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Troopers Ban Non-English Speaking Trucker
local10.com ^ | 06/06/07 | local10

Posted on 06/06/2007 6:41:56 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3

Troopers Pull Over Man Who Speaks Only Russian

GREENWOOD, Neb. -- The Nebraska State Patrol stopped a truck driver who only speaks Russian, and told him he can go no further until he learns the language, Omaha TV station KETV reported.

"Sir, I need your papers. I need your papers. All of your papers. Log book, registration, yes," a trooper said during a truck safety stop operation near Greenwood.

The trucker had all his documents in order and a valid commercial driver's license, but he couldn't communicate with state troopers. Under the law, troopers were forced to make the driver park his truck and take him out of service.

They talked to his boss on the phone.

"You need to tell your driver he is out of service until he can understand English," Trooper Jeremy Radford told the boss over the telephone.

The driver was still obviously confused and tried to drive away.

Troopers said they are having more and more problems with language barriers.

Federal regulations said that commercial drivers should be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public. But 17 states and the District of Columbia offer the commercial driver's license test in foreign languages.

Nance Harris of the Nebraska Trucking Association said there's a reason some trucking companies are hiring professional drivers from out of the country.

"Current estimates are that we have a shortage of about 30,000 drivers," Harris said. "It isn't a question of them not understanding the trucking industry or safe driving. They simply need some time to be more conversant in English."

Troopers said the citation has entirely to do with safety because commercial drivers need to be able to read all signs and traffic warnings, especially driving a rig that weighs about 80,000 pounds.

The trucker was stranded at the weigh station until he could find a ride, or for someone from his company to come pick him up along with his truck. Troopers said they will help him do that, but said some drivers have waited at the weigh station for as long as three days for someone to come get them.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: leo; nebraska; police; russian; trooper; trucker
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To: gas0linealley
Better pay and more time at home might solve your problem.

That is the whole truth.

41 posted on 06/06/2007 7:31:45 PM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: sarasmom
My customers call me to clean up the mess of non-english speaking drivers trying to shake them down for “inside delivery charges” to offload their cargo quite often.

I would say there in is the problem, it should be against the law for a truck driver to be ask to load are unload freight. I don't want to be on the road with a driver that just spent six hours unloading a truck and logged it as off duty time.

42 posted on 06/06/2007 7:36:36 PM PDT by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: Army Air Corps

I do understand though you can get software that will type in other languages ....but I guess you have to know that language .....


43 posted on 06/06/2007 7:36:55 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("There Are Two Theories To Arguing With Women. Neither One Works")
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To: SkyDancer

I have one, VPS Keys, that allows me to type in Vietnamese. It is pretty easy to learn and use.


44 posted on 06/06/2007 7:38:30 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: oneamericanvoice

CSPAN 2 now, voting on English official language amendment and other amendments.


45 posted on 06/06/2007 7:48:00 PM PDT by TornadoAlley3 (The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control immigration.)
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To: SkyDancer
Babelfish will translate for you. Babelfish переведет для вас. http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr
46 posted on 06/06/2007 7:50:01 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Army Air Corps
Ты должен думать по-русски. Только по-русски!
47 posted on 06/06/2007 7:57:17 PM PDT by tubasonum (proud to be naturalized American)
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To: tubasonum

:-)

Thanks for the translation! My very limited Russian can pick-out a couple of words in there.


48 posted on 06/06/2007 7:59:43 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: TornadoAlley3

If he was driving this pimped out Russian truck, the State Patrol would be too afraid to stop him.

49 posted on 06/06/2007 8:06:03 PM PDT by FreedomCalls (It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
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To: TornadoAlley3
Spoke to a truck dealership friend the other day. They are having to hire service writers who speak Russian or Spanish since most drivers can't speak English.
50 posted on 06/06/2007 8:07:34 PM PDT by SpeakLittle_ThinkMuch ("If you don't read the paper, you are uninformed. If you do read the paper, you are misinformed."...)
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To: TornadoAlley3

“It isn’t a question of them not understanding the trucking industry or safe driving. They simply need some time to be more conversant in English.”

They couldn’t even understand “we want your papers”. So how in the heck can they read and understand the road signs?? How can they understand our road rules? Our families are unsafe on our roads as long as non english speaking people are allowed to drive here.

I would never ever attempt to go to say...germany, rent a car and just start driving!!!


51 posted on 06/06/2007 8:08:58 PM PDT by annelizly
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To: annelizly

Warum nicht?


52 posted on 06/06/2007 8:09:56 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: BlazingArizona
Does this mean that from now on, we have to press 3 for Russian?

No, 3 is for Chinese. Haven't you ever tried calling Walmart? LOL!

53 posted on 06/06/2007 8:12:59 PM PDT by NRA2BFree ("The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves!")
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To: mewzilla

Federal regulations said that commercial drivers should be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public. But 17 states and the District of Columbia offer the commercial driver’s license test in foreign languages.


54 posted on 06/06/2007 8:13:02 PM PDT by deport ( Cue Spooky Music...)
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To: deport
Oy vey.
55 posted on 06/06/2007 8:20:53 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: sarasmom

“inside delivery charges”? I’d love to get my hands on one of those guys. We get them fairly often - they walk up to the loading dock door waving the freight bill in front of them. They’re Russians and South Americans. It makes me wonder what kind of idiot would hire an OTR driver that can’t read the signs on the highway.


56 posted on 06/06/2007 8:21:46 PM PDT by sig226 (Where did my tag line go?)
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To: Army Air Corps

“You must think in Russian....think in Russian!”

[`Skaiytiye vpyoredi raketyii!’ ]

WHOOOOOOOOOSH!! BOOM!!!

Sure glad I only had to live there (USSR) a few months.


57 posted on 06/06/2007 8:24:20 PM PDT by elcid1970
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To: sig226

Roadway.


58 posted on 06/06/2007 8:24:49 PM PDT by sarasmom
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To: elcid1970

What were you doing there?

A friend of mine spent a year there as a student in undergrad.


59 posted on 06/06/2007 8:25:45 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: Tamar1973
He's probably proficient in written English. Speaking it is a totally different skill.

If you are aware enough to be able to read English words and understand what they mean then you should be able to muster more of a defense than just, "I don't know how to speak your language."

60 posted on 06/06/2007 8:27:33 PM PDT by perfect stranger
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