Posted on 08/20/2016 9:15:49 AM PDT by Olog-hai
Hail a yellow taxi in New York City, and there is a good chance the driver is from another country. Passengers are regularly exposed to a range of languages that span the globe, from Spanish to Bengali to Urdu.
It can be charming, but also maddening for riders who feel that drivers do not understand where they want to go. Don’t you have to speak English, some wonder, to drive a taxi here?
As of Friday, the answer is no.
That is when new rules went into effect eliminating the requirement that taxi drivers take an English proficiency exam. Now, the test for a taxi license is available in several languages, to accommodate non-English speakers. …
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
As Joe Biden would say, “Two words: Uber”
Blaming it on Uber is specious; that’s what the NYC council did in effect.
Some years ago their Public Library bragged how they had the largest collection of Korean-language books in the country.
To my mind, the only foreign-language books in a library should be a bi-lingual dictionary.
Just another in a long list of why I have no desire to go to NYC. Came through JFK a few times but only ventured outside the airport once and that was to make a connection from LaGuardia. That was a few decades ago so the cabbie spoke English.
I’m not blaming it on Uber, I’m saying the solution is Uber
My guess is Venezuela on the Hudson by 2020.
Sorry for misunderstanding.
Still and all, the iron grip the city has via the TLC will always lead to the wrong “solutions”.
I live in an area of Canada that has a greater than 10% “official” unemployment rate - in reality over 15%. But somehow jobs are being offered to Syrian “refugees” who don’t speak a word of English. Our government hates its own people and I do not say that with hyperbole. It is the only rational explanation for their actions.
Whatever happened to the stereotypical New York cabbie who had a Brooklyn accent????
Why is it that, entire sectors of our economy are dominated by people not born in this country?
How is it that cab drivers in major cities, are almost to a man, not born in this country?
How is it that, in many major cities, hotel maids are Hispanic??
How is it that, in many places, independent hotels and motels are run by Indians from India??
How is it that, in some places around the country, fast food workers are of any age and not born in this country, as opposed to the stereotypical teens and young adults who used to do this type of work?
While you can’t speak to the immigration status of any of these people within a post on a site like this, you wonder, how is it that native born Americans just don’t do certain types of jobs anymore???
All legal immigrants are required to speak English. This tells me were talking about illegals and Muslim “refugee” invaders.
Have fun with it. After you determine your cabby named Mohammed doesn’t speak any English other than numbers (which I believe were originally Arabic anyway)and avenue names spend the rest of the ride telling him what you think of him and his mother and the prophet himself and the horse he rode in on, etc.
How is it that convenience stores are owned by Iranians?
Here, lawn care has been taken from Mexican illegals by middle aged to older white guys. How dare they! How racist!
Now, that is as totally stupid as the Princeton University recent announcement. S-T-U-P-I-D
Uber has non English speakers, too. They are also easily illegal and often are not the drivers they purport to be - easy to register as someone else without felonies, and the background check is very weak, and they don’t drug test.
I am a cab driver. I don’t hate Uber drivers (worked as one for a couple years). So I know whereof I speak.
This is stupid on NYC’s part. But to comfort you all may I say that these non-English speakers won’t last long. It is hard to make money as a cab driver. Communication is key. If you can’t understand what is being said over the intercom, read the messages on your little computer, or understand what your passengers are saying to you. . . you will not get as many rides and you will not get as much in tips and you will get more complaints and you will not be as efficient.
So many non-English speakers will weed themselves out. Or, learn to speak English so they can do better.
My two cents. But yes it is stupid and PC.
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