[metal]

Air Canada fined $12,000 for not speaking French to passenger (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/309124)

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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 (http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/309124#ixzz1S6UalD5d)


What morons. :failed:

[jstn86]

$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

[Ikkaku]

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

[donjalapeno]

this aint france bitch.

[MoBettah]

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

[CP.AR]

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

[Jermyzy]

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:

[taylor192]

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.

[gdoh]

pain and suffering :seriously:

[LiquidTurbo]

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.
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[gars]

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.

[b0unce. [?]]

the french lost the war. go fuck yourselves.

[murd0c]

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

[Durrann]

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

and he was disappointed in how much he got wow

[Jsunu]

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)

[Nlkko]

The judge should have told him to get lost.

[Gumby]

Merde.

[twitchyzero]

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

[Jsunu]

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.

[shenmecar]

he is le fag.
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[Presto]

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

[Manic!]

Time to give Michael Thibodeau and his wife the
http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/ilovethelakings/Favorite%20Pics/TheBanHammer.jpg
on all Air Canada flights.

[GLOW]

@1:10
‪Al Bundy at Speakers Corner‬‏ - YouTube

[dlo]

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

[The_AK]

$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

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

[MR_BIGGS]

I like how in the news story they add in this part:


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.

[dachinesedude]

pretends not to speak english, sues Air Canada for not speaking french
wins case, speaks perfect english in public

problem? :troll:

guy's an asshole for sure, but he took advantage of a flawed system

[Skyline350gt]

Hey it's all love and props for these types of people lol.
Making money isn't easy. There's all types of ways to make money, this just happens to be a unorthodox way :eekthumb:

[Noir]

Hey it's all love and props for these types of people lol.
Making money isn't easy. There's all types of ways to make money, this just happens to be a unorthodox way :eekthumb:

Ever own a business?

Sure Air Canada is big corporation but these "types" are the ones that will try to slip and fall in your floor in hopes that your commercial insurance will pay them big bucks for your liability claim.

Which in turn makes you uninsurable for the next term or will have to be paying out of the wazoo in increased premiums.

[tiger_handheld]

"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."

As a Fed-gov employee he should be bi-lingual correct? As such, he should have not had a problem communicating in English :) --- #justsaying

[Presto]

This couple needs to be trolled. Hard.

[xyz123]

first thing that popped into my mind when I read the article,
http://files.sharenator.com/picard_WTF_is_this_shit-s300x266-70964-580.jpg

[tool001]

IT Causes me pain and suffering when i listen to French,, im gonna sue Quebec.

[Mr.HappySilp]

It will be pretty funny if Air Canada refuse this couple service so they had no choice but to use WestJet which isn't bound by this stupid language law.

[GabAlmighty]

esti de calice

[k3mps]

french canadiens...all they do is this

‪the french suck at launching missles!!!‬‏ - YouTube

[mb_]

Fucking hate Quebec faggots who bitch and whine when shit doesn't get offered in French. We're in fucking Canada bitch.
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[JesseBlue]

the flight attendants shouldve just added 'le' in everything they say..."7 up?, non merci...le sprite, oui?"

[FerrariEnzo]

man we should make either mandarin or Cantonese an official language... i bet theres more Cantonese speaking people in Canada now then french speaking people

i know lots of filipinos, white dudes and indian guys speaking cantonese then french.. stupid french.. it doesnt sound nice anyways.

[.Dream.Time]

man we should make either mandarin or Cantonese an official language... i bet theres more Cantonese speaking people in Canada now then french speaking people

i know lots of filipinos, white dudes and indian guys speaking cantonese then french.. stupid french.. it doesnt sound nice anyways.

u mean they're not OFFICIAL LANGUAGES??
i knew they were speaking gibberish all this time

[Death2Theft]

Let me guess... you havn't been out of BC much have you?
man we should make either mandarin or Cantonese an official language... i bet theres more Cantonese speaking people in Canada now then french speaking people

i know lots of filipinos, white dudes and indian guys speaking cantonese then french.. stupid french.. it doesnt sound nice anyways.

[ae101]

truth is i support the bloc party all the way (wait im going somewhere with this) just cuz they promise to split from canada

[CorneringArtist]

truth is i support the bloc party all the way (wait im going somewhere with this) just cuz they promise to split from canada

As long as they remain economically tied to Canada. Basically, they want to separate if we pay them to do so.

Fuck that shit, take the money being pumped to those xenophobic fucks and give it to the now-cut off Maritime provinces if separation happens.

[Ferra]

The judge should have told him to get lost.
i bet the judge is french :fuckthatshit:

[zulutango]

Saw him being interviewed on TV last night and he is fluently bilingual. He Spoke english perfectly with only a very small trace of an accent. He has to be bilingual for his job and is. This is all about politics and money. He comes from a province where the govt fines you and makes you take signs in english down off your own business property.
Office québécois de la langue française - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_qu%C3%A9b%C3%A9cois_de_la_langue_fran%C3%A7 aise)


BTW Ferra...she is french canadian.

[urrh]

so i guess now our duty is to sic 4chan on these bastards.

[Mananetwork]

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)

I was in a restaurant yesterday with no english on the menu. I'd just go to another restaurant not fucking sue!

[Stealthy]

HowTo:Make French People Surrender (http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/HowTo:Make_French_People_Surrender)

I'll just leave this here

[Matsuda]

Ordered 7UP, Got Sprite = Pain and Suffering, loss of enjoyment

[jackmeister]

I'm in Montreal right now. Gotta say though, I can's speak a word of french besides Bonjour, and everyone is quite accomodating here and can speak understandable english.

But it doesn't work the other way around, maybe thats why?

still, $12000 for air canada? the fuck? this case law is gonna fuck up a lot of people/businesses down the road.

[fs604]

Things like this make it hard for me not to discriminate.
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[MWR34]

WHY I HATE FRENCH CANADIANS.......................


.............THIS.

[twitchyzero]

I'm in Montreal right now. Gotta say though, I can's speak a word of french besides Bonjour, and everyone is quite accomodating here and can speak understandable english.

But it doesn't work the other way around, maybe thats why?

still, $12000 for air canada? the fuck? this case law is gonna fuck up a lot of people/businesses down the road.

that's Montreal. Try anywhere else in Quebec and it'll be different.

[Gh0stRider]

The couple was originally suing for $25,000 each and $500,000 in punitive damages

LOL