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Air Canada fined $12,000 for not speaking French to passenger

Air Canada fined $12,000 for not speaking French to passenger

Quote:

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Ottawa - A federal court in Ottawa ruled that Air Canada must apologize to two Ottawa passengers and pay $12,000 after failing to provide the couple services in French. The judge ruled that the airline failed to follow the Official Languages Act.
During two Air Canada flights between Ottawa and the United States in the spring of 2009, Michael Thibodeau and his wife, Lynda, were refused service in French about eight times, including when the federal government employee asked for a 7-Up but was given a Sprite instead.
Following this incident, the couple launched a lawsuit with the federal court because of the language laws in Canada. A federal institution must offer their services in both English and French as part of the Official Languages Act.
On Wednesday, a Federal Court judge in Ottawa sided with the couple and ruled that Air Canada must remunerate the couple $12,000 and offer an apology, according to CTV News. The judge also ordered the airline to implement a system where it follows possible violations of its language duties – the former Crown Corporation retained its language obligations when it was privatized.
“The applicants’ language rights are clearly very important to them and the violation of their rights caused them a moral prejudice, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of their vacation,” Justice Marie-Josee Bedard ruled. “It is also my opinion that awarding damages in this case will serve the purpose of emphasizing the importance of the rights at issue and will have a deterrent effect.”
Thibodeau defended his rights following the ruling and said that all he sought was his entitlement to be served in French.
“If I take a flight and I’m not served in the language of my choice, and I don’t do anything about it, then my right is basically dead,” said Thibodeau, reports the Globe and Mail. “I was not asking for anything other than what I was already entitled to. I have a right to be served in French.”
The couple was originally suing for $25,000 each and $500,000 in punitive damages, but the judge said that although the problem is systemic, they are trying to meet its language obligations and were not nefarious.
Thibodeau said he was disappointed with the amount, but is happy that the court recognized that “our rights were violated on several occasions.”
An Air Canada spokesperson refused to comment on the court’s decision.
This isn’t the first time that Thibodeau has taken legal action against Air Canada over its language services. In 2000, he launched a lawsuit after a flight attendant did not serve him in French during a flight between Ottawa and Montreal, reports the Ottawa Citizen.
He was then honoured by the French-language rights group, Imperatif Francais.

Read more: Air Canada fined $12,000 for not speaking French to passenger

What morons. :failed:

$12000?
REALLY?

this guy and his wife just sounds like scumbags... looking for some easy money.
"...caused them a moral prejudice, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of their vacation..."

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnm9w53ey21qh56ho.png

that's what happens when a good sized portion of the population is in french... if that shit happened over here, they'd get ridiculed.

and then the asians copy them and get more money from it HAHA

this aint france bitch.

Quote:

It is Michel Thibodeau’s second successful legal action against the airline and its subsidiaries. In 2000, he was refused service in French when he tried to order a 7-Up from a unilingual English flight attendant on an Air Ontario flight from Montreal to Ottawa.

Thibodeau filed suit in Federal Court for $525,000 in damages. The court upheld his complaint, ordered the airline to make a formal apology and pay him $5,375.95. Thibodeau was later honoured by the French-language rights group, Imperatif français.

Fuck Quebec

just let them seperate
then we can invade them and make them speak english this time

I read elsewhere, the guy is bilingual and can speak English fluently (has lived in Ottawa for last 10+ years), so how does this cause them pain/suffering and loss of enjoyment of their vacation, especially considering their destination in the States has no French speakers...apparently he's sued Air Canada 3 times over the last few years already

:stfu:

The judge should have seen this guy for what he really is, a scam artist taking advantage of the system. There's many times I order a Pepsi, and the waitress brings me a Coke without pointing out they don't serve Pepsi. It sucks as I can taste the difference, yet not enough for me to be a french asshat and file a lawsuit.

Fuck Quebexico.

pain and suffering :seriously:

If the guy truly could not speak any english, then I would feel some sympathy. Buy since he knows English, fuck this guy. He found a loophole and has been trying to exploit it ever since. Fuck everything about him.
Posted via RS Mobile

Fucking Quebecois don't even speak proper French. Most of us who studied French in high school learn proper French, and still can't understand the stupid accent that the Quebecois speak.

the french lost the war. go fuck yourselves.

I'm so happy we don't have to deal with this French Bullshit living in BC

son of a gun!!!
he speaks english!?!??

and he was disappointed in how much he got wow

wow originally suing for 500 000 damn. I have a feeling this couple is trying to make a living off suing as a result of language laws.

This is just a ridiculous as me suing a chinese resturant for not serving me in english (in Richmond I would make BILLIONS if I won every case)

The judge should have told him to get lost.

it's a douchebag move but they ain't scam artists if there's nothing illegitimate about their litgations

Quote:

Originally Posted by twitchyzero (Post 7511424)

it's a douchebag move but they ain't scam artists if there's nothing illegitimate about their litgations

Oh it is a legitimate language law but I find it hard not to see how the couple is taking advantage of the system if they tried to unsuccessfully sue prior as a result of this. This and the fact that it was originally 50g + 500g of litigation.

he is le fag.
Posted via RS Mobile

I want to punch those assholes in the mouth. I hope their lawyer fees are greater than their settlement.

Time to give Michael Thibodeau and his wife the
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/w...eBanHammer.jpg
on all Air Canada flights.

LOL they asked for a spirte and got a 7 up LOLOLOLO fuckin cunts

Quote:

Originally Posted by jstn86 (Post 7511256)

dude, they wanted $25,000 EACH and wanted the court to charge Air Canada $500,000 in punitive damages so they could learn their lesson, such bullshit