don't assume I can understand you.....

[KellyHabersham]

*just for clarification, my rant is NOT about whatever disability this woman might have had, 'tis with the fact that she seemed to get annoyed that I couldn't understand her*


I was doing some shopping at the mall today, and was sitting down in a chair trying to get my bags organized when a woman tapped me on the arm, said "ngg nnng uhhh", and showed me a map of the mall with a store name circled. I figured she was either deaf or couldn't talk, and I just shook my head because I wasn't familiar with where that store was in the mall. The woman kind of scowled at me, and stomped off towards one of the nearby stores. She came by a few minutes later, and as she was passing by me, said "nngg nggg uh" again and was waving her hands around.....not sure what that was supposed to mean.

She happened to get on the same bus which I took to get home, and sat in a seat near me. I think she might have wanted me to move for some reason, because she tapped one of my shopping bags and said her "nng nnggg uuhhh" bit at me, and when I didn't give the response she wanted, she got up and moved to the back of the bus.....making a sort of "forget you" motion with her hand.

Anyhow, it just puzzled me that this woman seemed to think that I would be able to understand random hand gestures and caveman-like noises.

[Seifer]

I had a customer do that to me while I was working in a store, but it wasn't due to any kind of disability, she just didn't speak English. She kept saying, "Bag! Bag! BAG!" and pointing at me. I gave her bags, but she continued to yell "Bag!" at me and get angry. She finally left (irritated) after I had given her like 30 bags. I still don't know what the hell she wanted from me.

[Rageaholic]

Yeah, that's always frusturating. I've had many experiences where I couldn't understand what store clerk, cashier, waiter, or waitress was asking of me because their accent was too thick. A lot of the times they're cool, but I remember one time in NYC when I attempted to buy soda from a street vender. I couldn't understand him, but it sounded like he was saying he was all out of the pop I wanted. I ended up just walking away and he continued shouting some gibberish at me.

I think Samuel L Jackson said it best, "English Mother Fucker, Do You Speak It!"

[bara]

If I went to france, id learn french.
But in the case of disabilities Im certain there are other things people can do/get to help them communicate effectively. Pen and paper perhaps? Archaic i know, but I like the classics.

[siead_lietrathua]

but why would it be the responsibility of everyone else to carry things to accomidate the those with disabilities? i'm not saying this to be mean, it's an honest question. if someone is deaf or mute, why dont they carry pen and paper or those communication cards with them. it would make everyones life easier and remove the pantomime.

[kibbles]

I don't want to assume what bara meant but I believe that is what they meant..the person trying to communicate should have the necessary tools needed.

[DrFaroohk]

It IS rather frustrating when no one can understand you...I suppose any "disability" would be frustrating like that. But there ARE easy ways around it, for instance, the suggestions other people have made. Carrying writing tools around.

Hell even some kinda see-n-say thing with common phrases recorded on it. Push a button "Where is the bathroom?" Obviously recorded by someone else....


I remember once I had a customer and couldn't understand a word he said...I knew he wanted cigarettes, but even with pointing I coouldn't figure out what he wanted, so finally I was like "Just come back here and grab em."

But my favorite was a guy who comes to the counter and kept saying "fucker", until I finally realized he wanted to buy a phone card.

[siead_lietrathua]

they do make flash-card ssets you can buy for both the heading/speaking as well as developmentally disabled people. but i have yet to meet anyone that's bothered getting them. too bad to, they seem like a great life-aid.

[Lace Neil Singer]

I mainly get frustrated whenever I encounter someone who doesn't speak English properly. I know that's not very PC of me, but it's very annoying when you're trying to ask someone to do something and get an irritatingly blank look in return. Such as the time in a KFC when my fiance accidently spilled his drink, and I spent about ten minutes trying to explain to the Polish woman manning the cleaning station that I wanted her to come and mop up the spilled drink. In the end, I grabbed a handful of paper towels and cleaned it up myself. How the fuck can you do your job properly if you can't speak or understand the fucking native language?!

[Andara Bledin]

they do make flash-card ssets you can buy for both the heading/speaking as well as developmentally disabled people. but i have yet to meet anyone that's bothered getting them. too bad to, they seem like a great life-aid.

I lost my voice one weekend where I was also attending a convention.

I made myself flash cards out of 3x5" index cards that said the typical things a person would say, like "hi" "please" "thanks" etc. It was a bit cumbersome, but not nearly as much as trying to get people to hear what was left of my hoarse whisper in a room full of noisy console and computer games.

^-.-^

[Silverharp]

I mainly get frustrated whenever I encounter someone who doesn't speak English properly. I know that's not very PC of me, but it's very annoying when you're trying to ask someone to do something and get an irritatingly blank look in return. Such as the time in a KFC when my fiance accidently spilled his drink, and I spent about ten minutes trying to explain to the Polish woman manning the cleaning station that I wanted her to come and mop up the spilled drink. In the end, I grabbed a handful of paper towels and cleaned it up myself. How the fuck can you do your job properly if you can't speak or understand the fucking native language?!

Fuck being PC, I think it's simply common sense. If you're going to live in a country at least learn the basics of the common language. If you have a disability that prohibits effective communication then carry something (pen and paper, speak and spell, whatever) to facilitate said communication.
I've seen the entitlement bullshit enough where people will assume that it's everyone elses job to adapt to THEM.
Of course, I also get pissed at American tourists who leave here and go to another country (we'll use Japan as an example) and spend their time bitching that no one speak Amurican.

[Andara Bledin]

My favorite is when I'm calling a company and the person who answers the phone, as in the receptionist chosen to fill the position of being the voice of the company to the outside world and not just whoever happened to be closest when it rang, is someone who can barely speak the local language, either in pronunciation or vocabulary. >_<

^-.-^

[blas87]

Outsourcing call centers has really been a headache for a lot of customers with cable/telephone/etc issues. They have people who can barely speak English dealing with your money, your accounts, whatever have you.

I can't even talk about how much of a pain it is to call Charter and instead of getting the local building, I get a place somewhere on the other side of the world, with someone who can barely speak English babbling at me "Upgrade, free upgrade $5 extra per month!" when I'm trying to call and say that my modem is fried.

[Silverharp]

Outsourcing call centers has really been a headache for a lot of customers with cable/telephone/etc issues. They have people who can barely speak English dealing with your money, your accounts, whatever have you.

I can't even talk about how much of a pain it is to call Charter and instead of getting the local building, I get a place somewhere on the other side of the world, with someone who can barely speak English babbling at me "Upgrade, free upgrade $5 extra per month!" when I'm trying to call and say that my modem is fried.

companies have been seeing a lot of backlash on that, and with the word that they're going to be losing the tax breaks for outsourcing some have begun to pull back and start restaffing here Stateside.
About bloody time.