Ugly American or just frustrated customer? Nabbalicious and I go to Chipotle almost every Wednesday. I get a chicken burrito bol (lettuce, no rice, black beans, pinto beans, mild salsa, corn salsa and sometimes sour cream) and she gets a chicken fajita burrito. It's set up kind of like a Subway. You go down the line and choose what you want on your burrito. They ask if you want black beans or pinto beans. I always ask for both. But, and here's the rub, the person behind the counter never understands what I'm saying. Yesterday, the conversation went like this: Him: Black beans or pintos beans? Me: Can I have both please? Him: Black? Me: No both. Him: Pinto? Me: No. Both please. Him: No beans? Me: No. Both! Both! (I do the hand gesture for "two") Finally, he understands. This happens EVERY time we go. I understand the guy (or whoever is there. It's not always the same person) doesn't speak English that well. That's fine. I'm not one of those people who thinks everyone in the world should speak English. All I'm saying is that companies shouldn't put people in positions where they can't understand what the customer is saying. It's frustrating for the worker and for the customer. Yesterday, though, I had a bad feeling after sitting down to eat my hard-won burrito bol. Like I had been mean to him. I hope I wasn't because I didn't mean to be. Nabbalicious suggested that I look up the Spanish word for "both." Lightbulb moment! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?! Seriously. WHY?! That's what has me feeling like an Ugly American. It didn't even occur to me to learn something to make it easier. So I looked it up. And next Wednesday, when he asks which beans I would like, I will say: ambos frijoles, por favor. Oh and, gracias!