Helpful civil servants

[terry2366]

My friend went to pay his road tax last week but could not pay it as the lady spoke to him in Turkish and he could not understand ,he knew there was a fine as he had missed the mot date and tax date through being in the uk. He tried unsuccessfully to understand her but he has no Turkish. Today I went with him with a friend who speaks Turkish saw the same lady and by some miracle after my friend tod that he wanted to tax the car she spoke to him in perfect English, amazing how quick some people pick the language up.

[tomsteel]

Get her name. the details of the circumstances and report her to the Director of the office involved.

[Lambousa Market]

Wasn't he lucky that someone who spoke, or at least attempted to speak, the language of the land had such success! Amazing! Glad he learned Turkish so quickly... Given that this is the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and all.

[sophie]

I think the point is being missed. I agree, most Brits and I'm one of them, are lamentable when it comes to speaking Turkish, however it really is galling when struggling to get your point across only to find the person behind the counter can in fact speak and understand English. Sorry to say this, but some of them, particularly in the Government Offices treat it as a "sport". There are exceptions and if possible you try and go back to the same person each time.

[frontalman]

I'm with Gordon on this one. Turkish isn't a difficult language to grasp, even just the basics. Why one should expect locals to speak English I don't know. Whether the girl can speak English or not is irrelevant, the language here is Turkish.

[terry2366]

Funny in the uk we have pamphlets for all languages to help people this was a case of an elderly man trying to pay his car tax. The lady made no attempt to help him even though she could see he was getting distressed so he had to go back to lapta without taxing his car. When we turned up with my partner she explained it was to tax the car ( which was obvious as it said it on the desk she took the docs which he had offered the first time no utter words were spoken by the lady other than to say the price and ask for his PIN number when asked if he could go behind the desk to do it himself she said no. So thanks to the two that said it was his fault for not learning the language. This was a case of a civil servant that should be kept away from customers till she realises that she is there to help people not make it as difficult as she can while she gets her 13 months salary. Cyprus has always used English as its second language and even though it's the trnc English is the language used most often after Turkish and the pound is used in most contracts here.

[waddo]

frontalman, glad you find that Turkish isn't a difficult language to grasp - now let us all have the secret of how we are to grasp it please. I have struggled with this language for over 10 years now and still only have the very basic understanding of it. I suppose being hard of hearing and not being able to lip read those with mustaches has not helped, nor has the fact that Turkish is spoken in Turkey and in Cyprus it is a different version of Turkish with different words for different meanings - things like "Yanni" are a fair example! So please help.

[snd1966]

yes please to any hint, Frontalman, especially when speaking turkish and unable to roll my rrrr's and been told several times to speak English as they have no idea what I am trying to say and I note a lot don't try as they feel I am insulting their English.


I too am also so glad you find that Turkish isn't a difficult language to grasp - and the people who do let me practise my unique turkish

[kerry 6138]

In the UK I was a civil servant who worked at one time on a immigration helpline the departments official line was there was no translation service, so they needed to get help from a English speaker, however amongst the staff there were a few who could speak urdu, punjabi etc.and has a matter of common decency if we could decern the language we would transfer the calls to someone who could try to help.
My guess is this lady had been upset at some stage by a English speaker and just chose not be helpful this time.

[snd1966]

In the UK I was a civil servant who worked at one time on a immigration helpline the departments official line was there was no translation service, so they needed to get help from a English speaker, however amongst the staff there were a few who could speak urdu, punjabi etc.and has a matter of common decency if we could decern the language we would transfer the calls to someone who could try to help.

I admit this does happen here too I have never left the tax office without my task being completed, taxing vehicles, driving licences, rental tax, property tax and my own social security but have seen in the rental tax department unbelievable rudeness by british homeowners especially when caught out. As my husband says you may shout louder but it does not mean you are right!