Woman ticketed for not speaking English says she felt humiliated

Dallas Morning News ^ | 10/26/2009 | Richard Abshire

[Menehune56]

Ernestina Mondragon blinked in the glare of TV lights, seated for her news conference among family and friends at a table in the back of Tejano Mexican Restaurant at Davis and Beckley in north Oak Cliff on Sunday afternoon. Speaking Spanish translated by her daughter, Brenda, and her lawyer, Domingo Garcia, she said she was humiliated Oct. 2 when a Dallas police officer pulled her over for an illegal U-turn and then wrote her a ticket for driving without being able to speak English. "I felt I'd been looked down on and discriminated against," she said.

[redhead]

"She should feel humiliated for not having learned English."

30 years in the US and she STILL didn't speak English?? I not only find that very hard to believe, but I think this was a setup. I learned enough Czech in about six months to be able to sing with a Czech folk group, and it's one of the most difficult languages in the world. She probably spoke good English, but was trying to get the traffic cop in trouble. What a joke.

[edcoil]

Actually I understand all sign language is in English.

[dfwgator]

. I learned enough Czech in about six months to be able to sing with a Czech folk group, and it's one of the most difficult languages in the world.

If Czech is like Polish, it's pretty easy to learn how to pronounce the words, but what takes years to master is all those darned cases.

[reagan_fanatic]

Woman has lived in the US for 30 years and apparently doesn't speak any English

All too common. I have a mexican family that's lived next door to me for over 10 years. Out of the roughly 12 people who live there, only three of them speak any English at all.

Melting pot, my @ss.

[marron]

If you rent a car in Europe you won’t be ticketed for not knowing the language. You’ll be ticketed for driving 90 mph in a 120 mph zone, but not for only speaking english.

The cop was being petty. He ought to have merely ticketed her for the traffic offenses and left it at that. Being polite and treating people the way you would want to be treated is still the best policy.

I was with my boss in a south american city. He ran a red light (actually no one ever stopped for that red light) but he had the bad luck to run it with a cop trying to merge into traffic.

He tried the “no speak spanish” routine, but it didn’t work. The cop told me, I realize he doesn’t speak the language, but I believe you have red lights in the US too, right? Its the same, right?

Had my boss convinced he was going to jail (the guy was really sweating, I tell you), showed him a copy of the law requiring 72 hours in jail, but finally let him go with a warning. Never asked for a bribe. Just wanted to make his point.

[calex59]

Yes the officer wrote a ticket for not speaking English and for not having her DL on her while driving. DPD has written 39 of those not speaking English tickets in the last 3 years. They are in error as the English speaking applies to commercial licenses/vehicles only. They are now going back and dimissing those tickets and refunding any monies collected for them.

Ok, but still she broke the law, the focus should be on the real reasons he stopped her not her English, which apparently is being dismissed. She is using this to milk money from the PD. Thanks for the info, BTW.

[Jeff Chandler]

Woman has lived in the US for 30 years and apparently doesn't speak any English.

Hey, give the gal a break. Maybe she's not lazy. Maybe she's stupid.

[PissAndVinegar]

Technically, it’s ASL...as in American Sign Language.

In other countries it varies but I believe there are many similarities between ASL and other sigh language.

I find it ironic us verbal folks (the majority)can’t settle on a national / standardized language but the hearing impaired have an establish national language.

[gaijin]

He ticketed her for a traffic infraction and NOTED on the ticket her inability to speak english.

I can’t believe how distorted this story is and it only got this far because of piggy-backing on plain American credulity and white Original Sin.

[CholeraJoe]

I learned enough Czech in about six months to be able to sing with a Czech folk group, and it's one of the most difficult languages in the world.

It couldn't be THAT difficult. Even pre-schoolers in Prague can speak it.

[PeterPrinciple]

He ticketed her for a traffic infraction and NOTED on the ticket her inability to speak english.

I can’t believe how distorted this story is and it only got this far because of piggy-backing on plain American credulity and white Original Sin.

---

Dang, I have to read more than the Headline?

[clove]

The inmates are definitely in charge of the asylum.

[marron]

Police Chief David Kunkle apologized last week, promised an investigation, and said that 39 cases have been found over the last three years and that those charges will be dismissed and any fines paid will be refunded...

Evidently there was a ticket or there wouldn't be a refund.

Dallas police said Friday that the charge was on a menu in the department's in-car computers, but it applies only to commercial operators, which means bus, truck and limo drivers. The officer also ticketed her for the U-turn and no driver's license.

[Mac from Cleveland]

I felt I'd been looked down on and discriminated against," she said.

Guess what, I'm looking down on you, too, Ernestina.As for "discrimination", I know a paradise that's due south of Texas, where everyone speaks Spanish. Get on down the road, you culo de perro.

[Mac from Cleveland]

I think I rubbed her belly for luck outside a fancy Chinese restaurant.....

; )

[redhead]

But remember, they have 24-hour, around the clock tutors who give them special one-on-one teaching. There are seven “voices” in Czech. Changing a “voice” can change every word in a sentence.

[deport]

Correct, the failure to have in her possession a valid DL was a legit violation for which she was ticketed and also an illegal U-turn. My understanding is they are dropping those charges also. The news stories seem to change somewhat with each new version so I don't if the above is completely valid now. The DPD chief has been on the news tv/print apologizing prolifically for this event.

Chief Knukle's apology

Snips....

The case that led to the discovery of all the others occurred Oct. 2, when Ernestina Mondragon was stopped for making an illegal U-turn in the White Rock area. Rookie Officer Gary Bromley cited Mondragon for three violations: disregarding a traffic control device, failure to present a driver's license and "non-English speaking driver."

In that case and perhaps the others, officials said, the officer was confused by a pull-down menu on his in-car computer that listed the charge as an option. But the law the computer referred to is a federal statute regarding commercial drivers that Kunkle said his department does not enforce. ....

Mondragon, a native Spanish speaker, challenged the charge in court and it was dropped, her daughter said. Dallas police said they will drop all charges against Mondragon, who speaks limited English and does have a Texas driver's license. end snip.....

[deport]

He did more than NOTED:

See post # 57 above for links to the story and snips of what occurred.

[CodeToad]

Our melting pot has become apressure cooker with these invaders.

[Molon Labbie]

Outstanding, that makes more sense. Typical media spin. A good cop writes notes on all traffic stops.