Here's another example of PC-ness gone barmy....again.

Don't call the barmaid 'love', by order of Harriet Harman

Bar managers and store owners face large-scale compensation claims if their customers ogle their barmaids, waitresses or check-out staff.

New sex discrimination laws also mean that landlords who allow loud sexist jokes or banter among drinkers could be taken before a tribunal.

The regulations say that bosses are responsible for protecting their staff from sexual harassment by customers - and that those who fail to do so can face unlimited compensation claims.

They mean that a pub landlord could be sued if a bar worker complains about being called "love", or over customers telling each other off-colour jokes.

Continued here:- http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article...rman/article.do

The worlds gone mad!!!

You won't be able to drink in a bar next, lest you damage your liver in the long term and then try to sue the bar owner for damaging it by selling you alcohol!

Good idea. Can we sue for wallet damage?

Here's another example of PC-ness gone barmy....again.

Don't call the barmaid 'love', by order of Harriet Harman

Bar managers and store owners face large-scale compensation claims if their customers ogle their barmaids, waitresses or check-out staff.

New sex discrimination laws also mean that landlords who allow loud sexist jokes or banter among drinkers could be taken before a tribunal.

The regulations say that bosses are responsible for protecting their staff from sexual harassment by customers - and that those who fail to do so can face unlimited compensation claims.

They mean that a pub landlord could be sued if a bar worker complains about being called "love", or over customers telling each other off-colour jokes.

Continued here:- http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article...rman/article.do

When I was last in London, all the old ladies I met called me 'love'. Maybe there is something wrong with me, but I didn't quite feel like sueing them, I thought it was rather quaint and added immense value to my 'authentic English experience™'.

Given this angle, perhaps it could be ruled that calling customers of the opposite sex 'love' is mandatory, and not doing so will be a punishable offense for which a special 'lack of love fee' is levied. Thence everybody will get a warm fuzzy feeling inside about the pleasant English people, just like I did.

Up north in the UK everyone is called love. There's nothing wrong with it. Although I do agree it could be used in a condescending way. As with all these non-pc expressions, it the intention behind them that makes them offensive. Also, there are just some people who look for offence in everything. I was once challenged for calling a group of ladies 'girls', I replied that where I came from you're called a girl all your life (as long as your female!)

There are also loads of urban myths, but I won't go there!

Interesting point Tiggs. It is not uncommon for feminists to take umbrage at addressing a group of womyn as 'girls'... seen it myself.

Well, depends on the way its said, and who is saying it, doesn't it?

We had a young Canadian guy call my husband (who was at least 10 years older than him) "boy" -- he took offense. Canadian guy tried to explain that in Canada, they call the waiter garcon in french. Which means "boy". "You are not in Canada" was my husband's response. Of course, neither was the guy French Canadian but that is another story.

Its all in context. I don't mind being called girl but find girlie condescending. I don't mind being called honey or love if the person is well older than me, but coming from someone younger than me, I would find patronizing.

I think that the ultra-PC codswallop that has come out is ridiculous but too many people use the excuse of a "backlash against PC" in order to excuse their own poor behavior, bad manners and, sometimes, bigotry.

I've always felt that one should treat other people like one would like to be treated. If a person likes condescending patronizing attitudes, then I guess that person should behave in the same way. But if someone likes to be treated with respect and good manners, then perhaps that person's behavior should be the same.

A wise and true post there sbk.

Agreed - simple enough, but so many people don't 'get it'.

Polite speech is the attempt to encode socially/politically a common group of expressions/actions that may be offensive/harmful to a significant number of persons based on their race, nationality, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or other factors that are beyond their choice and part of their identity.

I think the *spirit* of polite speech is to avoid harm to others and to avoid insulting people. In most cases those who are trying to avoid those things would want to avoid the harmful/offensive actions on principle, and even if they don't manage to do so their good faith efforts will generally be rewarded with patience and tolerance even by the potentially offended while they scale the learning curve.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to legislate or encode every little potential bit of harm- just as it is impossible to eliminate the risk of injury from human life. So just as with driving regulations or building codes, the riskiest actions are prohibited along common sense lines; as these become second-nature for most people, other more esoteric rules may be instituted (so first cars were given seat belts, then safety windows, then airbags, then regulation child seats, etc., etc.) Eventually it may seem to go over the top, but with the best intentions in mind.

"Political correctness" is a reaction against encroachment by the new regulations on what different persons deem to be over the line of "common sense." This will tend to be most sensitive in those who are older and least used to newer and newer boilerplate ("in the old days, we drove without properly functioning lights and brakes and we liked it!!!"). What they regarded as freedoms, which may have increased the risk of others or encroached on the freedoms of others, have now become prohibited or taboo. It is partly because it was never risk to them personally or that they view themselves as empowered or entitled or that they view others as lower that it is a problem: it is usually also an EGO problem for the ones who have problems with it.

It sometimes happens that the letter of these regulations is used as a weapon against those who are not violating the spirit of the regulations, but I think these are primarily exceptions that prove the rule.

If in doubt, ask the potentially offended parties how they feel. THEY are the ones who stand to be harmed, and THEY are the ones who should decide the limits of speech.

"S"

Nice post S!

I am finding Pattaya becoming more and more non-PC.

I find myself being referred to as "Papa" or "Leung" rather than the preferred PC term "Hansum man".

Another PC term : Middle East now is West Asia. <deleted>? Why not go really PC, and p1ss off the ragheads bigtime, and call it East Europe.

Oops : Raghead should be Quality challenged cloth cranium.

If you've ever watched any Arabic television, you'll see that those 'rags' include designer label ones. Somehow, I just can't see myself parting with a couple of hundred dollars for a re-jigged tea towel.

Middle east is still perfectly acceptable!

Yes, parts of it are.

Yes, parts of it are.

Yes, hotel lobby's and bars, airport lounges etc. etc. etc.

onzestan

^ Particularly the departure lounges...

(Patsycat @ 2008-01-10 05:27:37) I speak my mind and if someone doesn't like it then bugger them,

But i am always polite, but can go for the jugular if needed be. and also cover up for friends who are too frighted to speak for themselves.

VOILA

I got a sweet face and smile and when someone gets at me i attack - its called looking after number one

First read of this thread, from OP's 1st, to last post.

Patsy sums it all up fror me totally. Great post.

Dunno about me having sweet face, but I always smile.

I guess PC started with feminism and all the weak willed guys not wanting to offend their femmes, played along. (Mite find missus has more headaches)

Germaine Greer has a lot to answer for. (My opinion anyways.)

NOW IT IS OUT OF CONTROL.

I call a spade a spade, but the crcumstances at any given time govern how politely I describe my "spade" .

Call me a HONKY, who cares, it is only a word.

^ You really should call it a shovel, you know. Don't you get tired of being called a honky? Warren Mitchell never did get his knighthood (and I can't see Jack Smethurst being in the queue, either).

^ You really should call it a shovel, you know. Don't you get tired of being called a honky? Warren Mitchell never did get his knighthood (and I can't see Jack Smethurst being in the queue, either).

Ping, they were laff a minute shows.

Loved both.

Imagine them on telly now, I don't think so.

Bless this Forum.

Agree - they were hilarious. Unfortunately, no re-runs.

Middle east is still perfectly acceptable!

Yes, parts of it are.

I meant as the general region. However, Palestine, to some, is unacceptable. Yet, Palestine has never been a country just a region and still is. It's like when we Irish don't lke the expression 'British Isles'. It's because it suggests Ireland is part of Britain, which of course, it's not. Although 6 counties of one province in part of the UK. Even very few British people understand the differance between Britain and the UK!

Middle East is perfectly acceptable. She's Got a lovely belly and great hips.

Middle East is perfectly acceptable. She's Got a lovely belly and great hips.

A typical kayo post!

Well, i went to the pub yesterday afternoon and i called the barmaids "love" and "darling" and "sweetheart" all afternoon. Guess what, not a one of them bothered.

Well, i went to the pub yesterday afternoon and i called the barmaids "love" and "darling" and "sweetheart" all afternoon. Guess what, not a one of them bothered.

Probably because none of them speak English.

Well, i went to the pub yesterday afternoon and i called the barmaids "love" and "darling" and "sweetheart" all afternoon. Guess what, not a one of them bothered.

Probably because none of them speak English.

What, bargals NOT knowing what,,,,,,"love" and "darling" and "sweetheart"....... means.

Possibly newbies, but not many who work in bars attended by farangs.

Well, i went to the pub yesterday afternoon and i called the barmaids "love" and "darling" and "sweetheart" all afternoon. Guess what, not a one of them bothered.

Probably because none of them speak English.

What, bargals NOT knowing what,,,,,,"love" and "darling" and "sweetheart"....... means.

Possibly newbies, but not many who work in bars attended by farangs.

Refer to post 61. In which new legislation was enforced in the UK yesterday, regarding calling barmaids love, darling etc. Actually, i don't even know if we can still call them barmaids. Alcohol Technicians or Customer Service Executives, would be more PC.

PC is in itself a buzzword and a cliché originally used to score political points.

The basic objective of trying to avoid being offensive is to try to reduce friction between people.

The usage of the word PC is in itself often an attempt to discredit people who want others to be more considerate to each other.

It is true that catching somebody out with being offensive can be used as a tool to suppress that person's views though, and this side of it is usually negative.

My thoughts exactly.

There was, circa 1965-75, in some circles a genuine phenomena of "PC speak" but it's a very long time since I've seen or heard of that sort of thing. I think it died a natural (and unlamented) death more than a decade ago.

What I hear nowadays is what Meadish said: people twisting around attempts at basic decency/politeness into "PC".

Here's another example of PC-ness gone barmy....again.

Don't call the barmaid 'love', by order of Harriet Harman

Bar managers and store owners face large-scale compensation claims if their customers ogle their barmaids, waitresses or check-out staff.

New sex discrimination laws also mean that landlords who allow loud sexist jokes or banter among drinkers could be taken before a tribunal.

The regulations say that bosses are responsible for protecting their staff from sexual harassment by customers - and that those who fail to do so can face unlimited compensation claims.

They mean that a pub landlord could be sued if a bar worker complains about being called "love", or over customers telling each other off-colour jokes.

Continued here:- http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article...rman/article.do

I notice that was posted.....

20:22pm on 31.03.08 .....allready 1st April in half the world.

Mite be April Fools jape.