Gatineau Hospital Orderly Insult Veteran Over English Language Use

[The_Squid]

Imagine. Two people whose first language is French speaking French together. The f'ing nerve of them.

That's what I was thinking.... I was wondering where the issue was, or what the point was.

[cybercoma]

I think it means those damn Frenchmen should know better than to speak their filthy tongue around their English superiors. Argus would have to confirm.

[Guest]

It's called manners.

[jbg]

This is related, but quite aside from the thread. Out of curiosity, do you speak French? My wife wants to travel to Québec City sometime, but I'm worried about the language barrier. My French is awful. I don't speak or understand it very well at all. Is Québec City like Montréal due to tourism, i.e., most people are bilingual in Québec City?

Seriously, you'll probably love Quebec City and have a great time. It is a bit of a tourist trap but still fun.

[jbg]

Imagine. Two people whose first language is French speaking French together. The f'ing nerve of them.

Well my parents, when I was seven, used Spanish or French when they didn't want me to understand. Done among adults that's plain rude.

[Smallc]

Even when it's....one of our official languages?

[The_Squid]

Some people sure are sensitive.... Don't worry... They aren't talking about you....

[jbg]

Even when it's....one of our official languages?

Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation.

[cybercoma]

Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation.

No. That's not the purpose. The purpose is that it's easier to communicate in one's first language and French is their first language. You're inability to understand French is inconsequential and it's pretty ethnocentric to think that it's about you anyway.

[Smallc]

Especially then, since the purpose is to exclude the English-speaker from the conversation.

That makes zero sense.

[jbg]

Not when an English-speaker was originally part of the discussion, a bi-lingual person joins and then the discussion proceeds in French.

[bleeding heart]

Right...an individual case of rudeness.

Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French.

[jbg]

Right...an individual case of rudeness.

Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French.

We're talking about a bunch of different transactions. And I'm sure English-speakers sometimes are guilty of this.

However, after the Labor Day Weekend 2006 windstorm, a bunch of workers were slacking off in my neighborhood rather than cleaning damaged trees. The partying stopped when I addressed them in Spanish. It happened I had a tree leaning on my kitchen window. Fortunately, the window didn't break and the tree was removed before my house was damaged.

[waldo]

We're talking about a bunch of different transactions. And I'm sure English-speakers sometimes are guilty of this.

However, after the Labor Day Weekend 2006 windstorm, a bunch of workers were slacking off in my neighborhood rather than cleaning damaged trees. The partying stopped when I addressed them in Spanish.

ahhh, to live in such a great country that even arborists have a command of the Spanish language. Only in America... only in America!

[Argus]

No. That's not the purpose. The purpose is that it's easier to communicate in one's first language and French is their first language. You're inability to understand French is inconsequential and it's pretty ethnocentric to think that it's about you anyway.

I"m not sure where you live, but apparently you live in blissful ignorance of life and its realities. As someone else said, it's basic manners not to insult and exclude another person present by speaking in a language they don't undrestand. Briefly, yes, but to go into an office where they are speaking with someone, or to sit at the table where they are at, and engage in a long convesation in French you know they don't understand is rock bottom ignorant. Frankly, no one with even a modicum of manners would think that was anything but ignorant and rude, which tells a lot about what kind of a person you are.

[Argus]

Right...an individual case of rudeness.

Not quite a large-scale social issue underlining the iniquities of the French.

I don't know that you can find a unilingual anglphone who works in Ottawa's public service who has not experienced this many times.

[bleeding heart]

I don't know that you can find a unilingual anglphone who works in Ottawa's public service who has not experienced this many times.

Speculation about others' possible personal anecdotes doesn't sound altogether convincing.

Or maybe there's something about the language of French that simply makes people behave abominably....an odd theory, and one that I've never experienced growing up in the only officially bilingual region in North America......

[cybercoma]

I"m not sure where you live, but apparently you live in blissful ignorance of life and its realities. As someone else said, it's basic manners not to insult and exclude another person present by speaking in a language they don't undrestand. Briefly, yes, but to go into an office where they are speaking with someone, or to sit at the table where they are at, and engage in a long convesation in French you know they don't understand is rock bottom ignorant. Frankly, no one with even a modicum of manners would think that was anything but ignorant and rude, which tells a lot about what kind of a person you are.

Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies.

I'll let you rethink your response in that regard.

[bleeding heart]

Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies.

I'll let you rethink your response in that regard.

This underlines the point I just made, so thanks.

[Guest]

I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up.

[bleeding heart]

I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up.

Exactly my point.

[cybercoma]

I don't understand this. Regardless of the language, the situation described by Argus involved two ignorant, bad mannered people. It has nothing to do with French or English. The same exchange in Vancouver involving Chinese and Israeli coworkers would indicate the same thing. Someone messed up in the bringing up.

Regardless of language?

So if you're in the room with another person who uses english as a first language and an Asian person who has difficulty with English, do you switch to their Asian language for them?

[Guest]

Regardless of language?

So if you're in the room with another person who uses english as a first language and an Asian person who has difficulty with English, do you switch to their Asian language for them?

If I and the person I'm talking to are fluently bilingual, as Argus described, and the third person is fluent in one language only, of course I would. It would be unthinkable not to.

[Topaz]

I don't care if the orderly was French-speaking or English, he showed no compassion to a dying man and if he did to this man, how many has he done it to or will?

[Argus]

Let me tell you this. I live in New Brunswick, am anglophone, and a lot of my work puts me in contact with the government and its agencies.

I'll let you rethink your response in that regard.

Then your comments were even more astonishingly ignorant and stupid than I'd previously thought.

Edited November 15, 2013 by Argus