Not the original commenter, but I've heard that may just be a Paris thing which I think you're hinting at. I've personally been to Paris and had the expected negative experience, but in my singular visit to Montreal (not actually France), the people I talked to were very open to people trying to speak French. Heard that the Montreal experience is closer to the norm and Paris just kind of sucks.

Both, really. Maybe it helped that my first time was really only speaking to waitstaff or hotel employees, or pharmacists (I’d gotten a cold)? That first time my French was my worst, high school French and I’d been out of school 2 years (did not go to university right away). The next time I’d been to university and minored in French, and the last time I was with my wife’s family, who are French.