Driver ticketed for not speaking English

[tool1 0]

Good for the cop! If she cant speak English, how in the hell can she read traffic signs? Learn the damn language people!

Perhaps continuously ticketing people that cant speak the language will force them to do so - or else face the risk of losing your driving privelages! Not a solution to the problem but perhaps it would send a message that if you want to be in this country you need to learn the language.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-citations_23met.ART.State.Edition2.4bac015.html

[quade 3]

Speaking English is not required to obtain a driver's license in any state I know of.

Any attempt to write tickets based on people not speaking English would be an abuse of power.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[downwardspiral 0]

Your link is broken

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[tool1 0]

fixed it

[airdvr 197]

Apologizing publicly to the city's Spanish-speaking community, the chief said all officers and supervisors involved will be investigated for dereliction of duty. All pending citations will be dismissed, and people who paid fines will be reimbursed.

As it should be.

Surprised none of them challenged it in court.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[wmw999 2,116]

That link doesn't work for me. But the headlines on the Dallas Morning News website after I did a search said:"Dallas ticket for not speaking English a rookie mistake" and "Top cop apologizes for no-English ticket."

When you consider how many Americans rent cars and drive them in other countries when touring, it's probably a good thing that's not a real law.

Commercial drivers do need to be able to speak English. But most traffic signs have very limited English requirements, and the U-turn one doesn't depend on English proficiency.

I'm not against English proficiency. But I'm against bullshit enforcement of laws that don't exist because they support someone's agenda.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[billvon 2,384]

>Good for the cop!

The cop has apologized for his error; it was described as "the foolish error of an inexperienced cop."

>If she cant speak English, how in the hell can she read traffic signs?

I can read French pretty well and read road signs in Spanish. I had no problem driving in either country. But if a cop pulled me over in Spain I would not have been able to follow his questions.

(Actually did get pulled over in Italy, where we got a ticket for speeding. Not understanding Italian was not a problem.)

>Perhaps continuously ticketing people that cant speak the language will
>force them to do so . . . .

I have no desire to force people to do any such thing. I am sure you would not appreciate being forced to learn Spanish just because you lived in a US community where most people spoke Spanish.

[tool1 0]

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>Good for the cop!

The cop has apologized for his error; it was described as "the foolish error of an inexperienced cop."

>If she cant speak English, how in the hell can she read traffic signs?

I can read French pretty well and read road signs in Spanish. I had no problem driving in either country. But if a cop pulled me over in Spain I would not have been able to follow his questions.

(Actually did get pulled over in Italy, where we got a ticket for speeding. Not understanding Italian was not a problem.)

>Perhaps continuously ticketing people that cant speak the language will
>force them to do so . . . .

I have no desire to force people to do any such thing. I am sure you would not appreciate being forced to learn Spanish just because you lived in a US community where most people spoke Spanish.

Bullshit. Making more excuses for the people that live in this county and haven't, won't, or cant learn the language. Fuck them. In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know the language. If they dont know, get the fuck out.

[billvon 2,384]

>Making more excuses for the people that live in this county and haven't,
>won't, or cant learn the language.

?? No excuses needed. They can do as they like (as can you.)

>Fuck them.

No thanks, but you can do what you like.

>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

[Andy9o8 0]

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Bullshit. Making more excuses for the people that live in this county and haven't, won't, or cant learn the language. Fuck them. In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know the language. If they dont know, get the fuck out.

Gosh, now we're all provoked. What other screen names do you use to troll in here?
Go away.

[Lucky... 0]

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I can read French pretty well and read road signs in Spanish. I had no problem driving in either country. But if a cop pulled me over in Spain I would not have been able to follow his questions.

That's because they speak Mexican over there (insert Bush voice).

[tool1 0]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

[StreetScooby 5]

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I have no desire to force people to do any such thing. I am sure you would not appreciate being forced to learn Spanish just because you lived in a US community where most people spoke Spanish.

We live in the USA. The strength of any country is a common language. IMO, English should be the only language used by our government.

We are all engines of karma

[StreetScooby 5]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

That's part of becoming a citizen.

We are all engines of karma

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

In order to be in this country permanently you need to be a citizen. In order to be a citizen you need to know the language. You may want to double check the requirements if you dont believe me.

[tool1 0]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

In order to be in this country permanently you need to be a citizen. In order to be a citizen you need to know the language. You may want to double check the requirements if you dont believe me.

Generally speaking, yes. But there are exceptions and in all cases we are assuming permanent legal residence. A person does not need to know a single word of any language to live here permanently illegally.

[Lucky... 0]

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I have no desire to force people to do any such thing. I am sure you would not appreciate being forced to learn Spanish just because you lived in a US community where most people spoke Spanish.

We live in the USA. The strength of any country is a common language. IMO, English should be the only language used by our government.

Really? I thought it was a stong economy, great social structure, just government, etc. I guess you can transpose any word in there and argue your point.



The strength of any country is a fill in the blank.

[Lucky... 0]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

In order to be in this country permanently you need to be a citizen. In order to be a citizen you need to know the language. You may want to double check the requirements if you dont believe me.

[wmw999 2,116]

Knowledge of English is required to become a naturalized citizen unless you're exempt. It's not required to be born an American, and it's not required to be a legal permanent resident, a student, a guest worker, or a tourist. But all of those people are allowed to drive depending on the circumstances.

And the level of English required for citizenship isn't real high. Grade-school level. I'll bet that a lot of people can read English better than they can speak it.

Edit to add: On SC, I hope that some of the people can speak English better than they can write it

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[billvon 2,384]

>We live in the USA. The strength of any country is a common language.

So you figure China, Canada and Switzerland are all weak due to their use of several languages? I guess I don't see that.

[Belgian_Draft 0]

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>In order to be in this country permanently they are required to know
>the language.

No, they're not.

In order to be in this country permanently you need to be a citizen. In order to be a citizen you need to know the language. You may want to double check the requirements if you dont believe me.

Generally speaking, yes. But there are exceptions and in all cases we are assuming permanent legal residence. A person does not need to know a single word of any language to live here permanently illegally.

pointless statement.

[TomAiello 25]

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I can read French pretty well and read road signs in Spanish. I had no problem driving in either country. But if a cop pulled me over in Spain I would not have been able to follow his questions.

That's because they speak Mexican over there (insert Bush voice).

I thought they spoke Latin? Isn't that the main language in Latin America?

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[billvon 2,384]

>Isn't that the main language in Latin America?

I'll never understand why people in Latin America speak foreign languages. It's like they have a different word for everything. I think they do it just to be annoying.

[Lucky... 0]

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I can read French pretty well and read road signs in Spanish. I had no problem driving in either country. But if a cop pulled me over in Spain I would not have been able to follow his questions.

That's because they speak Mexican over there (insert Bush voice).

I thought they spoke Latin? Isn't that the main language in Latin America?

LOL. That's too complex for Bush.

[Lucky... 0]

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>Isn't that the main language in Latin America?

I'll never understand why people in Latin America speak foreign languages. It's like they have a different word for everything. I think they do it just to be annoying.

Or as Steve Martin says, "I can't believe the people in France don't have the common courtesy to speak Engish."