More gripes! (sorry)

[Mosey]

I realized I’ve been using the “Off Topic and Just for Fun” forum as a place to gripe (see the “Walmart, what a pain“ thread), but I’ve noticed we tractor types tend to think alike (must be the vibration of the tractor). So, it’s comforting to hear that I’m not the only one who’s fed up with some things.

Anyway, here’s 2 more.

Gripe #1: $99.99.

I’m sick of it! I’m sick of gas being $x.xx9, I’m sick of prices being whatever minus .01 just to make it look like less. Same goes for $x.98 or $x.97, etc. I’d rather just pay the extra few cents and keep it simple. They’re not fooling me, I round it up anyway. Some people are really hung up on it though. I just bought a cell phone (finally broke down and did it). I went up to the counter and told the gal at the Verizon place I had a few questions about the one I saw on display for $100 minus a $30 rebate. She gave me a quizzical look and said they didn’t have any for that price, but have one for $99.99! Geez!

My Dad told me once he heard it all started way back when (I don’t know exactly) because clerks were pocketing the money for items instead of ringing it up on the cash register (so much for the good ol’ days when people were honest!). He said merchants started pricing things as $x.99 to force the clerk to open the cash register and get change and then there would be a receipt printed, so they couldn’t pocket the money. Don’t know if it’s true or not. I think it’s because merchants realized people are gullible and will fall for tricks. It’s sad but true.

Gripe #2: “Press 1 for English, press 2 for Spanish”

I’m sick of having to answer this question when I call a government office or use an ATM machine. I’m sick of manuals being twice as thick as they need to be because they have to be printed in 2 languages. If it’s in the USA, it should be in English!

How many people that use my credit union can not read English? I'm guessing it's a very small percentage of the total members. Why should everyone be inconvenienced for these few people? Also, since I am a software engineer myself, I know that it would be possible and should be fairly easy to automatically select the language based on the members card. The first thing a person does is put the ATM card in the machine and the machine has to read the card to determine who it is in order to check the passcode. So, put the choice of language information on the card or in their account info so the machine could easily select the language at that time, then set the display to the appropriate language.

But, that wouldn't be necessary if everyone living in the US could understand English. I read in the news that 26 states have already passed legislation making English their official language. I think that's the right thing to do. I have nothing against diversity and am not prejudice, but we need to put a stop to this before it gets out of hand. What's next, German, Italian, Japanese? If I go to another country I don't expect them to speak English on my account, I feel it's my responsibility to learn their language. If the people in this country are going to be united, we all need to speak a common language. I work with several people from all over the world who have learned English well enough to get along just fine. Why do Spanish speaking people deserve special treatment? They should be able to learn English just as my Asian and Indian co-workers have done. I admit English is not the best language and if I was told everyone in the US was going to be required to learn an entirely new and better language, then I would be all for it! But, since a huge majority of Americans speak English, then it makes sense for everyone who wants to live here to speak English as well. If we have several different languages going around, we will not be very "united".

OK, I’m stepping down off my soap box now.

 

[RanchMan]

<font color=blue>I’m sick of manuals being twice as thick as they need to be because they have to be printed in 2 languages.</font color=blue>

That doesn't bother me as much as the manuals that are 8 times as thick as needed because they have German, French, Russian, etc. etc. etc... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Golfgar4]

<font color=blue>"I’m sick of manuals being twice as thick as they need to be because they have to be printed in 2 languages."</font color=blue>

<font color=red>"That doesn't bother me as much as the manuals that are 8 times as thick as needed because they have German, French, Russian, etc. etc. etc..."</font color=red>


That doesn't bother me as much as manuals that provide little or no useful information! /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RanchMan]

<font color=blue>That doesn't bother me as much as manuals that provide little or no useful information! </font color=blue>

Or better yet, when they provide incorrect information!! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[RichZ]

It's interesting, here in upstate New York, as you get closer to Canada, you start to see signs that are in English and French, instead of English and Spanish. (No offense to our Canadian members, this is just an observation that I think is interesting./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif)

 

[Dozernut]

It really needs to quit raining so you can get some seat time. Go breathe some diesel fumes, it will clear your mind! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Mosey]

From what I see on weather.com, it looks like a big storm is rolling in now. Last thing we need! I usually have my garden in by now, but it's still mud. I'll probably need the bush hog to mow the front yard when if finally does stop raining!

 

[Dozernut]

It is raining hard here! We have had tornado warnings in all of the surrounding counties, but I haven't heard if any of them have set down. This should be hitting your area shortly so stick a life vest on that New Holland. Hey if it floats over here can I keep it?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I like the color blue it would be a nice contrast with orange./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Dozernut]

Mosey are you still there? Just talked to my inlaws and a twister sat down and did a lot of damage. As far as we know no one was killed. It was a rural farm area, not highly populated. A lot of trees down along with several barns and sheds. My brother-in-law lives in a underground home so they managed nicely. They had a metal culvert laying in the front yard and they cannot find it, the twister picked it up and put it who knows where. It uprooted the big trees in their front yard like a big buldozer. Hope it misses your area, good luck!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Seems like when you listen to the network news, most of the rest of the world is speaking better English when interviewed than American kids are learning in school.
Things are going to get very interesting here in a few years.

 

[MossRoad]

Yo’M enferma de tener que contestar esta pregunta cuando llamo una oficina del gobierno o uso una máquina de la ATM. Yo’M enferma de manuales es dos veces tan grueso como ellos necesita ser porque ellos tienen que ser impresos en 2 idiomas. ¡Si’s en los Estados Unidos de América, debe estar en el inglés!

¿Cuántas gente que usa mi lata de unión de crédito no leyó inglés? Adivino es un porcentaje muy pequeño de los miembros totales. ¿Por qué deben ser inconvenienced todos para estas pocas personas? También, desde que soy un ingeniero de software yo mismo, yo sé que sería posible y debería ser bastante fácil de escoger automáticamente el idioma basado en la tarjeta de miembros. La primera cosa que una persona hace se pone la tarjeta de la ATM en la máquina y la máquina tiene que leer la tarjeta para determinar quién es de verificar el passcode. Tan, puso la elección de información de idioma en la tarjeta o en su info de cuenta tan la máquina podría escoger fácilmente el idioma en aquel momento, entonces puso el despliegue al idioma apropiado. Pero, eso no sería necesario si todos vida en el NOSOTROS podríamos entender inglés. Leí en las noticias que 26 estados han pasado ya la legislación hacer inglés su idioma oficial. Pienso que eso es la cosa correcta de hacer. Yo no tengo nada contra la diversidad y no soy el prejuicio, pero necesitan poner fin a esto antes sale de mano. ¿Qué es próximo, el alemán, el italiano, el japonés? Si voy a otro país que yo no los espero a hablar inglés en mi cuenta, yo me siento es mi responsabilidad de aprender su idioma. Si la gente en este país será unida, todos nosotros necesidad para hablar un lenguaje común. Trabajo con varias personas de por todas partes el mundo que ha aprendido inglés bien llevarsese bastante apenas multa. ¿Por qué español gente que habla merece el tratamiento especial? Ellos deben ser capaces de aprender que inglés así como mi asiático y colaborador indio han hecho. ¡Admito inglés no es el mejor idioma y si fui dicho todos en el NOSOTROS seríamos requeridos a aprender un mejor idioma enteramente nuevo y, entonces yo sería todo para lo! Pero, desde que una mayoría inmensa de Americanos habla inglés, entonces tiene sentido para todos que quiere para vivir para aquí hablar inglés también. Si tenemos varios idiomas diferentes andando alrededor, nosotros no seremos "unidos" muy. OK, yo’retirar M de mi caja del jabón ahora.

/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[RobS]

I know what you mean on the .99 Danny but I found a modern twist to it when we put our house on the market. Realtor made a good case for $XXX9 rather than the next even increment as a lot of people are using internet searches for housing and the "9" pricing keeps us in the lower search range. Makes sense now, but it doesn't explain the past 40+ years of that strategy /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

I'm with you on the english thing. It's shocking to travel in other countries and hear so many people speak so many languages while most of us can barely speak one, yet each country I've traveled to sticks with thier native language as the official. Only the touristy stuff is multi-lingual and that's commercial not governmental.

And David... Sprechen sie Deutsch? Ich weissen sie nicht!

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[CSAW]

I am white english speaking Floridian. I read something a couple of years ago that said within the next decade I will be a minority in Florida./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif I can see it happening already. Already a minority in Texas and California.

 

[MossRoad]

Uhhh... Nope /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

 

[Alan L.]

<font color=blue>If it’s in the USA, it should be in English!<font color=black>

Amen.

 

[EdKing]

Hey Dave, how about a translation for us monolingual types ?

 

[RanchMan]

I understand where you're coming from on the computer code thing for ATM's, but my question is "Is this information already known?" e.g. does my bank already know that I speak "English" as my primary language? Tons of information is already kept on each of us by multiple entities (both private and governmental). Although I understand where the "auto language" concept you speak of at ATM's has some positives, I'm just a little weary of giving up yet ANOTHER piece of information.

Oh, by the way, I don't speak Spanish either. I'll just say that you can find just about ANYTHING on the Internet !!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

I hear you...and $99.99 sounds better than $100.00 maybe thats why.

Shipping and handling cost seems to be another one that bugs me,for if you order something it seems they add 1/4 + on for S&H.

Example..Sears manuals..find your language out of four. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

That fine print on tv...arrrrr.

 

[Jeff396]

I think the way that the banks inconvenience everyone by making them pick a language is pretty typical of everything today. It seems to me that the it would be just as easy to have English be the default on an ATM and then have buttons at the bottom for other language options. For some reason it's more politically correct to inconvenience everyone rather than singleing out the group that actually has the special needs.

Jeff

 

[Mosey]

Dozernut - We actually lucked out last night and only got .5” of rain. The worst went south of us (Louisville always gets nailed!).

MossRoad – I agree with everything you said!

EdKing – I used <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.freetranslation.com>http://www.freetranslation.com</A> to translated it back to English. It came back with this:

I’M sick of have to answer this question when call an office of the government or use a machine of the ATM. I’M sick of manuals is twice as thick as needs them to be because they have to be printed in 2 languages. If’s in the United States of America, should be in the English! Cuántas people that uses my credit union tin plating did not read English? I guess is a very small percentage of the member total. Why should they be inconvenienced all for these few persons? Also, since I am an engineer of software I, I know that would be possible and to should be enough easy to choose automatically the language based on the card of members. The first thing that a person does is put the card of the ATM in the machine and the machine has to read the card to determine who is of verifying the passcode. So, he put the language information election in the card or in its info of account so the machine would be able to choose easily the language in that moment, then put the unfold al appropriate language. But, that not it would be necessary if all life in the WE would be able to understand English. I read in the news that 26 states have passed already the legislation to do English its official language. I think that that is the correct thing of doing. I do not have anything against the diversity and not I am the prejudice, but they need to put end to this before comes out of hand. What is next, the German, the Italian, the Japanese? If I go to another country that Myself do not expect them to speak English in my account, I sit down is my responsibility of learning its language. If the people in this country will be united, all we need to speak a common language. Job with several persons by all parts the world that has learned English well llevarsese enough barely fine. Why does Spanish people that speak deserves the special processing? They should be capable of learning that English as well as my Asian and collaborating Indian have done. I admit English is not the best language and if be said all in the WE would be required to learn a better entirely new language and, then I would be all for it! But, since an immense majority of Americans speaks English, then has sense for all that wants to live to here speak English also. If we have various different languages walking around, we will not be "you united" very. OK, I’to retire M of my box of the soap now