UBER Driver Fined for Not Speaking English (Miami: credit card, how much)

[pslhomie]

Originally Posted by papuolo

You're are hitting the wrong places, just like visiting a realtor, dealership or pub in Magalluf -Mallorca- speaking Spanish.

They won't change their ways if you are a blatant minority, they will only change if they lose many customers for not speaking fluent English.

Perhaps people go to those places because they speak Spanish.

Market.

Perfect as long as you intend to spend your entire life in Miami. That's not what America is. Don't give up your culture but do adopt the culture of the country you're in. Not doing so degrades Miami in the long run.

[Bobdreamz]

Originally Posted by pslhomie

I once gave a toll worker a $5 and he didn't know how to speak English or count money. He kept trying to tell me in Spanish that I was giving him a fake bill. After a couple of minutes arguing I took my money and drove off. When I got to work I called the toll booth to let them know just in case he tried to say I ran the toll. The supervisor apologized and said he would correct the situation.


I went to an open house this weekend and the Realtor didn't speak English. It was horrible. Gave me the impression that she only wanted Spanish speaking buyers.


I went to a Toyota dealer and walked out because none of the salesmen spoke English. Went to Home Depot Sunday and they were blaring Spanish music in the store.


It's getting harder and harder for English speakers here in Miami because people come here and refuse or find it so comfortable that they don't learn the English language. In the end it only hurts them. Now that a lot of things are becoming automated there is little need to speak to people.


How many times have you walked in on a conversation (that you don't even care to listen to) and it is being done in English and suddenly they notice you and switch to Spanish?


All of this may sound racist but its not. I'm making the point that people should not give up their culture but learn the culture they came here to join as well.

Exactly how do they notice that you don't speak Spanish and only English? Sounds like Gringo paranoia.

[MyITGuy]

Originally Posted by Bobdreamz

Exactly how do they notice that you don't speak Spanish and only English? Sounds like Gringo paranoia.

Could be friends/family or co-workers. This issue was one of our top complaints last year, but since Spanish is required for some portions of their job (Bi-lingual calls) we could not set an office wide policy to enforce what languages must be spoken in the office.

[papuolo]

Originally Posted by pslhomie

Perfect as long as you intend to spend your entire life in Miami. That's not what America is. Don't give up your culture but do adopt the culture of the country you're in. Not doing so degrades Miami in the long run.

But the culture of Miami is la cultura miamera. The culture of the country is miamera, papo. That's why they speak Spanish, everybody expects they will speak Spanish.

Say, there were 6 or 7 restaurants in Tel Aviv that served pork....but it was not what people expected from Tel Aviv...so they don't sell pork anymore,

What is America? America is what people make of it..no official language, no fascist cultural institutions.

[papuolo]

Originally Posted by MyITGuy

Could be friends/family or co-workers. This issue was one of our top complaints last year, but since Spanish is required for some portions of their job (Bi-lingual calls) we could not set an office wide policy to enforce what languages must be spoken in the office.

You can't enforce a language in a service/tourist/bilingual-trilingual area. Perhaps in some place lost in the countryside. If you travel inland from were I'm now and go to a little shop in some little town, they will talk to you in Catalan and perhaps they will call a youngster to speak to you in Spanish, English, French or whatever...But imposition, has been tried here and it was a failure.

But if English -that are not the brightest linguists-have no problem with Spanish here, then those English speakers there must have some attitude problem.

All Americans travelling around Spain know Spanish, not Cervantez, some Mexican accent, but they get along, do they belong to another class?

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by papuolo

What is America? America is what people make of it..no official language, no fascist cultural institutions.

America... the "United States" - States, United. States often make their own laws... While the USA may not have an official federal language, a majority of States, including Florida, have adopted English as the official language. For the sake of this discussion, in Florida, English is absolutely the official language and requiring drivers providing a service to the public to speak English is very reasonable. Tourism is a huge part of our economy, that woman refusing to learn English is hurting all of us by damaging our image with new visitors and tourists.

[OptimusPrime69]

Originally Posted by BNBR

America... the "United States" - States, United. States often make their own laws... While the USA may not have an official federal language, a majority of States, including Florida, have adopted English as the official language. For the sake of this discussion, in Florida, English is absolutely the official language and requiring drivers providing a service to the public to speak English is very reasonable. Tourism is a huge part of our economy, that woman refusing to learn English is hurting all of us by damaging our image with new visitors and tourists.

"hurting all of us"
lol, a little dramatic, considering the majority of Dade county residents speak SPANISH.

[papuolo]

Spanish is official in Dade. Tourism do not have any problem with Spanish, just the reverse.

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by OptimusPrime69

"hurting all of us"
lol, a little dramatic, considering the majority of Dade county residents speak SPANISH.

I would question whether a majority of tourists coming through the airport speak Spanish. When I said "hurting us all" - that was clearly regarding tourism and the cities image. These laws are in place for EXACTLY that reason. It's not dramatic. English requirements exist for a reason, and that's so English speaking visitors can comfortably communicate with their driver. It's ridiculous to have a driver that doesn't speak English.

Do you realize in other countries they have English speaking requirements for persons in certain positions? Especially the airport. Visit almost any airport in Europe and virtually every single employee that interfaces with the public speaks acceptable English. Not just airports, either, anywhere tourism related. But for some reason it's an issue in Florida, where English is the official language, to require a driver picking up AT THE AIRPORT specifically, to have basic English skills to communicate with tourists and guests visiting our State?

As someone who travels to northern Europe often, I find it just that much more utterly ridiculous that so many in Miami don't speak any English at all. You won't meet anyone under 60 in Denmark, Norway, Germany, etc. that doesn't speak pretty good English. It's a requirement in schooling, they put effort in... yet you come across more people in Miami who don't speak English than these European countries. It's astonishing. It becomes borderline offensive and insulting when you consider the only reason they don't speak English is because they simply don't care. Well, maybe this Uber driver will take the nearly free ESOL classes offered by the school district and put even a modicum of effort into their profession. I doubt it they will, because who cares, right? Screw America, screw English, vote Democrat, where's my food stamps!

http://www.mdc.edu/ce/sp/ae/esol.aspx

[angelscorpio]

Originally Posted by BNBR

I would question whether a majority of tourists coming through the airport speak Spanish. When I said "hurting us all" - that was clearly regarding tourism and the cities image. These laws are in place for EXACTLY that reason. It's not dramatic. English requirements exist for a reason, and that's so English speaking visitors can comfortably communicate with their driver. It's ridiculous to have a driver that doesn't speak English.

Do you realize in other countries they have English speaking requirements for persons in certain positions? Especially the airport. Visit almost any airport in Europe and virtually every single employee that interfaces with the public speaks acceptable English. Not just airports, either, anywhere tourism related. But for some reason it's an issue in Florida, where English is the official language, to require a driver picking up AT THE AIRPORT specifically, to have basic English skills to communicate with tourists and guests visiting our State?

As someone who travels to northern Europe often, I find it just that much more utterly ridiculous that so many in Miami don't speak any English at all. You won't meet anyone under 60 in Denmark, Norway, Germany, etc. that doesn't speak pretty good English. It's a requirement in schooling, they put effort in... yet you come across more people in Miami who don't speak English than these European countries. It's astonishing. It becomes borderline offensive and insulting when you consider the only reason they don't speak English is because they simply don't care. Well, maybe this Uber driver will take the nearly free ESOL classes offered by the school district and put even a modicum of effort into their profession. I doubt it they will, because who cares, right? Screw America, screw English, vote Democrat, where's my food stamps!

ESOL | Adult Education | School of Continuing Education & Professional Development | Miami Dade College

I agree except for one thing. I think Latinos are between the devil and the deep blue sea when it comes to learn English. If everybody want Latinos speak English it should be for free or at least less expensive. Most Latinos do want to learn it but it's expensive. A season in Miami Dade is rounding with books $1200 not to mention most teachers, with some exceptions, are low-quality Cubans that barely touch those expensive books. Also, there are no respect for schedules and there is an uncontrollable scuffle into classrooms and everybody speaks Spanish in there. Classes that supposedly should last three hours is reduced to two and so on. Most of the ESL (english for adults) students are those just newcomers that haven't shown any taxes so they can get some financial aid. Other than that is hard for people to learn English. And in regarding the little "escuelitas" the level of English is very questionable. And to add up to the fuel, let's say that someone did finish the ESL program. There is very few people to practice with in Miami, so people either keep a broken English, or just get out of practice. Only the North MDC is really serious in enforcing English everywhere, other than that is to smithwright it.