excuse me????
By jesi06
@jesi06 (279)
United States
December 31, 2006 9:25pm CST
Well, this tops the cake as far as I am concerned. Now hear me out, I don't have anything against ANYONE! I feel that everyone is entitled to live wherever in the world they want, but please please learn the language which is spoken in that country. I stopped for gas tonight while on a long trip. After paying $30 in gas I really got hit with a "restroom alert", I then went into the gas station and asked if they had a restroom. A man there muttered something that did not in the least sound like the English language. I then politely said "Excuse me? What was that?" This other man who was working with him (who was also middle eastern) yelled "Don't you understand English, he said it is the door on the left" "Oh WOW EXCUSE ME" I said, I mean darn I could have found it myself had it had a sign on it that said something like maybe "RESTROOM" on it. This door looked to be that of a closet. How RUDE is that??? If he had actually spoken English I would have been able to understand him. I can understand many who speak the language even when they have a strong accent. Has something like this ever happen to anyone else?
6 people like this
26 responses
@kawillow74 (1416)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I totaly agree with you and what is even worse is when they are calling your house all the time for this and that. I tell them when they can speak and I can understand to give me a call back until then don't call.
@mirage108 (3402)
• United States
1 Jan 07
Well I have not had that type of experiance. I have been working as a helpdesk tech for a small company who ownes convience stores. Now my job was to provide support to those stores for the computers that we have put in them and for maintenance dispaching. Everyone spoke english just fine, It just took me a while to get use to the accents some of them were fine, and some were real heavy making them real hard to understand. So if your around them long enough you get use to the accent and it is easier to understand.
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
2 Jan 07
Thank you for your input. Although I am not one for a argument I must say this..I believe you are contradicting yourself and please someone tell me if I am wrong as I am NO rocket scientist, but when you say "Everyone spoke English just fine. Then in the same sentence you say "it just took me a while to get use to the accents" "some were real heavy making them real hard to understand"...this to me sounds like they are NOT speaking English just fine. Am I wrong here?
@SageMother (2277)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I certainly nope you contacted the owner of the station to complain.
I have come to the point where I won't talk with someone who cannot speak the language well enough to be easily understood. I have had horrible expericnes trying to get help from people in "call centers" that are staffed by American companies in the outsourcing frenzy. This happens all too often. My next step will to simmply refuse to do business with companies where I have to spend time trying to deipher the version of english being spoken when I have to have help with a product.
It is ridiculous!
@mamabulldog60 (351)
• United States
1 Jan 07
Drive thru restaurants are a hoot when the speaker person does not speak english, maybe if businesses did not hire illegals, communication would be easier. I wouldn't dream of going to a country and NOT know the language.
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
1 Jan 07
I give credit to all that are speaking, writing or at least attempting english. It is a very difficult language to learn. It does seem rather absurd to me for all these drive thru's put people there that can't speak english very well and are hard to understand. It's not that person's fault that they aren't fluent. It's the responsibility of the manager to make sure the customers can understand what is being said. I find it extremely frustrating but at least they are trying to learn a language other than their own.
And what makes you think someone is ilegal just because they don't speak the language...that is absurd.
Check out this link to read about how difficult english as a language is.
http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/literacy/reading.asp
@mamabulldog60 (351)
• United States
2 Jan 07
They have to go thru citizenship classes, which would at least give them a nodding acquaintence with english, I'm pretty sure they are not taught our history in their language during class
@rmuxagirl (7548)
• United States
1 Jan 07
I have had a couple professors in college who could not speak the language effectively. Which made taking their classes even harder then it would have been.
It's hard when you don't understand someone I mean what the guy did you was rude I mean you could have just not heard him I mean you said he muttered. Some people get on my nerves...
@pinklilly (3443)
• Australia
1 Jan 07
I've come across had to understand attendants but never Rude ones, There is usually a sign saying toilets or a picture of male & female. sometimes when they are located outside of the store you will need to get the key from them.
Your experience They were really rude it can be hard to understand many people at times and especially if you have been on the road for a while you can become distort with your hearing.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
2 Jan 07
lol... If he would have yelled that at me I would have yelled back... Well as a matter of fact I know ENGLISH as a FIRST language... and YOU? I can't tolerate rudeness, especially to customers, no matter what the instance. I have often come across people in the US that don't speak English well. I don't think they should have jobs where they have to communicate with the public as part of the job unless they speak it fluently and well.
@anjalisk2005 (1492)
• India
5 Jan 07
hmmm this is quite a everyday scene here in India.we have many regional lanuages and only the educated know english.so if u know the local lang then its better but if u don't know then u r in a soup.
@feelinggood (217)
• Canada
1 Jan 07
Well, it seems to me that, we are talking about the human condition, not necessarily what language the person speaks. Unfortunatley, some people are just rude and ignorant, and they speak all kinds of languages, and come from everywhere. I know it is upsetting, when someone treats you that way, but I have found that it is better to just try to rise above it, so that they may perhaps learn the lesson. Maybe they will, and maybe they won't, but I won't let it ruin my day. No one can make you feel angry or upset, unless you let them.
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
1 Jan 07
This is true and if it wouldn't happen so often I really wouldn't pay any mind to it, but it seems to be happening QUITE frequently. It gets to be very annoying. It's not just the gas stations either, it's everywhere you look and call anymore. Almost every time I call "customer service" for my credit cards,AOL,phone,etc. I get people who don't seem to speak English even AFTER I "pressed 1 for English" LOL this is crazy. What's worse, is the fact that they get upset with ME because I can't understand what they are saying. It is just as Controvery_Queen stated..you are made to feel as though YOU are in a foreign country. There are many who come here and speak English and in my book they get the "E" for effort, that's great. I don't care that they have an accent it makes them who they are and that should never be forgotten. My complaint is basically only toward those that don't. When I went to Puerto Rico a few years back I did NOT go there and expect them to speak English nor did I make a fool out of them if I did not understand. You either speak Spanish or get lost and starve :) I must say though that many of them spoke better English than people living here in PA.
@xXmeganxX (4420)
•
2 Jan 07
i have this same problem in a small shop by mine, i asked politley to the cashier where was the shampoo, he mumbled something and i said sorry and he shouted OVER THERE, i said ok ok calm down, god would i ever go back in there, that really annoys me!
@zoeokeeffe (184)
•
1 Jan 07
I think this has more to do with the person you spoke to having no manners rather than it being down to a language barrier. There are many people who migrate to other countries for economic or social reasons and many will not have the resources to learn the language of the country they are moving to before they leave - and have you ever treid to learn another language? Its extremely difficult.
@jesi06 (279)
• United States
1 Jan 07
I do understand this and while I do agree that he was just rude, I also feel that until you know enough of the language to deal with the "general public" maybe one should have another type of job while learning it. In my instance it was the guy at the counter I asked for the restroom directions and the guy sweeping the floor who yelled at me. Could they not have maybe...switched places???
@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
1 Jan 07
Isnt it a legal regulation that they have to have a sign posted for the restroom? I was curious if that was true.? Isnt that because of the health department ect...?
@mytwo_daughters (2663)
• United States
2 Jan 07
WEll I have not had any of the experiences I have read on here as of yet. Mind you I didn't read all the posts. The thing that really Pisses me off about gas stations is this....I feel if you work in a gas station...you should be able to direct someone to the nearest highway, or direct them around the neighborhood. I haven't had any bad situations with this as of yet...just nasty americans.
@Metallion (2227)
• United States
2 Jan 07
I don't know, it sounds like maybe he was trying since his coworker said he was trying to speak english. Maybe you just went on a rant on them and were rather rude. How well would you speak a foreign language that you didn't know if you moved to that country?
@babykay (2131)
• Ireland
2 Jan 07
Hi, I am laughing at some of the stories here. I am from Ireland where English is the first language and foreigners coming to live was almost unheard of prior to the 1990's!! That is at least outside of Dublin.
Right now however there have been massive increases in people from other parts of Europe, Nigeria and China coming here to live, work, seek asylum or do all manner of things.
One fear some people have is that there will not be enough integration and that people will wish to come here but preserve their "native" traditions - which is not a problem if they are not harmful. But lets face it, some traditions such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation are not on!! I know this is a little off the point but I just thought I would add it.
I also think it is really important to try and be welcoming to new people : )
@knucklehead (73)
• United States
2 Jan 07
What Really gets to me when I have to call someplace on a business matter and have to talk to somebody. If I can't understand them and they don't understand our language how do you know that what you calling for will get the proper treatment. I really think that's why so many bill get posted wrong and you end up paying more then you owe.
