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Hey co-workers! Yes, you! Shut the eff up! I’m tired of the condescending tone you take with the so-called “foreigners” we speak with on the phone. Get an education. Or a sense of decency. Or both. —Now I understand why people outside the Maritimes think we’re idiots.
This article appears in Nov 13-19, 2014.
8 Comments
You may be the idiot, but I dare say ALL of us aren’t. Racist, perhaps – but idiots? No.
Sadly, it’s not just a Maritime phenomenon.
http://ourdailybeard.files.wordpress.com/2…
THAT CONDESCENDING TONE
Since a condesending tone can only be employed on a first-person basis, i.e. either by the one hearing or using it, to speak of a condescending tone when speaking to foreigners on the phone can indicate only one of two things: Either you must be the foreigner to whom the condescending tone is being used or, alternatively, you must be the one using that condescending tone when speaking to foreigners on the phone. In either case, it’s a no-win situation.
(Avatar 81: The Coronation Edition of The Halifax Herald – The Halifax Mail, May 11, 1937)
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
I hear ya op, my bc accent just has them rolling in the aisles at service ns.
Can’t really rebut this argument…
People are fucking idiots.
Racism is often caused by depression, or a low self image. People are down, and they wan’t to bring other people down. Insecure and they want other people to be more insecure just to make themselves that much more than what they view themselves as. Add raw Xenophobia to that and you easily explain any case of extreme racism as well.
“Now I understand why people outside the Maritimes think we’re idiots. “
In my experience, people outside the Maritimes do not think we are idiots. In fact, they are usually thrilled to meet one of us in other parts of Canada because of our reputation as friendly and warm people. Making such a statement reduces the credibility of everything else you stay.
Do I detect a bit of personal bias and maybe just a personal anecdote here? What makes you think the tone was condescending? Could it be that the Maritime co-worker couldn’t barely understand what the person on the other end of the line was saying? Attempts to try to understand can sound condescending; doesn’t mean they are.
And what’s the point about so-called “foreigners”? Either you’re Canadian and speak English and French (or both) fluently, or you’re a recent immigrant and you command neither language well, or you’re truly a foreigner and your English and or French sucks. Here’s a concept for you: lingua franca. These days it’s mostly English. It has been different many times in many different areas, but there’s always a regional or global lingua franca. My mother tongue isn’t English either, but I reserve the right to get exasperated with people with obscure languages that can’t be bothered to learn the main language of the world.