Litigious much?

Jean-F

Jean-F

Jean-F

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I’d always thought that the U.S. was the numero uno in petty litigation, but this French-Canadian couple are going for a gold medal I think, particularly on the seat belt issue.
It’s a bit like putting your car seatbelt in place, then complaining that there are no instructions on how to release it.


The Federal Court has ordered Air Canada to pay $21,000 to an Ottawa couple for repeated violations of their French-language language rights, including seatbelts on which the instruction to "lift" the buckle was marked only in English.

Michel and Lynda Thibodeau filed 22 complaints in 2016 with the commissioner of official languages for alleged offences under the Official Languages Act.

The pair complained that planes' emergency exit door signs were either in English only, or the English words were in larger font than the French ones. They noted seatbelts were engraved with the word "lift" with no French-language equivalent.
 
Wait... why does the money go to the couple, have they been wronged? Surely it should go to fixing the issues.
 
NVP said:
Wait... why does the money go to the couple, have they been wronged? Surely it should go to fixing the issues.
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I don’t know how the law is couched, I remember ages ago, reading that everything had to be in both English and French, but that the French text had to be larger than the the English, but I assumed that it only applied in Québec, but as it’s on all Canadian dollar bills, maybe it’s a Federal law.
I can’t imagine anyone in Alberta getting the zig about something not in French, but maybe Québecois who primarily speak French can take the opportunity of sticking it to any company that does not comply.
There was a tongue in cheek rumour going around in Western Canada some years back, suggesting that all public notices be printed in English and First Nation (native Indian) languages, that would have caused legal mayhem in Manitoba and Saskatchewan!
 
The fact they’ve submitted so many complaints suggests to me that they go around doing this. Easy money.
 
adidan said:
Wait, there are markings on them?
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Copied and pasted from the original report,

The Federal Court has ordered Air Canada to pay $21,000 to an Ottawa couple for repeated violations of their French-language language rights, including seatbelts on which the instruction to "lift" the buckle was marked only in English.
 
They should use images for safety critical issues, not words.

If you look at exit signage in Europe it will always be a pictograph rather than saying EXIT like they do in the US.
 
EVH said:
The fact they’ve submitted so many complaints suggests to me that they go around doing this. Easy money.
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They’re like uncle Albert from only fools and horses.

“When me and your grandad were short of a few quid, I just fell down an ‘ole”
 
Semple said:
Frankly ridiculous and clearly a moronic judge not applying a bit of common sense - I feel sorry for his/her offspring.
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Ridiculous I’d agree, but the judge may not have been a moron, he could have been faced by a lawyer/avocat, who knew the law inside out, and left the judge no possible alternative but to find for the plaintiffs.
 
Québecois are like this though. Even in France various things are in English. STOP signs are a perfect in example. In Québec then get all their knickers in a twist and everything must be in French. New discoveries, new inventions etc... all must have a name translated into French.

The funny thing is, the actual French think of Québecois as speaking like peasants.
 
Everyone is a peasant to a Frenchman, just look at the Adonis that was Freefaller #RIP

Have you been old Quebec? One of the most beautiful towns in the world, I will forgive their pomposity simply due to that.
 
ttaskmaster said:
Air Canada should tell them to **** off and sue the plane manufacturers instead - They made it like that, AC only purchased the vehicles!
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Then I’m guessing that the Federal Government would say to AC, “You should have stipulated that the words tirez or lever be inscribed on the seat belt buckles, (in addition to pull or raise), when you ordered the planes.”
Or the plaintiffs lawyer would say it.
Yes, I know, it’s complete cobblers to you and I, we can open plane seat belts without looking at them, but M. et Mme. Thibodeau saw their chance, and went for it.
 
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