Geno’s, one of Philadelphia’s best-known spots for crap sandwiches, is being threatened with a smackdown by local regulators:
The city’s Commission on Human Relations planned to argue that the policy at Geno’s Steaks discourages customers of certain backgrounds from eating there, said Rachel Lawton, acting executive director.
Geno’s owner Joseph Vento posted two small signs at his shop in south Philadelphia proclaiming: “This is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING ‘PLEASE SPEAK ENGLISH.'”
Lawton said that violates the city’s Fair Practices Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing.
“It’s discouraging patronage by non-English speaking customers because of their national origin or ancestry,” Lawton said.
Prepare for war in Souf Philly! Man the wooder ice windows!
Hm, I seem to have missed the “speak English you wetbacks” signs, but if they’re a new addition they certainly fit in with the general “jigoistic pig” chic that permeates the unpleasant atmosphere of the place.
My first night in Japan I stayed in this hotel type place on campus, and THIS pathetic story was actually featured on CNN International! Way to make Americans look like xenophobic rednecks. Wait, I guess this guy actually did that all by himself.
What’s the problem? No one is saying that you can’t speak Spanish or whatever, just that when you order, if you want to be understood, you’d better speak English. I don’t see what the problem with that is. It’s always like the people in Japan who get pissed when their waiter/waitress doesn’t speak English.
““It’s discouraging patronage by non-English speaking customers because of their national origin or ancestry,” Lawton said.”
… ?? No it isn’t. No one cares about your origin or ancestry when you’re at a restaurant. All they care about is giving you the food you want so they can get money from you. If you can’t speak the language of the country your in enough to communicate what you want to eat at a restaurant, you have much greater problems to deal with then this.
Forgive me if I’m not at all sympathetic for people in foreign countries who do not speak the language, but I have done it before. Anyone can learn enough of a language to order. Especially English teachers — you guys are language experts are you not?
Nice points, Darin. Just two issues:
1) None of us are English teachers.
2) Much to the contrary, I get pissed when the waiter/waitress DOES speak English. It’s just my insecurity, I guess.
“1) None of us are English teachers.
2) Much to the contrary, I get pissed when the waiter/waitress DOES speak English. It’s just my insecurity, I guess.”
Totally!
Yea, I don’t mean you guys, I mean any random English teachers out there. I also get pissed when they come at me speaking English as well…
I think the real issue, though, is how do you say cheese steak in Spanish?
Queso con Carne Punta!
Actually, that means cheese and meat you *@#!. (Which has actually been yelled at me in El Paso for reasons that I will not get into.)
Seriously though, you should order in English at Geno’s, he isn’t asking for complete gramatically correct sentences, just the name of the sandwich. I’ve done pretty well in Mongolia, China, Russia, and Japan with people who spoke no English. Of course there was the lady that somehow couldn’t understand “Pepsi Spatsiva” as I pointed to the shelf with only pepsi on it and refused to speak with me. I’m pretty sure Geno will accept a good finger pointing and a smile, he just won’t understand “So-gogi hago Yachae chusayo.” America is multicultural, it is a bit much to expect Americans to learn all of the world’s languages, no else does.
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Also, I saw this on several shows with interviews with Geno, he never specified Spanish as a culprit.