Ignorant Gringos

So much hostility. Are y'all OK? What is really going on around here lately?

Update...

I didn't play the video (or mention it) for the boss man...and I didn't mention the two guys.

The owner came over and we went through the work his guys had done (which looked, overall, really great) and I directed his attention to the facing stones on the front of the step up to the porch...(where the guys were working during the video). I checked them this afternoon and noticed some of the facing was loose and were a bit crooked...he checked them and agreed they were and said he'd take care of it.

As angry as I was this morning...the more I thought about it...the more I realized I didn't want these two guys to lose their job because of my hurt feelz and anger over something stupid they said...which except for a fluke...I never would've normally even heard.

a reply to: IAMTAT

That's some nice growth and compassion from you IAMTAT. Well done.

originally posted by: sputniksteve
a reply to: IAMTAT

That's some nice growth and compassion from you IAMTAT. Well done.

I just want what I pay for done right. I'm not out for anyone's blood.

a reply to: IAMTAT

The more people have cameras all over their place, the more feelz will get hurt.
How many conversations would you not have, knowing you would be recorded...
Good theme for the writers contest

a reply to: IAMTAT

So what did the owner say?

originally posted by: FauxMulder
a reply to: IAMTAT

So what did the owner say?

The answer to your question is LITERALLY 3 posts above. So lazy.

a reply to: SilverStarGazer

Yea, I had already realized I somehow missed that post. But thanks for the making one of your rare 8 replies a year to point it out.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Glad you got it worked out to your satisfaction, TAT.

That said, I would have also made mention to the contractor something along the lines of, "Yeah, but what really worries me is that your workers were joking about how bad a job they were doing in Spanish. I happen to have someone who speaks fluent Spanish. I have it on tape if you wanna see it."

I wouldn't have done it for spite, but the deal is that these racists will go on and do the same thing to the next customer... and the next... until the contractor finds out about it. Who knows? That next customer could be an old lady who slips on a loose paver, breaks a hip, and the contractor is now looking at a nice hefty lawsuit, medical bills, pain and suffering, and a bad reputation... not to mention the poor lady who is in pain from a broken hip.

If I hire someone to work for me, I demand respect. Period. If they cannot provide it, they will leave my property. Once the job is done and I have accepted it, they can go bad-mouth me all they want, but when they are on my property doing work for me, taking my money, they will be professional or they will be gone. I would have ordered them off my property... immediately... as soon as I found out what they were saying and they would not be coming back.

I have a problem with someone working for me and speaking in any foreign language anyway. They are working for me and I want to know what they are saying. I don't think that's unreasonable... if someone else does, so be it. They can speak all the Spanish they want at home and I won't care a bit, but on my job they will speak English or not speak.

TheRedneck

a reply to: IAMTAT
Very kind. Axeholes have children to.

a reply to: IAMTAT

You took the high road. Good for you!

a reply to: IAMTAT

To put things to perspective..

1) You're wealthy enough to own your own house
2) You employ people, whose speaking language you don't understand because reasons? Monetary? Are you cheap? Are you altruistic? Without making any effort to learn said language.. (learning languages is fun, too, so there's no excuse)
3) You spy and eavesdrop on people with illegal audio and video capture without their consent or knowledge
4) You think it's wrong for people to have fun while working
5) You want to punish people for saying the truth

Look, if anything, these people should have been notified for 'doing it wrong' - not because they said it, but because YOU NOTICED them doing it wrong. If you didn't notice, then they're ACTUALLY RIGHT about you being ignorant. You want to punish someone for telling truth or being right?

6) This couldn't BE more first-world problem - using a word like 'cringo' is not racist, not knowing english is not racist, and if you want to offer someone a bottle of water, don't just do it verbally, bring the damn bottle and point it at them with a questioning tone of voice and friendly look on your face - they'll get the point, even if they don't understand the words.

People are too 'verbal language-based' these days. They don't know how to spell, they just know how to utter those animal sounds they call language. They don't know how to control dog with 100% silence, they just know how to yell and scream WORDS at it. They try to resolve everything by words and discussion, they don't read body language, pause for silence, stop their mental word factory even for a second just to look at a beautiful tree, and so on.

Relax, stop. You don't always have to be verbal about everything (I know, seems hypocrite for ME to write this of all people, because I write so many words and long posts - but that's the only thing you CAN do in a discussion forum, if I could, I'd rather just upload my thoughts to you or at least use body language and tones of voice, gestures, etc., and instinctual energy, but I can't here).

You can't control a kid or animal with words. They won't take you seriously. You have to use silence for dogs, and TONE for kids, and body language and energy for both. You have to use eye contact tactically and dominantly for both. If you want a child to listen to you, you have to go to their level and look at them in the eye, and use a firm tone of voice. They won't take a 'billyyy, stooop thaaaat' seriously.

You have to use more energy and body language with animals - that's the language animals speak constantly, but people are blind and deaf to it. People don't see a silent dog giving a powerful warning with a look. They just see the outcome when the dog is barking and biting, they never see the tiny signals that LEAD to the bite or barking.

In any case, if you don't have a common language, you can still communicate in MANY ways. There's instinct, there's body language, there's energy, gestures, props, drawing pictures, you name it. You don't have to use a spy to eavesdrop on them.

They're in a low-paying job, they don't own houses like you do, they're not in your fortunate position, status and wealth, so they're having to do something you demand they do, but they don't have to like it, do they? They're just trying to do what ANY rational worker would do - go the easy route and spare themselves extra trouble for low-paying slave job you're imposing upon them without making even the tiny gesture of learning their language.

In other words, the HEADLINE here is..

"WEALTHY HOUSEOWNER IS NOT 100% SATISFIED WITH THE WORK OF THE WAGE-SLAVES HE HIRED!"

or maybe

"EAVESDROPPING REVEALED RICH HOUSEOWNER'S IGNORANCE AND HE WANTS REVENGE!"

Maybe you could benefit from the philosophy of 'letting go' or putting things to perspective.

A HUNDRED THOUSAND people die every day out of starvation. Drones kill whole families and blow up people's legs and injure them permanently.

You want to complain because some 'garden job' for your privileged position was not done 100% correctly, and you didn't even notice it yourself but you had to eavesdrop some poor lowly-paid workers?

I mean, really.. I would want to say 'how low can you go', but I better not.