Recommended Posts

A Canadian man living in Dubai is on trial for telling a customer service representative from his local telecom provider to ?###### off.?

As we North Americans know well?and the Australians know even better?you can tell a person to ?###### off? and be within your constitutional rights of free speech. You may be a class-A offender as an ######, but you?re not a criminal. At least not on this side of the globe. Over in the United Arab Emirates things work a wee bit differently.

A 43-year-old Canadian native living in Dubai was experiencing some frustration with his local telecom, Etisalat. Apparently some confusion over not receiving his bills at the correct address. We?ve all been there. However when the man told his client services representative to ?###### off? after their disagreement over the bills escalated to an argument, the Canadian quickly found himself on trial, being sued by the 29-year-old customer service rep, an Egyptian native.

The man?s lawyer mounted a charmingly reductive defense for him: In Canada, ?###### off? is simply not a swear.

source

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can understand the rep being annoyed by being told to "**** off", I've been there many times on the receiving end when I worked for Verizon Wireless even when things were not my fault. :( 

 

Lawsuit is a bit extreme though. :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can understand the rep being annoyed by being told to "**** off", I've been there many times on the receiving end when I worked for Verizon Wireless even when things were not my fault. :(

 

Lawsuit is a bit extreme though. :p

I fully agree. I have witnessed such awful conversations with customer support that perhaps now deserve a life sentence. And I fully understand the customers too. Usually the problem is that they pay for something they don't receive so dropping their nerves would be something perfectly normal. If I were in customer support I'd just ask them to keep the good tone and if they don't I'll just hang up on them. No need to go extreme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I expect anyone who goes anywhere to adapt to the rules of that nation, or GTFO. If that's a serious thing to do there than so be it.

 

Yes exactly, but that doesn't apply to our countries it seems, which people seem to prefer to bend over and take it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the words of Lisa Simpson "Thank heavens for religious watchdog groups, keeping the world safe from the horrors of free expression"

 

:rofl:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes exactly, but that doesn't apply to our countries it seems, which people seem to prefer to bend over and take it

 

What does that even mean? And, which countries are "ours"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What does that even mean? And, which countries are "ours"?

 

I, too, am not entirely sure what he's trying to say.

He's saying how western countries will bend over backwards to appease foreign people (just take a look at what's happening to London and western Europe in general) while these same people's countries provide zero leeway for foreigners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry, but he should've respected their laws

And F**k off is recognised as a swear word in Canada.

And why didn't he simply hang up?

They would have called back later in the day, or the following day to discuss the bill when people had a chance to calm down..

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Customer service rep needs to grow some thicker skin.  He was called a name, suck it up and move on.  Leave the crying and wining for grade school.

 

Why? The CS rep is paid to help clients, not be verbally abused by them.  I say good for him for suing the butthole customer!  I hope the jerk gets reamed.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the words of Lisa Simpson "Thank heavens for religious watchdog groups, keeping the world safe from the horrors of free expression"

 

:rofl:

 

Since when is verbal abuse, free expression?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In Australia, you're not considered normal if you don't swear and drink beer. I don't do either, and yep, people (especially my age) think I'm a little strange. Yes, I live in Australia, but have European blood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since when is verbal abuse, free expression?

 

It actually is free expression. That's why it's not against the law in the U.S. to tell someone to f**k off. You're free to express yourself verbally in almost any horrible way you want :)

 

Examples of speech not covered by free speech would be yelling fire in a crowded theatre, or threating someone's life.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This didn't happen in the US, so US definitions of what free expression is, do not apply any more than UK ones do, and verbal abuse is most explicitly NOT allowed under free expression by UK definitions.

 

Ours are just as applicable to this case as yours are; as in, not very. :p

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you think f*** off is verbal abuse I'd say you're pretty thin skinned. I've heard far, far worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.