Feathered, I can only assume you've never operated into or out of a French airport.
I'm sure someone can provide the link to a well documented fatal accident at Paris CDG not too many years ago where a taxiing aircraft infringed a runway and was hit by a landing (or was it taking off?) aircraft. The PRIMARY reason for the accident was ATC speaking French to the French (the landing) aircraft and the pilot of the taxiing aircraft not understanding what they were saying to each other.
Parlez away in your local language to your collective hearts' content at regional airports where everyone speaks that language. However, the use of French at international airports in France and French dependencies reduces situational awareness for all non French speakers to a way beyond dangerous degree. It's a given that people have died because of it, and the French refusal to do away with its use can only be explained by one word - arrogance.
It's possible our children's children might be in a similar situation in the not too distant future with the use of Mandarin. But in the meantime, it's time the French accepted that fact that Bonaparte's days of glorie are long gone and in aviation at least, the French language has been supplanted by the language of the people they've never quite forgiven for bailing them out of two world wars - Anglais.
Edited to add: Hotel Mode, I see you incident was at night. I've had exactly that happen to me - AF 747 climbing through my level about 3NM away, (thankfully in day VMC), and if they were listening on any of 126.9, 128.95 and 121.5, not caring to reply to our repeated WTF? calls.
Last edited by MTOW; 24th Oct 2009 at 23:34.