So why have drivers' license examinations in English?
A Wisconsin State Patrol trooper tried to pull over the 18-wheeler Thursday afternoon after receiving reports of erratic driving. But the driver - a 44-year-old man from British Columbia - refused to stop and instead led authorities on a 23-mile chase that traveled through Sparta, where he sideswiped a dump truck. No injuries were reported.
The driver, who did not speak English, also initially seemed to indicate there was an explosive in the truck, but said during later questioning he did not remember making such a claim
From the rest of the story, it appears that there were a LOT of problems with the driver--but clearly, the single most significant one was his inability to speak and understand English.
The lesson: if you cannot read and speak English, you really should not have a driver's license.
When I first came to the US many decades ago and had to take a driving test, one of the things that struck me was the amount of writing on road signs here. I wondered how anyone who didn't speak or read English could get by.
ReplyDeleteIn Europe, probably because of the different languages (and now most likely standardized by the EU), most road signs use symbols, not language. Which can be trying for the uninitiated as some of the symbols are a 'language' all of their own!
When I drove on the Autobahn I couldn't believe how many exits led to Ausfahrt. I thought I was going around in circles;-)
ReplyDeleteSo the guy couldn't speak English. Did he have a valid license? If he did it's a fake.
As the story said, British Columbia. He's Canadian. The rules are different. That said, no one should be allowed to drive a Semi in this Country unless they have a working knowledge of the language. That's just down right dangerous. Hell, there are drivers that can read and speak english, and they're STILL a danger!
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