Group to petition Richmond, B.C., to police Chinese language signs in city

[Chev]

Asked and answered. England.


American Sign Language, English, some French, German, a little Japanese, Shawnee, and some Spanish.


Turtle Island.

How can I "go back to England" if I'm not from there? My ancestors are not from England either. If what I speak is not 'english' then what do you call it?

I actually miss most of the street signs back in Canada.

You don't notice it much, but most of the signs are image / icon based.... such as when a lane is about to end, you get the graphic of two lanes with one ending to the side.
http://www.strassman.info/kyodai/roadsigns.jpg

Here in Australia, many of the same signs are long worded signs....
http://www.roadsignsaustralia.com.au/portals/0/images/Product Guide July 2011-3.jpg

^ So you end up spending more time with your eyes off the road and trying to read wtf is going on. You get used to it, but it's still annoying..... and must suck for the people who don't speak/read english very well.... maybe that's a good thing, but what's even funny is how you drive along their freeways and almost every overpass has a huge billboard jammed right in your face....

.... and the best thing?

The billboards from Vic Roads in big bold text: "DISTRACTIONS LEAD TO DISASTER!"

No Sh*t!! And I just read that going 100kmh down a 5 lane freeway surrounded by train trucks.... Fk'n made my day!

What's my point?

If you have multiple languages in a country, or even just one to worry about.... images work a hell of a lot better... the universal language.

In regards to the OP, I don't mind Chinese or any other language on signs, so long as there is some English on them as well. I wouldn't go so far as Quebec does in that they want the language removed or to have French take 75-90% of the sign, etc... but at least having something on there in English.

However, in the linked article, they should have used a photo of a relative sign in question.... the photo used has English easily readable and taking up the majority of the sign with the Chinese at the top in a much smaller size.

^ If they're upset over that, then they're wasting everybody's time.

How about some of the Gaelic signs in Cape Breton? Should we tear those down?? What about all the Inuit Signage in the North?

You're right, the image / icon signs are the best ones for everyone. How could anyone mistake what those mean? You can just check them out basically through 'the corner of your eye' while keeping your eyes on the road. I looked at the ones from Australia, yeah, driving and trying to read, wow. And "DISTRACTIONS LEAD TO DISASTER!" wtf. They don't think their wordy signs are distracting?!?!

 

[Praxius]

I know... At least in NS, there's laws for how close billboards and such signs can be along a highway. Here in Victoria, they have them shoved over your head and everywhere you turn. Some are twice or triple the size of standard billboards in Canada.

And they have speed cameras everywhere to fine you if you go so much as 3kmh over the speed limit. Going down one street you can have the speed limit go from 60, then to 80, back to 60, then 40, then back to 60.

half the people you see on the roads don't seem to care anyways cuz their GPS's tell them where the speed traps are. Transport trucks are well known for tailgating you, turn signals are an option, sorta like back in Canada, U-Turns on any street or freeway are not exactly in the road rules, yet everybody does them, jaywalking is a common occurance and i have seen far too many cars pull i to the on coming lane or up over side walks and curbs to get past traffic or to zip through to beat a red light.

Oh and in intersections of any kind, don't even then you have the right of way as a pedestrian.... If there's no crosswalk marked, you're taking your life into your own hands when crossing.....

..... Yet again... Jaywalking is an every day occurance. People will walk out past one lane and then stand on the centre line until the next lane is clear..... Regardless of how much traffic there is. I see mothers and fathers dragging their little kids by the hand while doing this.

It's a good thing i took a defensive drivers course back in Canada cuz it sure is hell needed here.

 

[SLM]

K'plagh!

Gesundheit!

Oh and in intersections of any kind, don't even then you have the right of way as a pedestrian.... If there's no crosswalk marked, you're taking your life into your own hands when crossing.....

..... Yet again... Jaywalking is an every day occurance. People will walk out past one lane and then stand on the centre line until the next lane is clear..... Regardless of how much traffic there is. I see mothers and fathers dragging their little kids by the hand while doing this.

To be fair though, if I, as a pedestrian, was taking my life in my hands every time I crossed the street, I'd probably be crossing where ever in the hell I wanted to as well. If you're going to risk your life, it might as well be to your own convenience right? Lol

 

[mapleleaf]

I feel like a foreigner every time I visit Richmond. Business owners don't want to do business with me and their employees don't want to talk to me because I can't real and speak Chinese....If I were lost, I don't know how the heck my family or friends are going to find me because there are signs with Chinese language everywhere.

 

[L Gilbert]

K'plagh!

nI'jaj yInraj 'ej SuQuchtaHjl. (May your life be long and happy)

 

[china]

Group to petition Richmond, B.C., to police Chinese language signs in city

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What happen to the good ol' ...." We stand on guard for thee"