DWI laws hit language barrier

News and Observer ^ | November 13, 2003 | AISLING SWIFT

[RebelBanker]

If someone can not understand basic English, I do not believe he has any business driving in this country! How the He!! can you pass a written test on the law if you can not understand English? Oh, that's right, the tests are now available in whatever language the testee wants. What a crock!

My brother is a police officer in a jurisdiction that has a lot of Hispanics as well as other minorities. The biggest problem the police have in dealing with the ethnic types is that they will conveniently "forget" how to speak English. Then, all they need is a liar-for-hire or a crusading public defender to claim the poor dumba$$ furriner couldn't understand the cop's instructions.

[blackdog]

A command of the english language is required to obtain a pilot's license world-wide. FWIW.

Flying to any country at any time, english is accepted without hesitation.

[wi jd]

So what solution to this would you offer?

On call interpreters. Any city with a large Spanish speaking population probably has them.

Or, AT & T offers a 24/7 service with interpreters that speak any language. You call one number, tell the operator what language you need, and within minutes there is an interpreter on the line. With wireless technology, that is not too difficult.

And even if it takes an extra half-hour to an hour waiting for an interpreter, I think it is worth it. The driver's constitutional rights are protected and the prosecution will most likely get a conviction.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Exactly. I lived in Argentina for 2 years. I learned Spanish. Fluently. Why wouldn't I? It came in handy when the police pulled me over for (stupidly) going wrong way on a one-way. Had I not been able to speak Spanish, I wouldn't have been able to bribe the cop and get away without a ticket.

[Hegemony Cricket]

bump for later reference

[Apogee]

wasn't offering an opinion, merely some solutions to gt the problem off the table more easily.
learning english ought to be the solution.

[brownsfan]

Your heart is in the right place. I have serious doubts about where your head is, and how you sit down.

There comes a point where captiulating to individual rights becomes an infringment on everyone's rights.

[cardinal4]

Or, we could deny driver's licences to those who can't pass the test in English.

Most of these people dont have licenses..

[Tacis]

Nah, this s just one of those activist judges who wants Mexican criminals driving around drunk so long as it is on your street. Long, long before we had the technology, cops were getting convictions with testimony that said, "his gait was unsteady, his speech was slurred, and he smelled of alcohol." That should have been enough!

Of course, the illegal had no insurance and no license. The law should be changed to make both violations jailable and the guy should be deported so this dumb judge won't free him or the next 100 drunk Mexicans, either.

[chuckwalla]

How does that work?
Do they then pass the phone back and forth?
Do the police have to have several phones, one for each person to hold up while doing the test?
Do the police get speaker boxes and microphones sets to put on the hood of the patrol car?
What if there are several drunks do the police have to have say six sets. One for each person. Or do they pass it around?
How many millions will this cost us?
We are accomodating ourselves out of existence. Before long all we will have in this country is those who have no idea where they are and don't have to know. Just come here, make money, send it home, and have fun. No problem. The law can't touch me.

[AlBondigas]

Total B.S. assumptions
Many hispanics in the US have a passable understanding of English - but it escapes them whenever conveniet such as a fender benders, etc.
In Calif, there is a long & rich history of the condition dating back more than 50 years.

[IYAS9YAS]

It's funny. My wife works at a lab that sees a lot of hispanics. Most "can't" or "don't" understand English. When she tells them that, if they can't understand her instructions, they'll have to come back later since they are wasting the lab's and the other patient's time, they all-of-the-sudden remember English.

[Gritty]

This article and what it reveals isn't funny in the least!

[IYAS9YAS]

You willing to fork out the extra bucks for these services?

[nicollo]

From the article:

"How would they like to be treated if they were in a foreign country and someone took them to jail?" Childers asked. "But after he's charged, the magistrate provides information in Spanish, and when he goes to court, there's an interpreter."

I've been hauled off to the "station" in South America for no good reason other than that I was minding my own business. I, too, used the "no speekie inglishee" defense, and spoke only in English to the peppering in Spanish over why I didn't have a proper in-country I.D. on me (this happened to me in Belgium, too, so it ain't just a back-ass banana republic thing). When they tried to speak to me in English, I pretended that I couldn't understand.

No difference between me and this guy in that I broke a law, in my case that of carrying proper identification. I walked out after three hours of hopeless discussion on their part, all of which I understood. They were just messing with me, enjoying their power until it was no longer any fun. I hid behind the language barrier. That's what this guy did, whether real or not.

Not much sympathy for him from over here.

Oh, and note that the attorney does his thing in English.

MNLDS -- I got out of various warranted or otherwise stops by the police in South America by either speak or not speaking the language when convenient. The best one was to invoke the United Nations Special Charter no. 54-875, section ii, regarding reciprocity driving privileges for diplomats and authorized speeders in home countries, or some such nonsense. Say "United Nations," and they stand attention. Say "American" and they want a bribe.

[Hegemony Cricket]

LOL - that's beautiful!

Street map of Argentina - $8.95
Argentinian driver's license - $32.00
"Learn Spanish in 24 hours" CD - $49.99


Being able to speak Spanish so you can bribe the cop and get away without a ticket - PRICELESS!

[wi jd]

Your heart is in the right place. I have serious doubts about where your head is, and how you sit down.

Cute response. But you are completely missing the boat. Should we arrest anyone who doesn't speak English?

[wi jd]

Many hispanics in the US have a passable understanding of English

I concur. But many do not. I know first hand about Cali. I am from SoCal Al.

[AlBondigas]

And those "who do not" generally tend to keep a low profile, lest their illegal residency be detected.

[Ides of March]

Should we arrest anyone who doesn't speak English?

Of course not.

Only the drunk illegal alien drivers without a drivers license, who don't speak English.

Just like those who do speak English.