This is America...Speak English

[Famine]

Management should always be permitted to refuse service for any reason.

People living in any given country ought not to be forced to learn that country's primary language (odd that they must pass an examination on the history but not the language...) but it should be encouraged. It should also be encouraged that you learn some of the local language when holidaying (vacationing... whatever), if only to call for help in an emergency - though it's not sensible to expect tourists to be near-fluent, even IF that language is the universal language of communication on Earth at this point.

 

[ledhed]

famine the irony of it is in the ordering instructions ..right next to the stupid sign...its in the local patois...it sounds like "cheesewit " so even if you ARE an english speaker from OHIO...they have a sign asking you to order in slang...for want of a better word..




ITS JUST RETARDED

 

[Danoff]

I think we're all pretty much in agreement here. You should be allowed to do whatever you want, know or not know whatever language you want, but you have to live with the consequences.

If you don't know English in America (or French in France) you have to be aware that you're at the mercy of the bilingual people around and you're counting on them to help you out.

At the same time businesses are going to struggle with how far to bend over backward to help folks who can't speak the language in order to get their cash.

The government, of course, has the luxury of establishing one language to speak in and being done with it.

 

[Pupik]

In short, if you don't want to speak or learn English, fine, but why shouldn't the owner of a business refuse service if he can't understand you? I don't have to help someone who doesn't make any sence to me.

I feel there should be a national language, and that it should be English (although if there's grammar police, things might get scary). But it's a Catch-22; if you make a law that creates a national language, then how do you apply it? How and when do you arrest someone who doesn't speak/use/promote English?

...Hence the reason why English was made the offical language of the United States.

Actually, which law is that? There isn't any national langunage law. English is an "un-official" languange, because government and state meetings, documents, et cetera are handled in English. Of course, we print ballots in Florida in up to 3 languages, and there's actaully a state law that allows for that.

... It is a universal language, one of three, usually defined as English, French, and Spanish.

You've obviously never seen Better Off Dead.

 

[Swift]

famine the irony of it is in the ordering instructions ..right next to the stupid sign...its in the local patois...it sounds like "cheesewit " so even if you ARE an english speaker from OHIO...they have a sign asking you to order in slang...for want of a better word..




ITS JUST RETARDED

So what? He loses some business, maybe. He also said, on the radio that he doesn't turn people away, but he encourages English.

And let's face it. Cheesesteaks are very American, how can you even order one in Chinese or Spanish? Have you seen the menu?

Steak Sandwich
$6.25

Cheese Whiz Steak
$7.00
American Cheese Steak
$7.00
Provolone Cheese Steak
$7.00
Pizza Steak
$7.50
Roast Pork
$6.25
Italian Hoagie $7.00

Regular Fries
$2.50
Cheese Fries
$3.50
All Soda
$1.50
Coffee
$0.75
Bottled Water
$1.50

Even if you can't read English and you know you want a cheesesteak you should be able to say it.

 

[FoolKiller]

The whole point is ...GENO's and PATS are tourist spots...why would you expect a tourist to have to speak english...he's a dumb ass (Joe is )...

Considering the political debate has little to do with tourists and is mainly focused on immigrants I doubt that he is trying to target or exclude foreign tourists from his restaurant. Unfortunately the generic message of his sign does encompass tourists.

Of course, if a tourist can't speak or read English they won't get the message anyway.

And let's face it. Cheesesteaks are very American, how can you even order one in Chinese or Spanish? Have you seen the menu?

*menu*

Even if you can't read English and you know you want a cheesesteak you should be able to say it.

How do you say burrito in English?


I do have sympathy for an immigrant or tourist who has some understanding of the English language and has trouble pronouncing the words. On the other hand I am annoyed to know end by an adult who has lived their entire life in the United states, is perfectly healthy and still can't speak well enough for me to understand them (And I am not talking about regional accents).

 

[Swift]

How do you say burrito in English?

That's exactly my point!

If you're ordering some food that is unique to that culture, you don't have a word for it in your language anyway. So what did you plan to do, make up something in say, canotnese for "cheesesteak"

 

[FoolKiller]

That's exactly my point!

If you're ordering some food that is unique to that culture, you don't have a word for it in your language anyway. So what did you plan to do, make up something in say, canotnese for "cheesesteak"

Well, I guess there are words for cheese and steak in other languages, so it could be translated, but why?

 

[Solid Lifters]

It all depends on how big of a moron you have coming into the shop. If a customer can't say "cheese steak sandwich" they don't deserve one. Really, how hard is it to say that? Not very.

Most Mexican immigrants here, don't speak English because they don't want to. They don't care to learn the language at all. If they do know a few words, they still refuse to use them. They will always use Spanish to communicate. This has to stop.

That's one reason why so many people here in SoCal want to make English the official language. Another reason is for our many different cultures of people we have living here. We have so many different communities and cultures in the greater LA area, it's impossible to hire workers, cops, etc. to cover every language. We have Russian, Korean, Chinese, Cantonese, Polish, Iraqi, Iranian, German, Dutch, French, Indonesian and Spanish "towns" strewn all over our state. Then, there are the Mexicans who live everywhere.

It makes perfect sense to make a universal language. It makes even more sense to make that language English. It makes people less dependent on others, which is why Democrats usually don't like making English the official language of America.

 

[ledhed]

So what? He loses some business, maybe. He also said, on the radio that he doesn't turn people away, but he encourages English.

And let's face it. Cheesesteaks are very American, how can you even order one in Chinese or Spanish? Have you seen the menu?

Steak Sandwich
$6.25

Cheese Whiz Steak
$7.00
American Cheese Steak
$7.00
Provolone Cheese Steak
$7.00
Pizza Steak
$7.50
Roast Pork
$6.25
Italian Hoagie $7.00

Regular Fries
$2.50
Cheese Fries
$3.50
All Soda
$1.50
Coffee
$0.75
Bottled Water
$1.50

Even if you can't read English and you know you want a cheesesteak you should be able to say it.

I grew up 3 and a half blocks away ...I played on his softball and basketball teams growing up...I read the sign about a billion times.. I have eaten there since he opened the place ...or for as long as I can rember at any rate .
There is a sign right next to the menu...it says to order a cheesesteak with cheeze wiz and fried onions ..say " cheeze wit "... and etc, etc.
Its a play on philly slang..so the IRONY is he is asking people to order in ENGLISH ..

Get it ??

Hey he is going to make a mint off this play so good for him...

Its still RETARDED ...

I travelled all over the US and had the funny idea to order a cheese steak in a diner ...they gave me a siraloin with a piece of cream cheese on top... So just the CHEESE STEAK part is a local thing...just like Hoagies are called Subs or something else in other places..
it would be like me walking into a pub in London and asking for some chips .....IN ENGLISH...and expecting to get potato chips...

 

[Carlos_23]

(Response to question in article: Cheesesteak with = Cheesesteak con)
Ehrm... steak in spanish?

Steak.
Surprised?
Actually, no. It's "bistec", so when you pronounce it in spanish, it sounds exactly the same as "beef steak." The actual word in spanish for "steak" is "filete", but hardly anyone uses it.

About the topic: as long as no one thinks that Latino = Mexican = Illegal Inmigrant, I'm fine with whatever you want.

Random post from me. Some things about the article (and some posts...) annoy me, but I don't have the time right now to type about them.

 

[LeadSlead#2]

All I can say is this - If I moved to Germany, I'd learn German. because I would want to talk to people, and be able to communicate, plus, I know firsthand how annoying a foreigner can be. and If I moved to France, nm, i'd never move there, but anywhere, I'd learn the language, for my good, and for theirs

 

[FoolKiller]

I travelled all over the US and had the funny idea to order a cheese steak in a diner ...they gave me a siraloin with a piece of cream cheese on top... So just the CHEESE STEAK part is a local thing...just like Hoagies are called Subs or something else in other places..

Going off-topic for a second. WHAT!? Cream cheese on a steak? Where was this? Everywhere I go a cheese steak is a cheese steak. I can even go to the grocery store and buy a home cheese steak kit where I grill the meat and cheese together (onions and peppers optional) and then scoop it onto a bun. It might not be an official cheese steak, but it is close to the same thing that I get at any restaurant here in Kentucky. And once again I am hungry.

I feel there should be a national language, and that it should be English (although if there's grammar police, things might get scary). But it's a Catch-22; if you make a law that creates a national language, then how do you apply it? How and when do you arrest someone who doesn't speak/use/promote English?

...Hence the reason why English was made the offical language of the United States.

Actually, which law is that? There isn't any national langunage law. English is an "un-official" languange, because government and state meetings, documents, et cetera are handled in English. Of course, we print ballots in Florida in up to 3 languages, and there's actaully a state law that allows for that.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200741,00.html

The Senate could not bring itself to declare English the country's "official language." The best it could do was pass an amendment to the immigration bill tepidly declaring English the "national language." Yet even that was too much for Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, who called that resolution "racist."

It is on its way through Congress as we speak. It won't force people to speak English (which is not how it works in any country I can think of) but immigrants will have to pass a language requirment to become citizens.

 

[Swift]

It is on its way through Congress as we speak. It won't force people to speak English (which is not how it works in any country I can think of) but immigrants will have to pass a language requirment to become citizens.

In my opinion, the only thing the government "has" to do as far as declaring an official language is to have everything that has to do with the government in English. That will at least let us save money on paper.

 

[FoolKiller]

In my opinion, the only thing the government "has" to do as far as declaring an official language is to have everything that has to do with the government in English. That will at least let us save money on paper.

Unfortunately someone will sue them for being discriminatory (ACLU anyone?) and we would lose money in the end.

 

[Poverty]

So how are tourists that dont speak english gonna order food?

 

[McLaren]

So how are tourists that dont speak english gonna order food?

That's just it. He's suggesting they learn English to order.

 

[Swift]

So how are tourists that dont speak english gonna order food?

How do you order French food in France, you stumble though. I think as long as you TRY most people are pretty reasonable

 

[Poverty]

Stupid in my opinion. Id just point at what I want, I myself have never had trouble ordering food abroad as I learned a bit of french in school and can pretty much speak german which can be easily understood in most scandinavian countries. To have a sign up though is a bit cheeky, but if they cant talk english they wont exactly be able to read it will they.

 

[FoolKiller]

So how are tourists that dont speak english gonna order food?

I can read most European languages. I might sound like a little kid just learning to talk but I can get my point across.

Heck, Jackie Chan didn't speak a word of English his first time in America but his agent taught him to say hamburger and fries over the phone. Unfortunately he was trying to order breakfast. The next day he learned bacon and eggs. I am willing to bet cheesesteak is just as simple.

And any foreign tourist that didn't think to get a language dictionary (which includes the phonetic spelling in both languages) is just asking for trouble.

 

[YSSMAN]

...Most of the German and French tourists that come here (just as an example) usually can speak English to a small degree, but they can usually find someone around here that can speak either language, as the majority of folks around here have German or French backgrounds or took the languages in school.

It really is just a difference of if you want to act like a normal person in the country or not, thats how I look at it. I really don't like it when I cannot understand what they people are saying, but I do my best to help them when they come into the store.

We had a large group of kids come into the store a while back, I want to say they were all from Spain or Portugal, none of them any older than 20, and although not all of them spoke perfect english, they attempted it, and they got what the needed.

 

[nk4e]

I don't know but I try to stay in the middle because of these topics. What about the senior citizens that come here to find their family members and get lost((unlikely to happen though))? What if they get separated from their translated group and tries to find help? Well, then again. With the rise of obesity, who wants to order a Phillycheese steak.

 

[Famine]

Then I'm sure their need for a cheesesteak will be minimal.


Would you want to veto Mr. Geno's right to refuse service to anyone for any reason?

 

[FoolKiller]

I don't know but I try to stay in the middle because of these topics. What about the senior citizens that come here to find their family members and get lost((unlikely to happen though))? What if they get separated from their translated group and tries to find help? Well, then again. With the rise of obesity, who wants to order a Phillycheese steak.

Homer Simpson.

It would be great.

"Can someone please help me? I'm lost. I don't understand....mmmm, cheesesteak. aaaaggggh<drool>"

Of course, that might just be me.

 

[Poverty]

You know whats really ironic, in other countries such as spain, brazil or the city of dubai, there are ghettos of brits and americans living together, who they themselves dont bother to learn the native tongue.

 

[FoolKiller]

You know whats really ironic, in other countries such as spain, brazil or the city of dubai, there are ghettos of brits and americans living together, who they themselves dont bother to learn the native tongue.

Which I am sure is part of why they are living in the ghetto.

 

[Poverty]

Which I am sure is part of why they are living in the ghetto.

You mean isolating themselves from society which we scorn immigrants so much for?

 

[Pupik]

It is on its way through Congress as we speak. It won't force people to speak English (which is not how it works in any country I can think of) but immigrants will have to pass a language requirment to become citizens.

Fine by me. My ancestors had to learn it.

 

[Omnis]

Americans? Speak English?

[/irony]

Hahahahaha! Man, that made me laugh. I agree that people should at least attempt english, and/or initiate business with it. Maybe the sign means that, if you can't figure out how to order a cheesesteak from that menu, you don't deserve to have one.

 

[ledhed]

Going off-topic for a second. WHAT!? Cream cheese on a steak? Where was this? Everywhere I go a cheese steak is a cheese steak. I can even go to the grocery store and buy a home cheese steak kit where I grill the meat and cheese together (onions and peppers optional) and then scoop it onto a bun. It might not be an official cheese steak, but it is close to the same thing that I get at any restaurant here in Kentucky. And once again I am hungry.


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200741,00.html

It is on its way through Congress as we speak. It won't force people to speak English (which is not how it works in any country I can think of) but immigrants will have to pass a language requirment to become citizens.

I must be a little older than you...