Lately, there appears to be a growing anti-English trend among shopkeepers and fast-food outlets in the Los Angeles area, that I personally find rude and insulting.
How about you?
As customers patiently wait for their orders to be served up, employees at a handful of local establishments often converse amongst themselves in a second language such as Spanish, Chinese, or Russian.
Consequently, English-speaking patrons are not privy to what is being said (possibly about them?) - and ultimately - are shut-out of the conversation.
To me that is not only bad manners, but unacceptable business practice in America where the recognized first language is English.
It irks me (and I expect a posse of Americans) that these individuals immigrate to the U.S., avail themselves of the benefits this great Nation has to offer, but refuse to learn the language (or facilitate it when necessary in polite society on these shores).
I say, the heck with them.
As of today, I have decided to no longer patronize any business that permits employees to speak in a second language during business hours which results in the exclusion of English-speaking U.S. citizens.
For starters, the following businesses (guilty!) are on my sh** list:
*McDonald's
(@ Crescent Heights & Sunset/ West Hollywood)
*Russian Bakeries (2)
(@ Fairfax & Santa Monica Boulevard 'West Hollywood)
*Doughnut shop
(@Crescent Heights & Santa Monica Boulevard /West Hollywood)
In these tough economic times when independent businesses are struggling to survive, I would rather support a company that treats its customers with some dignity and respect, than one that openly permits employees to demean American English-speaking consumers at large.
Yup!
As Howard Beale would say (Network):
"I'm mad as hell and I'm not taking it anymore"
But, author Mignon McLaughlin said it best:
"Every American child should grow up learning a second language, preferably English."
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