communication in the box

I speak Spanish.

I speak French.

I speak American Sign Language.

I speak Arabic.

 

I try _very_ hard to communicate. if you are a native English speaker, and I have to resort to charades to make you understand "place your feet on the yellow marks. those yellow marks. on the floor. look down. down is where your feet are. here. follow my finger. [insert gasping sigh and temple rub] one foot on each mark. no. turn and face this way. this way. ma'am. put your feet back on the marks....." you do not have the right to get pissy with ME. and the other passengers can laugh at you. I will not stop them.

it's amazing that I can speak in broken phrases in other languages and they understand me, but this happened to me THREE times today alone.

one woman didn't respond to anything I said, so I started asking "what language do you speak?" in multiple languages. she snapped back, "I speak English!" and I answered, "well I sure couldn't tell!!"

another one said I didn't have to be so condescending. I told her that next time I won't- if she can follow basic instructions the first three times.

 

the third one I actually had to tap her feet and then tap them on the floor where I wanted them to go. I have had far less difficulty with visual and hearing impaired and language barriers.