Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

I have just read the article, where the postmaster, has now left his job, The Royal Mail and all the people who took offence at his stance, are totally bang out of order, This is a disgraceful act, and goes to show that, this damn country won't stand up for there rights.

---------- Post added at 15:01 ---------- Previous post was at 15:00 ----------

I suppose Foreverwar, you will allow people to walk over you then;)

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

No, Arthur, I try to understand them, and not react in a "knee-jerk" fashion that caters to prejudices. I actually think that people who live in this country should learn the language, but I am not proscriptive about it - when I lived in Germany, and worked in France, I tried to speak in the local language - then the locals would carry on the conversation in English :erm:

So, back to my question - have you been abroad, and if so, did you speak the local language when you were there? Or did you just speak English slowly and loudly?;)

btw, from the latest BBC article "There were also reports that Polish migrants had been boycotting the branch."
and
"Mr Kumarasiri had told the BBC he had turned away about six customers who had wasted his time and annoyed other customers by not being able to understand English."

Oooh, sounds like a bit of a publicity stunt to me, don't you think.

And an apposite quote (imho) from the local paper
"We have been there for nearly 10 years trying to build up the business.
"It doesn't matter about race or language - if we can help people out then we will."

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Post Offices are shutting down left right and center, which is a great shame.
You would of thought that the gentleman in question realised that his position in his post offfice is to serve the general public.
He is not allowed to pick who he wishes to serve, he supplies a service which ALL are intitled to recieve.

I understand fully his frustration at dealing with customers who do not speak the same language as him, and therefore holding up his queue, but surely by making such a stand he must of realised it would have consequences to him?

This type of stance however only fuels a fire about ill tolerence of others that already exists!

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

We have to have a serious look at the whole package, but you cannot win, no matter what you do or say.

I have been to Spain, France and Florida and the hardest place to go to understand a language to me is Scotland, the further North you go, the accent is harder to understand, I am married to a Scot, Also Irish accent is also hard to understand, and this is NOTHING against either accent, If people come to England, they should try and learn the language, We have a large amount of foriegn people come here, and you cannot understand them, if you go into various shops, the language they speak is there native tongue, so what do we do complain, we can't, they can if we complain, so therefore you have a draw a line, the sacking, l believe he was given no choice, was bang out of order, what it has done is open a channel for all thiese foriegn groups to complain, it is like today, a well known group was saying if WE don't like it, then WE should leave Britain, so you can't win.

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

It should be a cast iron requirement for entry into the UK for anything more then holidays that the person is conversant in english and if not fully gives an obligation to further their language skills many countries do it so should we it is only fair.

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Hi RizzyKing, Thats a good idea, but someone would complain about it, this is what l am saying, whatever we say or do, someone will come along and say, that is wrong, we should be allowed to move freely.

I will always maintain, that is what is wrong with this country, We cannot say anything, as someone will complain, you only have to look at what happened to the postmaster, l think it is totally out of order.

You must rememeber, we have to abide with what other say, this used to be a country that was ' free speech ' we CANNOT SAY THAT NOW.:)

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

This outcome was always going to happen. His ethnicity and political affiliation just bought him some time. If he were white, he'd would have been dismissed on the spot.

Still, hope he joins my local post office. The staff can't speak english, let alone the customers.

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Hi Punky, I think your comment, sums it up - l like it, I was once in a post office, and l was standing in the queue, and these foreign people were in front of me, and speaking there lingo, And when l got to the glass, the postmaster said too me, ' they were talking about you, they didn't like the deodrant you were wearing' and he just laughed.

This is what we are up against, they talk about us, in a bad way, but we have to keep our mouth shut.:)

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Well maybe I should've been a seer;) true to form the Daily Hate have today printed a double page spread featuring the defiant post-master, amongst claims for him to be sacked by "local Muslims".
All we need now is for Littlebrain to pick up on it...I doubt it'll be long.

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

@ArthurGray50

You didn't actually respond to more than 1 prompt similar to the below, which I would like to see?

Your response was:
Since you have been to Spain and France how is your grasp on these languages? I ask as this is central to your argument.

Yes they talk about us, you talk about them in a Forum so it hardly keeping your mouth shut (except that you are typing....). They were not speaking to you but about you and they are perfectly entitled to use their own language. Since you didn't know these people nor their status they could have been tourists and not suceptible to your rules of learning the lingo they simply need to speak their own language slowly and loudly surely?

P.S. Have you changed you deodorant? :p:

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

I say send them all back home lol, but really fair lay to the guy, atleast he had morals unlike some of people.

Rule should be you Live in England you speak English simple.

*waits to be called racist*

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Simple rule for a simple person.

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Will there be an exemption for the Liverpuddlians?

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

:confused:

Re: Post office's foreign language 'ban'
 

Not racist. Another dent to civil liberty... yes

If we make legal rules like this it is absurd. We should be able to refuse service if the other person cannot be understood after a reasonable length of time and would also depend upon the circumstance.

Since all we have to go on is reports so far, we are not necessarily seeing the whole truth of it. It is possible that he was simply being prejudice based upon his learnig the lingo vs other not.

It reasonable to expect someone that chooses to live here to learn our language, but I wouldn't force the said person. Surely by not they are just making life harder for themselves and eventually conclude it is in their own best interest?