Wednesday 18 August 2010

Here’s Some ‘Plain English’ For You…

…stop acting like a crazy, attention-seeking old harridan:
The English professor asked for a toasted multi-grain bagel but became angry when a staff member asked her: ‘Do you want butter or cheese?’
Wow, she must have the shortest fuse in the world! She also hasn’t learned that it’s not wise to insult or harangue the people serving you food and drink…

Prof Rosenthal, that stuff on the top of your next coffee? Might not be froth, you know…
Prof Rosenthal, who also declines to use Starbucks terms such as ‘grande’ for a medium drink, said: ‘I just wanted a multi-grain bagel. I refused to say “without butter or cheese”. ‘
How do you expect the poor sod serving you to know, then? Do Starbucks have to hire telepaths?
‘When you go to Burger King, you don’t have to list the six things you don’t want. ‘
If I don’t want cheese, or pickles, I do have to tell them that, since that’s how the burger comes…
Linguistically, it’s stupid and I’m a stickler for correct English.’
No, you’re an attention-seeking old cow who likes to grandstand in restaurants while everyone slowly backs away, trying not to make eye contact with the crazy woman.

Not a good advert for your university, either, I’d have thought…

She said the cashier at the branch in New York would not serve her until she answered the question.

I yelled, “I want my multi-grain bagel” ,’ she added.

I’d have given it to you, love. At maximum velocity and with great accuracy. Pity I never went into retail, isn’t it?
Prof Rosenthal, who is in her 60s, told the New York Post she would not back down, so the store manager called police, who ordered her to leave. ‘It was very humiliating to be thrown out – all I did was ask for a bagel,’ she added.
No, that wasn’t ‘all you did’, was it? You abused some poor corporate drone who I expect makes a tenth of what the taxpayers pay to keep you in expensive coffee.

For someone apparently keen on semantic purity, you’ve got a real way of deflecting any responsibility for your own behaviour…

And because Prof Rosenthal’s blind spot isn’t exactly unknown among wackademics, here’s someone eager to capitalise on it:
Marie Clair, of the Plain English Campaign, said: ‘She sounds like a plain English champion.

‘We need more people with the confidence to fight back against language that doesn’t help them.’
What, against the frontline troops of the evil corporate machine, the poor bloody barista? Get a life, Marie!
One Starbucks employee said Prof Rosenthal was at fault for refusing to answer a ‘reasonable question’.
Indeed she was.

If she really wants to ‘stand up for the English language’, as she claimed, here’s the way to do it.

15 comments:

Bucko said...

Some people take great pleasure from giving abuse to serving staff. It seems to make them feel important. Sometimes its just a way for them to take out frustration or a bad mood because they dont think that lowly cafe or bar staff matter more than a turd.
I met a few. Cunts all.

Stitch's Master said...

Interesting how 2 people can read the same story and get two very different angles onit http://underdogsbiteupwards.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-never-visit-starbucks.html

Anonymous said...

I can't find out if Lynn Rosenthal is a attention seeking person or not as 15 pages of Google searches later all I got were stories about the Starbucks affair.

However I have to take issue with the Starbucks staff. Lynn did answer the question about butter or cheese. Since she didn't mention either she wanted neither. The Starbucks server could then use that information to give her the plain bagel. Being a server you expect to get some ackward customers, but to throw them out at the slightest provaction seems a bit much.

Jon

MTG said...

American catering staff are renowned for politeness and hospitality. Starbucks staff must surely rank amongst the most courteous and helpful in that sector - which is more than can be said for this English professor.

A responsible University would seriously appraise these appalling manners, unless it is no longer essential for students to be guided by decent examples of mature behaviour.

Mark Wadsworth said...

What a stupid cow.

When asked ‘Do you want butter or cheese?’ all she had to do was say 'No thanks' and that would have been the end of the matter.

AntiCitizenOne said...

I hope the education bubble popping ends the Professor of narcissisms tenure.

Anonymous said...

After a long haul I found myself connecting in a southern hub in the States. Desperate for a smoke, I was pleasantly surprised to find the conveniently placed rooms to accommodate my need but in asking for a 'black coffee' found this response a bit OTT.

'All coffee is black, if you want milk or cream you ask for it, are you racist?!?'

Dumbfounded and tired I suggested another coffee shop might be less hassle, and retired to McDonalds, where I met an angel with a sweet black coffee and a smile. I bought it for less than a dollar!

blueknight said...

We used to visit the girls who ran the burger bar on the corner of the road.
A sit down, a bag of chips and a chat.
It was a late night takeaway with service through a small window and from our position inside we could hear and see how abusive some of the customers were.
The girls reckoned they would batter up strips of chilli pepper and anyone that was especially abusive would be given a fiery treat, which had the appearance of a chip and being put at the bottom of the bag, would not be discovered until later.
A time bomb of sorts...

JuliaM said...

"Some people take great pleasure from giving abuse to serving staff."

I've never understood that. At all.

These people are handling your food out of sight...

"Interesting how 2 people can read the same story and get two very different angles onit "

Ah, yes! I read Leg-Iron's just after I wrote mine up for posting. It is amazing how some people take the opposite tack to the one you'd assume they would, isn't it?

"I can't find out if Lynn Rosenthal is a attention seeking person or not as 15 pages of Google searches later all I got were stories about the Starbucks affair."

Yes, it's hard to seperate her from the OTHER Lynn Rosenthal, the VAWA director. This one seems as deranged as her, mind you...

"...to throw them out at the slightest provaction seems a bit much."

Reading between the lines, I doubt this was 'slight' provocation!

JuliaM said...

"American catering staff are renowned for politeness and hospitality."

Yup, I found that too.

"What a stupid cow."

I expect that's what most of the rest of the customers thought too!

"I hope the education bubble popping ends the Professor of narcissisms tenure."

Doubtful. The US wackademic generally has powers of tenure that make a limpit look peripatetic...

"'All coffee is black, if you want milk or cream you ask for it, are you racist?!?'"

*boggle*

"The girls reckoned they would batter up strips of chilli pepper and anyone that was especially abusive would be given a fiery treat, which had the appearance of a chip..."

:D

Furor Teutonicus said...

I sympathise with the Proffessor after trying to buy a simple bloody mobile phone last month.

"NO I do NOT want a fucking camera, I do NOT want it to make coffee, whistle dixie, Surf the internet 78Whatever THAT is meant to mean) or walk the bastarding DOG! I want a fucking TELEPHONE you imbicilic PRICK!!"

Some shop assistants ASK for it.

Furor Teutonicus said...

Follow ups.

KenS said...

"...NO I do NOT want a fucking camera..."

There's a lot of difference between pestiferous sales staff trying to flog you something you clearly don't want in the hope of boosting their commission, and courteous serving staff seeking to clarify your order.

FT I sympathy with you about buying a phone; my particular hate is on the lines of, "No I don't have a loyalty card. No I don't want one. No I don't want you tell me all the benefits of your loyalty card WILL YOU PLEASE TAKE MY MONEY AND LET ME GET OUT OF HERE.

Anonymous said...

thank goodness I didn't ask for a fag!!! We might have had all sorts of misunderstandings....

Anonymous said...

the iPhone has taken all the fun out of buying a mobile phone. firstly it as not fit for purpose as a phone, something I find quite amusing being that it is called an iPhone, perhaps iANYTHINGBUTAphone would be more appropriate. secondly the sales reps have little to bargain with because Apple have dictated what you get, for how much and who from much like some dictatorial government does with their citizens. So no, can I have this accessory included, or we could offer..... to complete a deal today. a bit sad really.

i♥∏