Making Myself Heard
I don't get this. I'm supposed to be in an English speaking country. I tried to book a cab yesterday:
I dial the number; the phone rings.
"Eastside Town Cars."
"Hello, I'd like to book a taxi, please."
Silence.
"Hello? I'd like to book a taxi."
"You wanna speak ta who?"
"Er, no, I'd like to book a taxi."
He hangs up. I decide to give the hotel reception a try instead.
"Hi, can you call me a cab, please?"
"Sure. What time would you like it?"
"Quarter past eight."
Vacant stare.
"Quarter past eight, please."
"Er, what time would you like me to book the cab for?"
"Quarter. Past. Eight."
"Tell, you what - there's a cab right here, why don't you just take that?"
I resignedly get in the cab, even though it means I will arrive half an hour early at my destination. I decide there's little point in talking so I hand the guy a map of where I want to go. He looks at it like I've just passed him my stool sample, then looks back at me.
"So where da ya wanna go, then?"
I give up.
I dial the number; the phone rings.
"Eastside Town Cars."
"Hello, I'd like to book a taxi, please."
Silence.
"Hello? I'd like to book a taxi."
"You wanna speak ta who?"
"Er, no, I'd like to book a taxi."
He hangs up. I decide to give the hotel reception a try instead.
"Hi, can you call me a cab, please?"
"Sure. What time would you like it?"
"Quarter past eight."
Vacant stare.
"Quarter past eight, please."
"Er, what time would you like me to book the cab for?"
"Quarter. Past. Eight."
"Tell, you what - there's a cab right here, why don't you just take that?"
I resignedly get in the cab, even though it means I will arrive half an hour early at my destination. I decide there's little point in talking so I hand the guy a map of where I want to go. He looks at it like I've just passed him my stool sample, then looks back at me.
"So where da ya wanna go, then?"
I give up.
posted by Matt at 2:44 AM
5 Comments:
Reminds me of some of the telephone conversations i listened into back in the good old PMC days
Not just the tel cons - the South Aftricans in the dept were hard enough to understand. Beware if Fe ever asks if you want to join the "Marl Haar Club". Work it out.
The trouble is, the more clearly you try to speak, the more British you sound and therefore the less comprehensible. But if you try to put on the accent of the country you are in, it feels as if you are indulging in mockery, even though you aren't.
You made it after all?
Z - I just do the usual British thing of shouting the words slowly. The trouble is "TAAAA - KSIII!" actually sounds more like Japanese.
Serendipity - I find it very hard to get angry because everyone's so damn nice
Nadis - Made what?
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