of English-speaking tourists.

According to the waiter, the tourists expected him to be fluent in their language, even though they were visiting Spain.

The video struck a nerve, going viral as many resonated with his experience: the often one-sided expectation that everyone, no matter the country, should speak English, while tourists make zero effort to speak the local language.

“I’m making the effort to talk in English, but I’m not fluent!”

The waiter, who works in a local restaurant, explained that he usually ends up serving international customers because he has a basic level of English. “So I go over, explain the menu, no problem,” he said.

But things got tense when one of the tourists mentioned his wife’s allergy, possibly to vinegar. He didn’t catch the word the first time and politely asked for clarification.

That’s when, he says, the tone changed.

“The guy started speaking to me in a really rude way,” he recounted. “I’m making the effort to talk in English, but I’m not fluent. You tell me there’s an allergy, and I’m double-checking for your safety. And your response is that you shouldn’t have to clarify it? ‘Ask, ask, we don’t have to say it ourselves!’”

Is it OK to come to Spain and not even try to speak Spanish?

What really pushed his buttons was the sense of entitlement.

“When I go to England, I don’t expect people to understand me if I speak Spanish,” he said. “In France, I have to speak French. In Germany, I have to speak German. So why is it okay for English speakers to come to Spain and not even try?” he continued.

“It’s like they expect us to be born speaking English. That really bothers me,” he added.

He said that while it’s reasonable for hospitality workers to know some basic terms in other languages, respect and good manners go both ways.

“I should have known the word for ‘vinegar’, I agree, as I work in the hospitality sector. But honestly, the way they told me seems terrifying to me,” the waiter concluded.

Commenters took the waiter’s side: “If someone’s rude, I switch to Spanish!”

The waiter’s video lit up the comments section, with people quickly taking sides. “You’ve just met British arrogance,” one commenter wrote.

Another supported the waiter’s stance, saying: “If someone’s rude to me, I just switch to Spanish and let them deal with it.”

But not everyone agreed. “If you work in tourism, you should at least speak English,” someone argued. “Tourists aren’t here to stay long, and good communication is essential.”

Speak only English? You’ll be at a disadvantage in the future

Earlier this year, Freda Jackson’s story complaining about ‘too many Spaniards in Benidorm’ went viral. “Why can’t the Spaniards go somewhere else for their holidays?,” she was asking.

Stories like these keep stoking Europe’s debate on language, privilege, and who really holds the power in a conversation. In 2024, the British Council published research showing that nearly half of professionals in Europe believe English-only countries will be at a disadvantage in the future.

Read here more articles about life in Spain.