Quelle horreur! French-Canadians Michel and Lynda Thibodeau were awarded roughly $12,500 last week after suing Air Canada because the airline's stewardesses failed to address them in their mother tongue as legally required, the Canadian Press reports.
The Thibodeau's lawsuit was based largely on being unable to find an agent who spoke French and a baggage announcement that was made only in English when they were traveling from Ottawa to the United States. The couple was seeking $500,000 Canadian in damages.
The carrier, it should be noted, must communicate in both English and French when there is demand.
An important note: Mr. Thibodeau speaks English fluently.
Thibodeau has a history of being litigious. He sued an Ottawa bus company in 2002 because the bus driver said "Hello" not "Bonjour."
It would be easy to chalk this up to one Quebecois being a jerk, but there are actually political groups that cheered the Thibodeau's victory in court. It really is a different world up there. :thumb:
The Thibodeau's lawsuit was based largely on being unable to find an agent who spoke French and a baggage announcement that was made only in English when they were traveling from Ottawa to the United States. The couple was seeking $500,000 Canadian in damages.
The carrier, it should be noted, must communicate in both English and French when there is demand.
An important note: Mr. Thibodeau speaks English fluently.
Thibodeau has a history of being litigious. He sued an Ottawa bus company in 2002 because the bus driver said "Hello" not "Bonjour."
It would be easy to chalk this up to one Quebecois being a jerk, but there are actually political groups that cheered the Thibodeau's victory in court. It really is a different world up there. :thumb: