Please order in english...

[Throckmorton]

Originally posted by: BUTCH1

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: TheVrolok

Camille Charles, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, testified that Vento's signs harken back to the "Whites only" postings of the Jim Crow era.

Seriously? People are out of their minds. The guy wants his servers to be able to understand the customer which will hasten service and reduce problems. English is the primary - and only - official language in this country, isn't it? I'm a pretty liberal guy and even I think it's pretty extreme to call this sign racist. If I walked into Best Buy speaking Finnish, would it be ok for me to get angry because I wasn't assisted in my preferred tongue?

***** please. Did you look at his sign? "This is America, speak English". This is America, go back to Italy and take your mafia with you, Mr. Vento. This is my god damn country and I would appreciate it if that knee-breaking Vinny would stop misusing my national symbols for his jingoistic BS.

That "knee-breaking Vinny" happens to be more of a patriot than you are, everyone who emigrated here in the past
regardless of their background learned to speak english...

Throwing the flag and pictures of eagles on everything doesn't make you a patriot. It makes you a furniture salesman or a Republican.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: TheVrolok

Originally posted by: Ronstang

Originally posted by: TheVrolok

Camille Charles, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, testified that Vento's signs harken back to the "Whites only" postings of the Jim Crow era.

Seriously? People are out of their minds. The guy wants his servers to be able to understand the customer which will hasten service and reduce problems. English is the primary - and only - official language in this country, isn't it? I'm a pretty liberal guy and even I think it's pretty extreme to call this sign racist. If I walked into Best Buy speaking Finnish, would it be ok for me to get angry because I wasn't assisted in my preferred tongue?

UNFORTUNATELY we have no official language, but you are correct otherwise. The funny thing is that even though we have no official language one of the requirements of becoming a legal citizen is the ability to speak English to some degree.....that seems to be lost on most today.

That was my thinking. I realize there's nothing that documents English as the primary language, but I was under the belief that you must be able to speak it to become a citizen thus making it a non-official official language? I realize that we have visitors that may not speak the language, and that's fine, but if an American goes to a foreign country and just starts blurting out English expecting it to be spoken in return we're labeled ignorant. Here, though, if our own citizens choose not to speak English when we ask them to, we're still ignorant? Bummer.

Most Americans don't bother trying to speak the native language abroad since so many foreigners speak English anyway, especially in tourist areas. In Spain, France and Italy I never had to speak a language other than English.

Did you at least try to speak Spanish, French, Italian first? Every time I've been in a foreign country I've absolutely done my best to get out what I could in the native language. Nine times outta ten the native recognizes my accent as English (American) as starts speaking English to me. Which is welcome, but at least I tried, and that's what matters. I'd much rather have someone try broken English instead of speaking their native language outright. When I was younger, I used to work at a restaurant that had a number of Spanish speaking patrons and many of them tried English first, albeit broken, I had no problem then using Spanish, which I have (had?) a decent grasp on when I found them struggling.

I think the argument is going off topic though, the bottom line is that I just don't see how this is discriminatory.

 

[QueBert]

this is stupid, my ex boss had a thick Philly accent and I couldn't understand half the shit he said. Philly dudes need to learn how to speak English.

 

[ric1287]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: BUTCH1

Originally posted by: Throckmorton

Originally posted by: TheVrolok

Camille Charles, a sociology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, testified that Vento's signs harken back to the "Whites only" postings of the Jim Crow era.

Seriously? People are out of their minds. The guy wants his servers to be able to understand the customer which will hasten service and reduce problems. English is the primary - and only - official language in this country, isn't it? I'm a pretty liberal guy and even I think it's pretty extreme to call this sign racist. If I walked into Best Buy speaking Finnish, would it be ok for me to get angry because I wasn't assisted in my preferred tongue?

***** please. Did you look at his sign? "This is America, speak English". This is America, go back to Italy and take your mafia with you, Mr. Vento. This is my god damn country and I would appreciate it if that knee-breaking Vinny would stop misusing my national symbols for his jingoistic BS.

That "knee-breaking Vinny" happens to be more of a patriot than you are, everyone who emigrated here in the past
regardless of their background learned to speak english...

Yet according to this idiot, someone who is still learning to speak English does not yet deserve the right to order in a restaurant? Tourists don't either?! Why doesn't Geno go to Europe or Mexico and stop Americans from ordering in English?

who says they are "still learning to speak English"? The majority of illegals i have come across could care less about speaking English and will never bother learning since we cater to them.

 

[Pepsei]

looks like in order to become a citizen, you must pass a simple english test, however...

Certain groups of people are exempt from the English language requirement. For example, if you are fifty years or older and have been a lawful permanent resident for more than twenty years, you are exempt. If you are over fifty-five years old and have been a lawful permanent resident for more than fifteen years, you are also exempt.

meh, i think we should have an official language here.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Two comments:
1) As to the millions of "legal" americans speaking Spanish/other languages... I personally think it is f-ed up that just because someone is born in this country, regardless if their parents are legal, they are a us citizen. It causes strain on our social services and school systems for all the extra care (with no taxes from the parents). I agree with the poster above about the attitude that they are "owed" something, but I can't figure out if that is an illegal alien issue or just an issue of all low-income families.

As for the topic at hand...
2) There is no law giving anyone the right to a cheese steak at Geno's. While it seems to be a poor business decision, due to the negative press, I don't understand how anyone could force him to remove the sign. Eat across the street.

 

[DangerAardvark]

This is ridiculous. It's just a sign that says he would prefer orders to be in English. The guy seems like a huge douche, but it's not illegal to be a huge douche.

I try to get upset about illegal immigration, I honestly do. But, I live in Hawaii. We have one Mexican. Apparently some of you are knee deep in Mexicans every time you leave your house, judging by the way you talk about them.

 

[smack Down]

I think he and his lawyer should have picked any random language for the trail. How long until some one on the panel asks them to use English.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: smack Down
I think he and his lawyer should have picked any random language for the trail. How long until some one on the panel asks them to use English.

You stole my thunder, I was just going to post that.

 

[darkswordsman17]

To me this is a clear case where the government should not have any part, and economics should take its course. He's not violating anyone's rights (unless he is literally throwing people out forcefully if they don't speak english well, and even then it would be the force and not him throwing them out that would be the violation). If its such a big issue, people should stop eating there (and he should lose business because of it).

I felt the same way about the ordinance banning smoking in bars. If it was that big of a deal, then there should be bars that don't allow smoking opening up (and they in turn would be getting all the business).

 

[IronWing]

This should have been left to the customers to deal with, not government. Boycotting the restaurant is the appropriate response if customers don't like the sign, not intervention by a government agency. A simple "I'll come back when the sign goes" statement, followed by walking out the door should do it.

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
To me this is a clear case where the government should not have any part, and economics should take its course. He's not violating anyone's rights (unless he is literally throwing people out forcefully if they don't speak english well, and even then it would be the force and not him throwing them out that would be the violation). If its such a big issue, people should stop eating there (and he should lose business because of it).

I felt the same way about the ordinance banning smoking in bars. If it was that big of a deal, then there should be bars that don't allow smoking opening up (and they in turn would be getting all the business).

We was typing in unison.

Except the part about smoking bans. That is a very different issue. Smoking bans are reasonable work safety rules that OSHA should have implemented decades ago.

 

[DrPizza]

Actually, although he'd lose some customers, he might also gain customers - the people who have a 30 minute lunch break and are sick of getting stuck in line behind a customer who can't communicate to the people waiting on him.

 

[darkswordsman17]

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: darkswordsman17
To me this is a clear case where the government should not have any part, and economics should take its course. He's not violating anyone's rights (unless he is literally throwing people out forcefully if they don't speak english well, and even then it would be the force and not him throwing them out that would be the violation). If its such a big issue, people should stop eating there (and he should lose business because of it).

I felt the same way about the ordinance banning smoking in bars. If it was that big of a deal, then there should be bars that don't allow smoking opening up (and they in turn would be getting all the business).

We was typing in unison.

Except the part about smoking bans. That is a very different issue. Smoking bans are reasonable work safety rules that OSHA should have implemented decades ago.

I understand about working environments, but the bars have a high employee turnover rate, and the applications ask questions about the environment (including ones about smoking). Here it wasn't even pushed as a work related issue, and was being pushed as a basic freedom thing. I was speaking more specifically about that one. I really should've just left the whole issue out of my post as it really wasn't relevant to the thread.

 

[Kelemvor]

Good for him. Anyone that comes to this country to live should learn to speak the language here.

Glad to see someone with American Pride. Now to get the stupid ass lawyers to shut up and go back to chasing ambulances...

I don't speak any other language than english. You want to do business with me? Can't help you if you don't speak english.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

I wouldnt dream of going to another country to live and expecting them to have to learn my language, I would adapt. They need to do the same, we speak english in america. Not spanish

 

[se7en]

I wonder what crowd would find it racist if the sign had read "Please order in PROPER english".

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: se7en
I wonder what crowd would find it racist if the sign had read "Please order in PROPER english".

We'd all be starvin'.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: ironwing
This should have been left to the customers to deal with, not government. Boycotting the restaurant is the appropriate response if customers don't like the sign, not intervention by a government agency. A simple "I'll come back when the sign goes" statement, followed by walking out the door should do it.

The costumer should do just the opposite show up in droves to order in Spanish. The money lost by turning away some paying customers would be nothing compared to the money lost if each paying customer took 10 times longer to order.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: se7en
I wonder what crowd would find it racist if the sign had read "Please order in PROPER english".

lol, this is why I love AT

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: ironwing
This should have been left to the customers to deal with, not government. Boycotting the restaurant is the appropriate response if customers don't like the sign, not intervention by a government agency. A simple "I'll come back when the sign goes" statement, followed by walking out the door should do it.

The costumer should do just the opposite show up in droves to order in Spanish. The money lost by turning away some paying customers would be nothing compared to the money lost if each paying customer took 10 times longer to order.

Here's the reason I haven't agreed with anyone on this being entirely a private business' independent choice: When there was a lot of segregation between colored and non colored folks, things like having a colored fountain, seperate bathrooms, allowing attendance, and others were used.

Where do we draw the damn line? I'm all for businesses making an independent choice, but where do how can we determine what is racism/segregation/whatever and what is just a businesses' choice?

It's not really that hard to cater to people in other languages - give them a menu in their language that clearly states that they will do their best to help them order, but it's going to be partially left up to them to interpret the menu because the staff doesn't necessarily understand their language.

I haven't touched the topic of whether the government should be involved or not because I don't know the answer and I haven't studied how this went down in the past in detail. Anyone here has some insight?

I don't agree with a simple "They should learn our language" or "We need to punish the businesses doing this because its full of hate," but there has to be a simple set of reasoning somewhere.

 

[Rubycon]

Text

 

[Ultralight]

This is not new information. This is actually old news. Trust me, Geno's will never hurt for business. His is a popular place and his food is very good. He is not hurting for $ folks.

Lets reverse it here, we who pull our hair out because Dell, Microsoft, or some other computer firm outsources their tech help to India or some such place and they don't speak our English. How helpful is it that Tech support is non-existent because of this very thing?

How many of you have screamed about spending hours on the phone getting nowhere because of language barriers bemoaning the days when you could speak to someone who understood, but now is lost because hardware/software firms are trying to save a buck?


It is his business as he sees fit. More power to him.

 

[herm0016]

what the article does not say, is that the people there will help others that cannot order in english to do so. they help them sound it out and get what they want. hes not just saying you cant eat here, but he is saying i want to help you learn english to make it easier to get you what you want.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Ultralight
This is not new information. This is actually old news. Trust me, Geno's will never hurt for business. His is a popular place and his food is very good. He is not hurting for $ folks.

Lets reverse it here, we who pull our hair out because Dell, Microsoft, or some other computer firm outsources their tech help to India or some such place and they don't speak our English. How helpful is it that Tech support is non-existent because of this very thing?

How many of you have screamed about spending hours on the phone getting nowhere because of language barriers bemoaning the days when you could speak to someone who understood, but now is lost because hardware/software firms are trying to save a buck?


It is his business as he sees fit. More power to him.

When you think of a business owner, is that all that matters?

When you create a proper restaurant of any kind, you are creating a system, part of that system is the ability to continually evolve and better itself. Do you think McDonald's would be half of what it is today if they wasted their time on such issues?

If he is rejecting their business because he has enough money, that's pretty sad and small minded of him, in my personal opinion.

As for companies that outsource to foreign countries, have you done any kind of research or have experience in the field? For every hundred companies that outsource to a foreign country, only a few have trouble with it, and so on the whole, it's a profitable move even if it creates some issues. Dell's case happened to be the one that most people know about and it hit them hard, but even now, they're sticking to outsourcing. They brought back some of the jobs simply to get some good publicity, but they are working very hard to improve their call centers in India.