Non-motoring > Is this correct? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Pat Replies: 23

 Is this correct? - Pat
I follow our local Police Forces on Facebook and Wisbech Police Yes, the same ones who posted a pic of Ian's lorry on it's side while he was still trapped in it) have just posted a picture of a car with this report

'Cromwell Road, Wisbech'iuje - nei vairuotojo pažymėjimo, nei draudimo - automobilis konfiskuotas'

I can translate it, but despite this getting me called racist again, I think it's entirely wrong.

Pat
 Is this correct? - CGNorwich
What is?
 Is this correct? - Pat
This is England, where we speak English.

If I go to France I expect to see Facebook, or any Police notice, in French.

I believe it is my duty to either be able to understand French or to translate it.

I don't expect to have to do that here to understand their report.

Apart from anything else the Police are at the very least revealing that the registered owner of the untaxed and uninsured car is of Eastern European origin....and that's wrong as well.

Pat
 Is this correct? - smokie
Why so? Not sure such offences guarantee you anonymity do they? If they do, I don't think they should.
 Is this correct? - Pat
Because by implication, and stressed even more so by the Police posting in a foreign language, it gives the impression that this happens in this area mainly be Eastern Europeans and that is not so.

It happens more so by our long term unemployed English benefit claimants who can gather enough cash to buy a banger from a mate, but won't have it long enough to make it legal.

On the whole, most EU people in this area run totally legal vehicles because they are constantly checked and they need it to get to work.

Pat
 Is this correct? - No FM2R
In Chile punishment signs are frequently in a variety of languages. Rarely Eastern European, but Spanish, English, German, various eastern languages, it all depends on who the authorities are trying to send a message to at that moment.

I can't quite work out the issue.

 Is this correct? - Pat
The issue is that the specific offence is a common one in this area by English people.

On this occasion the only reason I can think it has been posted in a foreign language is because it is registered to an EU keeper.

In doing that it gives no warning whatsoever to the regulars who commit this offence on a weekly basis.

Frowny incoming!

Pat
 Is this correct? - No FM2R
I still don't get it.

Is your whine because the notice *is* in Lithuanian or because its *not* in English?

Seems to me that you're just desperately seeking offence.
 Is this correct? - Pat
You don't have to get it, you're not local.

Wisbech Police are, and I emailed them with the reasons for my complaint along with many other locals.

The post has now been taken down and replaced with an English version.

Job done.

Pat
 Is this correct? - Bromptonaut
>> This is England, where we speak English.

But we have communities here who've never got around to speaking much English and who read even less. Not just new migrants or Asian women either. Father in law of Mrs B's cousin came here fron Ukraine in 1946. Worked in places with other Ukrainians and socialised in a Ukranian club. Died in 2012 speaking little more English than in 46.

FACT: If you want to get a message to those sort of people you have to use their own language. As NFM2R says you pitch for your intended audience.

Driving without insurance is a crime that crosses all ethnic and social groups in UK. We get a regular stream of them at work plus migrants on analogous offence of failing to re-register their LT etc cars in UK.

>> If I go to France I expect to see Facebook, or any Police notice, in
>> French.

Plenty notices in English around Calais, along A16 etc as there's an audience.

 Is this correct? - Manatee
>> >> This is England, where we speak English.
>>
>> But we have communities here who've never got around to speaking much English and who
>> read even less. Not just new migrants or Asian women either. Father in law of
>> Mrs B's cousin came here fron Ukraine in 1946. Worked in places with other Ukrainians
>> and socialised in a Ukranian club. Died in 2012 speaking little more English than in
>> 46.
>>
>> FACT: If you want to get a message to those sort of people you have
>> to use their own language. As NFM2R says you pitch for your intended audience.

One suspects that if they are reading FB they understand English; but there can be no objection to the English version followed by whatever translations the police think will be helpful.

No damn sense whatsoever in a message that is solely in a foreign language on the Police FB page, most of whose readers will be English (only) readers.

I suppose we should give the polis 1/10 as it didn't say "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translate".
 Is this correct? - Pat
Exactly Manatee, and that was the basis of my email complaint, and many other local ones.

It should have been posted in English first with the EU version afterwards if needed....but I've since discovered Wisbech Police have a website page totally in an Eastern European language (as well as an English one), which I don't have a problem with at all.

However it makes it all the more strange they should post on Facebook like that.

Pat

 Is this correct? - Bromptonaut
>> It should have been posted in English first with the EU version afterwards if needed....but
>> I've since discovered Wisbech Police have a website page totally in an Eastern European language
>> (as well as an English one), which I don't have a problem with at all.

In that case perhaps it's just a case of message in (whichever) foreign language being posted on wrong page?
 Is this correct? - Pat
I don't think so Bromp.

It's really quite difficult to mix up a public Facebook page with your own website pages!

Pat
 Is this correct? - rtj70
Pat are you saying that Cambridgeshire Constabulary* are posting articles online in languages other than English? So there was no English version until you complained? If there was an English and say Polish version then that is fine (you'd agree I think). But no English version is wrong IMO too because the majority speak English in the area.

But the pasty problem - I would keep an eye on that confusion and maybe see the GP. I'll explain more in an email if you want. Father in law gets confused but he is a fair bit older than you. This I emphasise is not a go at you! It's the sort of thing he'd have done a few years back. Now he is a lot more reliant on my wife (his daughter). He's still living independently.


* Is it Cambridgeshire Constabulary? Do they cover all of your area?
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 9 Aug 17 at 00:03
 Is this correct? - Pat
No English version posted at all.

No need to worry about my pasty problem rtj.

It's not easy having meals ready for an unknown mealtime until around 20 minutes beforehand.

My obsession is with having it all prepared ready to cook but not having it sitting in the oven at room temperature for any length of time.

In fact it's quite the opposite of early onset Dementia, it's really very healthy when you think about it.

Pat
 Is this correct? - Duncan

>> But the pasty problem - I would keep an eye on that confusion and maybe
>> see the GP.

What pasty problem?
 Is this correct? - Pat
I'll let rtj explain that one Duncan in his own alarmist, individual manner!

Pat
 Is this correct? - VxFan
Lots of stuff and nonsense removed from this thread. I don't think anything of worth got removed in the process.

God you lot are like little children at times, you really are.
 Is this correct? - Hard Cheese
Reckon that if you receive gov stuff by post in France, Italy, Germany etc it will be in the home language, however my wife was called for jury service recently (so comms aimed at long term citizens, not visitors) and a lot of it came translated into at least ten languages. Should the tax payer be paying for this or should the onus be on the citizen to understand the language of the country they live in? I err towards the latter, I meam if I were to live in say, France I would not expect the authorities there to communicate with me in English.
 Is this correct? - Pat
I agree with you HC, I can understand multilingual languages near to ports just as we have them here on the A2/M20 but anymore than that, I feel the onus is on me to understand their language.

Pat
Last edited by: Pat on Wed 9 Aug 17 at 16:06
 Is this correct? - Bromptonaut
>> I agree with you HC, I can understand multilingual languages near to ports just as
>> we have them here on the A2/M20 but anymore than that, I feel the onus
>> is on me to understand their language.

The practical position is that we have significant numbers of people across many ethnic groups who have limited English. Even if we imposed tests for new arrivals today it would take years for that to change.

While I'm absolutely clear anybody serving on a jury should have a full understanding of English the reality is that the pool jurors are selected from includes those who do not. Not understanding would be a good ground for being excused from service. Much cheaper to get one off translations of the summons and explanatory papers in common languages than to for jury bailiffs to mugger about chasing up and potentially summonsing for non-attendance people who could not usefully serve.

I suspect a Frenchman would look at that differently but they don't 'do' diversity there in way we do.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Wed 9 Aug 17 at 16:34
 Is this correct? - Pat
I think we 'do' diversity too much and that it costs the country a lot of money.

I have a long tribe of various nationalities before me at work and some always try the 'sit in silence' with the explanation that they don't understand.

It only lasts at most 15 minutes, once I explain they need to understand to be able to work here, and ask a few casual questions which they are able to answer, the language barrier disappears.

I refuse to provide training literature in a half a dozen different languages as they have to comply with EU laws which will always be presented to them in English while they work in this country (road signs, bridge heights, Fixed penalty tickets POD's and addresses etc).

I do actually have a shortened basic version of the tacho rules in Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Latvian and Rumanian available to them at the end of the course and when offered, they always refuse them.

If we make it easy for people not to integrate they never will......just like us when we're abroad and can get away with using English.

Pat
Pat
 Is this correct? - Hard Cheese

>> I have a long tribe of various nationalities before me
>> If we make it easy for people not to integrate they never will......just like us
>> when we're abroad and can get away with using English.
>>

I agree Pat.
Last edited by: Hard Cheese on Wed 9 Aug 17 at 18:52
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