Canadian couple sues Air Canada (and wins) because they were not served in French

[FLAprogressive]

A couple of French language 'extremists' have won an £8,000 payout after airline staff spoke to them in English.

Michel and Lynda Thibodeau sued Air Canada for not respecting their right to be served in their mother tongue during a flight from the country's capital Ottawa.

Despite speaking fluent English, Mr Thibodeau complained that he was not greeted in French when the pair checked in for their flight or at the airport's boarding gate.

He also branded the airline's employees 'malicious, oppressive and reprehensible' for not answering his questions in French.

The pair also complained that when they ordered a 7Up drink on the plane, the English-speaking air hostess brought them a Sprite instead.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2016305/Michel-Lynda-Thibodeau-win-8k-Air-Canada-staff-speak-English.html?ITO=1490

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This reminds me of that Canadian lesbian couple who sued a comedian and won because he made jokes about them. So ridiculous.

[SheilaT]

1. I used to work at National Airport in Washington, DC

at the ticket counter for an airline that had flights to Toronto. When I was feeling especially devilish, I'd speak French to the Toronto passengers, and then act surprised when they didn't (as was the usual case) understand me. "But you're a bi-lingual country!" I'd say.

[Art_from_Ark]

2. Mon dieu!

Does that mean that I can sue that hotel in Quebec for not speaking to me in English, even though the guy at the front desk could speak perfect English?

[FLAprogressive]

3. Ha! Try it.

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Heck, they wouldn't even give me a room

Me: Do you have any rooms available?
Front desk guy: Oh, yeah, we have lots of rooms available.
(Unintelligible mumbling in French coming from the back room)
Front desk guy: Je regrette, monsieur, mais toutes les salles sont occupees.

[lapislzi]

16. What FLAprogressive said

The Quebecois language police appear to have learned their techniques from the Stasi. My company cannot sell its products in Quebec because of the onerous requirements that EVERY word of text be in both English and French. We're a small company; we can't support the cost of translation and production.

On the other hand, the bilingual requirements are making my Quebec BFF a bunch of money as a translator of legal docs.

[Syrinx]

5. is this ridiculous story remotely true?

I don't think this is a Murdoch paper, but it is very similar in tactics and goals.

[Cool Logic]

6. Well, it appears that whining is as contagious and profitable in Canada as it is in the US.

[JVS]

7. Vive le Quebec libre!

[SidDithers]

9. ROFL...

:rofl:

Sid

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Yeah just because it is the law and a major part of the reform that

kept Canada one nation instead of splitting into two over the language and culture issue is no reason to enforce the law.

[hack89]

10. Trivializing an important principle eventually causes more harm then good

once they have enough ridiculous, trivial and petty examples to point at, it becomes easy for opponents to undermine support for the law.

[Blue_Tires]

12. So why does he get to sue for damages?

If Air Canada broke the law, fine them and be done with it...I fail to see where his 'injury' is, especially since there is no indication he said "Please get me one of the french-speaking attendants, if you have one"

[WatsonT]

15. While I'm sure that hearing another language was emotionally devastating to this poor man

it is in fact something many people have to tolerate.

Why in cities in the US you can often walk a few blocks and hear 2, 3, even 4 (!) languages that are not english.

As absurd as it may seem the citizens of these cities have developed a coping mechanism for this sonic assault on their cultural identities: they ignore it if it bothers them that much.

[FLAprogressive]

20. Exactly. No one should be forced to communicate or provide service in a any language.

[WatsonT]

22. In the real world I just grunt, whistle and gesture violently to indicate my wishes

that's the universal language (sorry Nathanael West, but you were wrong).

[Blue_Tires]

11. OK, adding the 7-UP/Sprite bullshit pretty much undermines his entire complaint

And while he is clearly sue-happy, it is unclear if he specifically asked for French language service, or if he spat out a few words hoping the flight attendant would take the lead...

[SidDithers]

13. A bit more balanced article, from a bit more balanced source...

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1024503--air-canada-ordered-to-pay-couple-12k-over-lack-of-french-services

Air Canada ordered to pay couple $12K over lack of French services

Air Canada must pay $12,000 and apologize to an Ottawa couple after admitting it failed to provide them with services in French, a Federal Court judge ruled Wednesday.

However, the judge decided against imposing punitive damages, saying the carrier has tried to comply with its obligations under the Official Languages Act.

The case arose out of two trips Michel and Lynda Thibodeau made in the first half of 2009 between Ottawa and the United States.

They argued they could not get service in French when they checked in, at the boarding gate and aboard the flight, and that an announcement about a change of baggage carousel was made only in English.

No mention of the Sprite / 7Up switch. But we all know that if Quebeckers were involved, they would have ordered a Pepsi. :)

Sid

[Blue_Tires]

19. ok, that sheds a little more light on the case

thanks

[chrisa]

14. I really don't get that law...

It says that they can speak in English or French, right? Well, didn't they speak in English? What was the problem there? I guess it was because they didn't have French in some areas of the airport and only English, and need both.

Also, suing for getting 7up instead of Sprite is just lol. Many places either carry Pepsi products or Coke products, but never both. 7up is a Pepsi product, and Sprite is a Coca-Cola product.

[WatsonT]

17. How do you say "suck it up" in french?

[octothorpe]

18. I believe that's pronounced "Cha-ching!"

[RZM]

21. This story is amusing. Especially the crisp, lemon/lime finish n/t