Really? How the fuck do you know who "those people" are? Have you made any attempt at a conversation with "them"? Who are "those people", anyway? Your story started with one guy....
I did try to talk to him, it was useless. What's the point of providing taxpayer-funded language classes and resources for these people, yes THESE people, if they don't even give enough of a damn about learning English to use them, yet expect everybody else to learn their language because they have no desire to learn English?
As I said, I was expecting a delivery and had a note on the door. This aforementioned idiot must have seen it as an opportunity to knock on my door. I did not realize what he wanted until after I'd closed the door. This guy should never have been let into the building. He probably followed somebody in, who had the key, or rang bells in the lobby until somebody buzzed him in. If he had rang me from downstairs, I very likely would have thought it was my delivery and buzzed him in, just like I opened the door upstairs because I am expecting something. Don't these people have ANY self-respect? I mean, I can understand if they never learn how to read and write English, but to not even know the simplest greetings and expressions, after years and often decades of living here, is beyond belief. About a month ago, couple of dentist offices were investigated and busted for employing a bunch of unlicensed people who were working there as dentists, all of them with Russian-sounding names. The actual investigation was for medical insurance fraud schemes, the phony dentists were a bonus. Some of them likely did have some training in their country of origin, but again they do not want to learn English and pass the tests over here, so they just do as they please.
Nice. I have holidayed a lot in Portugal. North or South ? Sent from the back of a jihadist donkey...
russians crack me up. I would have given him a shot of vodka and a potato then we would be BFFs 4 ever XD
Yes it's frustrating trying to communicate with someone who doesn't speak English but you have expect it to happen every now and then if you live around lots of immigrants. When immigrants live in big groups they're less motivated to learn English.
you should move somewhere with less foreigners if it bothers you so much. Move to the upper west side.. it's all white English speaking folks up there.
Speaking of UPS I work for a similar major delivery company and Spanish people expect us to know Spanish when we received ZERO language training! COD's are the worst (check on delivery) you have to collect a check (not a personal check, cashiers check only) and it's about impossible to explain the difference to a non-english person, if they even have the money. I had one stop on my route that every week gets a COD which they then either don't have money for or the lady who ordered it isn't there so her even less english-speaking grandma comes out and tries to get me to leave the package with no check (or come back in an hour, "No I don't have time to drive all the way back up here" Now I leave the package at the warehouse and tell the desk people to deal with it.
Damn near everyone is bilingual here in Portugal. You practically have to be bilingual just to work in the food service sector. It's not uncommon for people to speak three or four languages here (not poorly, either). I really think bilingual education should be more common in the states; languages will condense in the future.
You make great assumptions on the legal part. The regime in office is waiting till after the Nov elections are done with to do ammnesty. Read up that there is a contract out for a company that can print something in the range of 30 million work visa cards that are expected to be issued.
UPS is fantastic, I think that they do an outstanding job and I've seen customers go nuts on the guys because the box has a minor ding on it. It's a shame that there's such ignorance and rudeness out there, because UPS is the best.
One of the biggest things I've tried to stress to my teen about his education is the need for a second language (or more). More and more employers will start requiring it, and people who can speak less common languages will be even more in demand, as the economy becomes more and more global. Then again, there will always be people like Garrison who think the world should accommodate them.
To a degree thats true but in many cases it is not. I spent closer to 5 years living in Japan and I would bet you about 10-20% spoke English and even then it was hard. So what does one do..learn there language. Took some basic Japanese classes and it made my life much easier..also made alot of friends because every time I spoke it was a learning experience. Most of the Japs I encountered or friends with were very accommodating. Thailand, Korea in my experiences spoke even less english and they expected you to know there language to do anything meaningful. In many cases like my state if its public education paid for by funds that come from the state it is the law the classes are given, spoken in english. I think that is a good thing.
seriously? you are concerned about taxpayer-funded language classes? i'm not even sure what your point is... what do you care if some busboy in a restaurant or a retired old man speaks any english? they are not taking over any critical jobs nor really create much of a problem... that's like getting mad at someone who can't speak. so what? first of all you have to pass a rudimentary english test to become a citizen. to me it sounds like you got pissed off at some old guy who couldn't speak english and turned it into a national problem.