Bus Driver Calls Police Because Passenger Spoke English

[no color]

This is really outrageous. A bus driver who works in an English speaking neighborhood in Montreal got riled up and lost it when a passenger asked her for the time in English. Note that her bus route is in an area where many of her passengers speak no French. She subsequently called the police who must have also wondered what this lady was thinking. How did she handle her job before this incident?

Bus drivers in Montreal are public service workers and as such, they need to be bilingual. For as long as we continue to have publically funded English schools (includes colleges and universities) in Montreal, many of us will be schooled in English and will speak no French. Provided we don't work in the public service, this is not a problem for us. We don't have to be bilingual.

Bottom line, this bus driver was not doing her job and to make matters worse, she needlessly called the police, wasting their time. She should be fired.

Bus Driver Calls Police Because Passenger Spoke English

 

[karrie]

"When police came, Munir left the bus, and the driver told all the passengers on the bus to leave as well. There were about 25 people on board, Munir said.
...


N.D.G. resident Linda Whitehall, who was waiting to get on the bus, said the driver must have phoned the driver of the next bus because when it came, the driver would not open the doors of the bus for anyone waiting at the stop. Whitehall, who works at the Montreal General Hospital was late as a result of the incident, and was forced to take an alternate bus."






Uh... wow... talk about unprofessional.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I checked the date on the news story to see if it was April 1st. It wasn't....
Wow....that's....ummm....not good. :-?

 

[AnnaG]

"When police came, Munir left the bus, and the driver told all the passengers on the bus to leave as well. There were about 25 people on board, Munir said.
...


N.D.G. resident Linda Whitehall, who was waiting to get on the bus, said the driver must have phoned the driver of the next bus because when it came, the driver would not open the doors of the bus for anyone waiting at the stop. Whitehall, who works at the Montreal General Hospital was late as a result of the incident, and was forced to take an alternate bus."






Uh... wow... talk about unprofessional.

Unprofessional? That seems downright childish to me.

 

[AnnaG]

I think I would have uttered a couple comments in Anishinaabemowin just to rub it in the driver's face. (What can I say? I'm a rebel. lol)

 

[no color]

Yes sireee, it looks as though English speaking passengers are no longer permitted to ride the buses in Montreal. If this fellow who is studying for a master's degree at McGill University got kicked off, what chances do the rest of us average folk have?

 

[karrie]

at the same time though, if someone said to me 'I don't speak English', why would I assume they speak English, when I don't speak French yet can say 'je ne parle pas Francais'? Why push such an issue when there is a bus full of people who probably AREN'T sitting on giant sticks?

 

[Kreskin]

Not much different from calling the police to report english signs. I understand how the driver became confused.

 

[Ron in Regina]

....and why where the other 25 people on the Bus "kicked off?" I wonder
if they tried to inject common sense (& courtesy) into the situation? :lol::lol:

 

[no color]

at the same time though, if someone said to me 'I don't speak English', why would I assume they speak English, when I don't speak French yet can say 'je ne parle pas Francais'? Why push such an issue when there is a bus full of people who probably AREN'T sitting on giant sticks?

Good question. The bus driver was working in a predominantly English speaking neighborhood where many of the residents are unilingual English speaking. I am familiar with the no. 66 route. The bus runs along "The Boulevard" (yes the street is officially called "The Boulevard", not "Le Boulevard") in Westmount. How was she able to handle her job before this incident if she could not speak English? How did she direct passengers who asked her for directions? She could clearly speak English, otherwise she would not have this job. She should be fired for refusing to do her job.

 

[shadowshiv]

Not a good thing for the bus driver to do at all. If the requirement of the job is to speak both French and English and you refuse to parley in either of them when required, then you do not deserve to have your job. If a bus driver had kicked off someone because they did NOT speak English then people would say that it was discrimination(which it is), so I do not see any difference with regards to this case. It was discrimination.

 

[Stretch]

ahhh...the arrogance of the french!
I assume that the bus driver was charged with making a false call

 

[shadowshiv]

ahhh...the arrogance of the french!

Unfortunately, arrogance is not limited to any one culture.

 

[Stretch]

Unfortunately, arrogance is not limited to any one culture.

very true mate, but the french have mastered it

 

[Liberalman]

All I can say about this is excuse my french

 

[Cliffy]

The arrogance of the French in Quebec is a backlash from when the Brits treated them with such arrogance since the Plains of Abraham. The way my dad spoke of the French, I grew up thinking they were a sub species of the human race. I was really pissed at him when I started to work and realized that they were indeed human. I think it was that revelation that turned me into a devout anti bigot. Besides, you can't beat the Brits for arrogance, unless you are an Aries Brit.

 

[Machjo]

ahhh...the arrogance of the french!
I assume that the bus driver was charged with making a false call

Where did it mention she was French. Seeing that she'd likely have to be a Canadian citizen to get that job, my guess is she was Canadian.

 

[Machjo]

I'm somewhat surprised by the driver's reaction, but not entirely so. When I'd lived in Montreal, I'd witnessed some stong emotions on both sides of the language divide, and have seen worse behaviour than what this driver did. However, it's the first time I've read such behaviour coming from a municipal government employee on the job. At the very least, she could have kept her feelings to herself and vent them off the job like all the others in Montreal do. Even shop owners are respectful on the job in montreal (then again, unlike public servants, they need to stay on clients' good side).

 

[ironsides]

Off with her head.

 

[Ron in Regina]

I'm somewhat surprised by the driver's reaction, but not entirely so. When I'd lived in Montreal, I'd witnessed some stong emotions on both sides of the language divide, and have seen worse behaviour than what this driver did. However, it's the first time I've read such behaviour coming from a municipal government employee on the job. At the very least, she could have kept her feelings to herself and vent them off the job like all the others in Montreal do. Even shop owners are respectful on the job in montreal (then again, unlike public servants, they need to stay on clients' good side).

Try Law Enforcement....specifically Traffic & Highway Enforcement with respect to
Commercial Transport. It's Obvious, Blatant, & Rampant....