Trucker fined $500 for failing roadside English test

[Evinrude]

TUSCALOOSA, ALA.–Manuel Castillo drove through Alabama in a truck filled with onions and left with a $500 ticket for something he didn't think he was doing: speaking English poorly.

Castillo, who was stopped on his way back to California, said he knows federal law requires him to be able to converse in English with an officer but he thought his language skills were good enough to avoid a ticket.

Still, Castillo said he plans to pay the maximum fine of $500 rather than return to fight the ticket.

"It just doesn't seem fair to be ticketed if I wasn't doing anything dangerous on the road," he said.

An Alabama state trooper thought Castillo, 50, couldn't speak English well enough to drive an 18-wheeler when he was headed back to California from picking up onions in Glennville, Ga. A driver for 20 years, Castillo was stopped in west Alabama for a routine inspection.

Castillo, who says he speaks English at roughly a Grade 3 level, said he understood when the trooper asked him where he was heading and to see his commercial driver's licence and registration. He said he responded in English, though he speaks with an accent.

Castillo wasn't speeding, and the inspection and computer check turned up no offences, so he was surprised to get a ticket for being a "non-English-speaking driver."

Federal law requires that anyone with a commercial driver's licence speak English well enough to talk with police. Authorities last year issued 25,230 tickets nationwide for violations. Now the federal government is trying to tighten the English requirement, saying the change is needed for safety reasons.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed rules requiring anyone applying for a commercial driver's licence to speak English during a road test or vehicle inspection.

[Windwalker]

It's about time. Speaking English was a requirement back when I first started driving. Then, it seemed like they went lax on it. Good to see that they're going to enforce it now. Hope they're planning to apply it to the ones that walk around with a bolt of clothe wrapped around their heads too.

[GMAN]

Nay....they couldn't confront those with turbans. That would be profiling.

[Colts Fan]

This moron has been driving for 20 years and can only speak English at a 3rd grade level?!? :shock:

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

[Malaki86]

This moron has been driving for 20 years and can only speak English at a 3rd grade level?!? :shock:

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

Well - that knocks out about half of the drivers out here now.

[Rev.Vassago]

This moron has been driving for 20 years and can only speak English at a 3rd grade level?!? :shock:

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

Well - that knocks out about half of the drivers out here now.

And the writing requirement knocks out about 2/3 of the members here.

[matcat]

Si habla englas sinor!

[RebelDarlin]

This moron has been driving for 20 years and can only speak English at a 3rd grade level?!? :shock:

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

Well - that knocks out about half of the drivers out here now.

And the writing requirement knocks out about 2/3 of the members here.

[Double L]

This moron has been driving for 20 years and can only speak English at a 3rd grade level?!? :shock:

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

Well - that knocks out about half of the drivers out here now.

And the writing requirement knocks out about 2/3 of the members here.

I'm exempt since this is my last year, I consider myself out of school since I'm only going for English (required) and college classes (Business Tech and Accounting) for only 2 hours a day. :wink: I have a beyond hs writing, reading, and english speaking capabilities. :wink:

[Mackman]

In my opinion, at least a high school minimum speaking, reading and writing level should be required to operate a CMV.

Speaking and reading I got that down good.


Writing .......lets just say i will be out of a job.

[PhuzzyGnu]

Que rompe mi corazón jodido.

-p.

[HWD]

Nay....they couldn't confront those with turbans. That would be profiling.

Well, at least your reply to this topic didn't get deleted...here's what I said:

"Don't worry, when our next President, Osama Hussein Obama gets elected, he will mandate that all of us learn Spanish."

That's what he said recently...we're too stupid for own good!

That will be sweet to watch, considering most kids that graduate high school nowadays can't spell their own names on their diplomas, much do it in a foreign language.

[Double L]

Do you have the source to where he said it? I haven't seen where he has said that. :?

[RebelDarlin]

Do you have the source to where he said it? I haven't seen where he has said that. :?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

[JewelsnTools]

It seems that some might not have caught the candidate's point. It's been long known that we, as a country, lagged behind others in developing multi-lingual education programs.
It doesn't seem that he's insulting us--he's giving us a sound warning. If our children aren't prepared for the multicultural, multi-lingual business world that they're going to inherit, they'll be left behind.
That our children don't have access to such education, right now, really is a major concern for our country. I, for one, am glad he had the nerve to say it.
OT: Back to the original post, though, I agree that there should be a legal requirement that anyone operating a commercial motor vehicle on American streets should be fluent in English to a predetermined level. Now, what level that might be would be a matter of discussion---since many native-born kids are graduating with less than a high school education (much less the ability to speak, write, and read well).

[Colts Fan]

It seems that some might not have caught the candidate's point. It's been long known that we, as a country, lagged behind others in developing multi-lingual education programs.
It doesn't seem that he's insulting us--he's giving us a sound warning. If our children aren't prepared for the multicultural, multi-lingual business world that they're going to inherit, they'll be left behind.
That our children don't have access to such education, right now, really is a major concern for our country. I, for one, am glad he had the nerve to say it.

English is the language of business and success. Obama clearly was not insinuating that we are behind in language programs. You are reading too deep into what he said. He is embarrased that most Americans choose to speak only their native tongue.

English is the language of the United States. Fail to learn it at your own peril.

[Rev.Vassago]

Do you have the source to where he said it? I haven't seen where he has said that. :?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZprtPat1Vk

It's awfully hypocritical of Obama to be criticizing parents for not having their children speak a second language, especially when Obama admits he himself isn't even bilingual. More "Do as I say, not as I do".

[flood]

did you know he had the american flag painted over on his plain
http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=70236
i maybe wrong but i thought that a plane like a boat hod to have the flag of the country registry on it...?

[Double L]

We don't have an "official language". But most say English is our language but it has never been made official. With that being said I haven't taken any language classes and I don't intend to even though people tell me you need to take a foreign language and da da da. Ugh why, this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH, Foreigners need to learn OUR language. Sorry to say that but that is the way I feel since a good majority of the population speaks English. I understand that we're a "melting pot" for all different cultures and stuff but English is the official unofficial language of the United States of America! In all my business classes atleast in High School anyway they don't teach us other languages, the skills needed in the business world is computer skills especailly word processing skills which I have. But it is a disgrace to see my generation of teenagers dropping out of school because they don't like the teachers or dropping out so they can sleep and be lazy ass couch potatoes. :evil:

[Colts Fan]

It's awfully hypocritical of Obama to be criticizing parents for not having their children speak a second language, especially when Obama admits he himself isn't even bilingual. More "Do as I say, not as I do".

Excellent point there Rev.