We Asked 'What Should You Never Do In Montreal?' & People Didn’t Hold Back

Montrealers are proud people alright, especially when it comes to our food, culture and the Montreal Canadiens. So, when we asked locals what you should never do in Montreal, you bet the replies came in hot with some major faux pas montréalais.

For starters, we take our hockey very seriously. Not only do the Montreal Canadiens have the most Stanley Cup wins (even if it's been 30 years...) but we're one of the original six NHL teams, and Montrealers revel over that sh*t, okay?

"Wear a Leafs jersey" was a response received countless times, and no lies were detected. The Habs vs. Leafs rivalry is one that has stood the test of time, and there is no greater slap in the face to sports fans across the city than sporting a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. Just don't do it, alright?

Similarly, Montrealers are very passionate about their bagel game, and rightfully so, thus "comparing Montreal bagels to New York bagels," is one thing you should never do in Montreal — an answer that popped up plenty. Many comments even said to avoid comparing Montreal smoked meat to New York pastrami, and they are correct in every single possible way.

Okay, now Montreal roads and driving.

We get it, construction, traffic and parking are a mess in Montreal, and we wear that as a badge of honour. So, one thing you should never do in Montreal according to locals is "drive downtown during rush hour," "expect to find parking," and one of our faves; is "blindly trust Google Maps."

A few other responses include "getting a car wash in the winter," "driving with new wheels," and some more obvious but very useful replies such as "turning right on a red," and "cross a bike path without looking."

Things then took a more serious turn with many replies touching on the language situation here in Quebec. What should you never do in Montreal? Well, "speak English," "say 'bonjour' before 'hi'," and say "je parle pas français," were a few things that came up. Oh, and one that got us chuckling was "wave a Canadian flag on June 24,," which just so happens to be Saint-Jean-Baptiste day.

While these are all very solid replies, if there's truly one thing you should never do in Montreal, it's "talk bad about Céline Dion," as one person wrote — and if there's one takeaway from this, it's that the Quebec icon is and always will be untouchable.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.