English please

I have been lucky enough to have been able to travel to many different countries during my time on this planet. Never in my travels have I ever expected anyone in a country other than America, Australia, Canada or the U.K. to speak English. Note, some of the dialects in the U.K. took a while to understand, but I can say the same thing about Louisiana (p.s. F.U. Quebec) - . When I travel I usually take a translation dictionary in the case that my electronic devices don’t work. In the event that my attempt at their language doesn’t work (that happens often in Asia) I also carry a pad of paper and a pen so I can draw what I need. The later worked extremely well when I was trying to find a flashlight in a small town in Thailand. What pisses me off is I just drove to my local gas station to get some 7 UP because I had an upset stomach. It was after midnight so they had the door locked but you could order through the window and receive your purchase through a drop shoot. After asking for 7 UP I was shown “Corn Nuts” – NO! I said “it’s a drink” he responded with “No liquor”. I responded with “I want a soda beverage that is clear and sold in a green bottle”. I ended up with a bottle of Sprite because I was too frustrated to continue. Why is it that I have to carry a pad of paper and pencil or “press 1” to speak English when I live in America? Why do we do it when others don’t?