…with Comcast, the cable provider in my area. Here’s the first part of their automated answering system:
“Thank you for calling Comcast. If you would like to continue in English, press 1. Para continuar en Espanol, marque dos.”
Seriously, English isn’t even the default language anymore? Perhaps someone thought it was insensitive to make Spanish-speakers push a button, but not English-speakers? (Please excuse any screw-ups in my Spanish.)
Mary Katharine blogs at Townhall and doesn’t think she should have to press any buttons for English.
Sheesh, sorry I missed this. I was offline last night, but hopefully I’ll be up and running again at home by tonight.
Anyway…only on a blog could you end up getting comments from the guy who may have created the automated service you were listening to. Great stuff.
And, Pennywit, I apologize for not responding quicker. Luckily, mesablue read my mind. I’ll write more later, but I got some work stuff to do right now, grrr.
If Comcast offered only Instanbulese and Constantinoplean, would it get nobody’s business but the Turks?
Is that why Comcast’s customers get the works?
I just went back and read Ed’s first comment about the Comcast menu.
Yesterday I had occasion to call my own cable TV service, which is Charter. Following the menu for “internet connectivity issues,” I wound up with a voice robot that insisted on making me repeat all of the steps I had already taken before calling, to ascertain whether the problem I was trying to report was in (1) my cable modem, (2) my router, or (3) my computer.
There was no explicit default “shut up, cyberb!tch and let me talk to a human being” option, and after I bailed out and tried again a couple of times just to make sure I hadn’t missed one, I finally just started pressing the # key until the robot gave up and passed me to a CSR.
And the CSR told me the problem was indeed in their network and they’d only recently noticed it (probably while I was phone-wrestling with Six of Nine) and also told me how to bypass the robot next time.
If I have to use the phone, give me a human being, not a freakin’ Borg.
[slaps forehead]
Seven of Nine.
I saw an episode of “Tripping the Rift” last night, so if I start talking about Darth Bobo when I mean Darth Vader…
tripping the rift is great
This post is really funny. Talk about making mountains out of molehills.
Seriously Mary Katherine, this is a cable company that has two different language options on their automated menu! Do you think there is some massive social conspiracy behind that? Maybe in the middle of the night, Comcast will suddenly switch things and make English number two and Spanish numero UNO. Then the takeover will be almost complete. Whahahahaha.
Even more humorous was the number of people that responded who agree with you and are equally paranoid. Jesus people, we share a border with Mexico and have alot of Spanish speakers in this country. Why is it that people in Europe have no problem speaking multiple languages but here in the US many see it as something that takes away from our patriotism? And who cares if some company puts Spanish on their automated phone system so they can serve all of their clientele?
Ryan, I’m suprised that you and others read my very slight annoyance and very short blog post as outrage and paranoia. I’m also surprised it got as much reaction as it did. Also (and I thought, needless to say) it wasn’t the phone system per se that bothered me. I was actually pointing to the phone system as indicative of a growing (and I think, unfortunate) cultural attitude that it is unnecessary and even preferable for some immigrants not to assimilate. If that is the conspiracy to which you refer, then I am guilty. I’ll post again on it after work if my Internet is working.
Joo no, meng, that joo keep me down by letteeng me speak espanol and not makeeng me leearn jor ingleesh. I only get work sweepeeng de floors and makeeng de donuts for joo and jor beetchy wife….
Mary Katherine:
I was actually pointing to the phone system as indicative of a growing (and I think, unfortunate) cultural attitude that it is unnecessary and even preferable for some immigrants not to assimilate.
And my point was that I think you are going overboard with that kind of thinking. I just dont see a big problem with bilingualism, period. I dont see it as a sign that that is some sort of disrespect for America or anything of the sort. I dont believe in some sort of perfect or static cultural ideal. Things change, as they always have.
Think about this: there are thousands of US citizens who speak fluent Spanish. Along with that, they vote. If they get together and push for legislation that includes Spanish along with English here in the US, well, more power to them. Thats the way democracy works, and one way that things might be changing.
And dont forget that these Spanish speakers are consumers as well, and businesses do all they can to appeal to their demographics.
That “growing (and I think, unfortunate) cultural attitude” might just mean more political and economic influence being exerted by Spanish speaking Americans.
I dont have a problem, at all, with people coming here from all over the world and continuing to speak or act in ways that they desire. If they are in the minority, of course, they will more than likely have to learn to navigate the dominant cultural ways in order to be successful, or at least survive. But as they gain influence, power, and wealth, they will be catered to more and more by people who want their business (or votes). This deal with Comcast is an example of that.
Things work themselves out. It sounds like you just have a problem with the idea of the US being a bilingual country in any way. I disagree, but respect your opinion.
I do want to know why you see these changes as so problematic.
Ryan, I’m suprised that you and others read my very slight annoyance and very short blog post as outrage and paranoia.
…and for the record I only read it as paranoia, if that makes any difference!
😉
McG:
That makes sense. I heard that Comcast outsourced tech support to a company called …
They Might Be Telecom Giants
–|PW|–
Besides..Mary Katherine? where exactly do you live again? I live in southern california (Bakersfield, to be exact), and those telephone menus have had different buttons for different languages for many years. Try going to LA, I bet you’d find a telephone directory with English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and more. Stop acting like it is a new phenomenon and get back to work.