View Full Version : Cheque written in Gaelic - rejected
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8022710.stm does this mean Gaelic is reduced to the status of a 'foreign' language similar to Urdu, Punjabi or Cantonese?
Gaelic, like Latin, is a language understood by very few people. Had Scotland been a predominantly Gaelic speaking country then I'd be happy to use it, however, it's not-the first language of this country is English so that must take precedence over Gaelic. Personally, I think he was just being awkward using Gaelic to write his cheque.
Alice in Blunderland
29-Apr-09, 07:55
Oh here we go another headline grabbing two minutes of fame story. :roll:
This person was just being awkward. IMHO
I bet it was written with the thought lets see what happens here and realising that it probably would be rejected.
On issuing the cheque book the advice was to write in English in the UK.
They obviously didnt want to do as they were told shheeesh just like kids. :roll:
Well he must go sit on the naughty step. :lol:
I wouldn't accept a cheque I couldn't read.
weeboyagee
29-Apr-09, 09:03
Gaelic, like Latin, is a language understood by very few people. Had Scotland been a predominantly Gaelic speaking country then I'd be happy to use it, however, it's not-the first language of this country is English so that must take precedence over Gaelic. Personally, I think he was just being awkward using Gaelic to write his cheque.
In as much as the Bank proudly has "Banca Rioghail na h-Alba" above it's doors and HBOS have "Banca na h-Alba" above it's doors and both of them provide their cheque books PRINTED in Gaelic. How on earth can you say that the BLOKE was being awkward - the banks created the presidence in the first place. But then again if you are not involved in a Gaelic community you wouldn't know this and therefore not know as to why the bloke has been writing them in Gaelic for 20 years! When you become involved in the Gaelic community you start to see that it is an actual way of life. When you're on the perifary, you haven't a clue. Same way that the £1 note is still in use in the Western Isles but if you're not there to experience the fact that the Banks are still accommodating this you'ld be quite happy to accept the story on the BBC for the first person who gets refused in Tescos in Stornoway because they try to use the £1 notes.
The bloke had no reason to expect the cheque to be refused. He is not in the wrong, his language is not in the wrong and the system has been proved a farse - especially since the banks will happily engage with the language and use it to promote themselves. One of the biggest sponsors of the Royal National Mod - guess who????? Banca Rioghail na h-Alba. Seems to me that their press office will be having a few words today about their internal affairs.
WBG :cool:
In as much as the Bank proudly has "Banca Rioghail na h-Alba" above it's doors and HBOS have "Banca na h-Alba" above it's doors and both of them provide their cheque books PRINTED in Gaelic. How on earth can you say that the BLOKE was being awkward - the banks created the presidence in the first place. But then again if you are not involved in a Gaelic community you wouldn't know this and therefore not know as to why the bloke has been writing them in Gaelic for 20 years! When you become involved in the Gaelic community you start to see that it is an actual way of life. When you're on the perifary, you haven't a clue. Same way that the £1 note is still in use in the Western Isles but if you're not there to experience the fact that the Banks are still accommodating this you'ld be quite happy to accept the story on the BBC for the first person who gets refused in Tescos in Stornoway because they try to use the £1 notes.
The bloke had no reason to expect the cheque to be refused. He is not in the wrong, his language is not in the wrong and the system has been proved a farse - especially since the banks will happily engage with the language and use it to promote themselves. One of the biggest sponsors of the Royal National Mod - guess who????? Banca Rioghail na h-Alba. Seems to me that their press office will be having a few words today about their internal affairs.
WBG :cool:The banks paying lip service to Gaelic but refusing to take a cheque written in it is yet another example of shallow adherence to Gaelic political correctness in my opinion. Most people in Scotland can't be bothered with Gaelic but they say they do because they think they should or because someone has told them they have to.
I understand what you say about thinking differently when you're immersed in Gaelic culture but most of us aren't so immersed. :(
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8022710.stm does this mean Gaelic is reduced to the status of a 'foreign' language similar to Urdu, Punjabi or Cantonese?
Some of the places Ive been working in England theyre the first language. Not forgetting Polish of course.
This Shrieks of a Publicity Stunt and I do not believe the person could not just as easily written the Cheque in English. Either that or he did it knowing it would be rejected as he really wanted this to happen, for whatever reason is another thing, but I am sure you can work that one out.
Quote from the BBC article.
Mr Drummond had been writing the cheques in Gaelic for 20 years.That doesn't sound like a publicity stunt to me.
weeboyagee
29-Apr-09, 11:58
I have received cheques in Gaelic, written cheques in Gaelic and written them on cheques that have NO English on them - all in Gaelic, printed by the Banks. You can't set the presidence and then claim ignorance of it after 20 years. Why write that cheque in English when the rest for the past 20 years have been written in Gaelic?
Methinks the faux pas is on the part of the Bank - their publicity will not be looking so rich today if Crayola's statement about lip-service to Gaelic is reflected in the Bank's actions!
WBG :cool:
It is, as Crayola said, the banks paying lip service to Gaelic. Why issue chequebooks in both languages if they only want them written in English? From the report:
However, RBS said in the UK it was necessary for cheques to be written in English so they could be understood by everyone who may have to handle them.
It's claimed Mr Drummond has been writing his cheques in Gaelic for 20 years.....yet only now has it been rejected??? Has he only been giving them to other Gaelic speakers in all that time? Methinks he may be telling fibs. If I was handed a cheque in any language in this country I'd hand it back and ask for it to be written in English.
I have no problem with people retaining their Gaelic heritage and respect their right to do so but I repeat, English is the language of this country, that takes precedence over one mans petty squabble.
English is the official language of the internet, if a foreigner joined the Org and used his/her own language when posting would people be so accommodating to them? I doubt it.
Certainly, it's time the banks clarified their position on the use of Gaelic.
It's so easy for the banks to print cheques in Gaelic, WBG - that only needs ten minutes work from one translator (who can be bought in)... but to process cheques that are written in Gaelic, the bank staff have to be able to read them and, as we all know, only a tiny minority of Scots can read Gaelic.
If this guy's happy to wait a few extra days while the bank forward his cheque to the member of staff that can verify that his words match his figures, then of course they could accommodate him. But a cheque's a functional thing, not a cultural thing - surely it's only sensible to write it in English just to get it processed as fast as everyone else's cheques.
kmahon2001
29-Apr-09, 16:42
It's so easy for the banks to print cheques in Gaelic, WBG - that only needs ten minutes work from one translator (who can be bought in)... but to process cheques that are written in Gaelic, the bank staff have to be able to read them and, as we all know, only a tiny minority of Scots can read Gaelic.
If this guy's happy to wait a few extra days while the bank forward his cheque to the member of staff that can verify that his words match his figures, then of course they could accommodate him. But a cheque's a functional thing, not a cultural thing - surely it's only sensible to write it in English just to get it processed as fast as everyone else's cheques.
Surely it wouldn't be too difficult to train all staff working in banks in Gaelic areas to read gaelic "numbers". It's simply a matter of teaching them to read One, two, three etc, hundred, thousand, million (just in case there's any millionaires out there!;)) Maybe that's what the banks should look at doing - their staff don't need to be able to speak Gaelic, simply read a few words.
If banks are using Gaelic to advertise themselves and are providing Gaelic language chequebooks, they surely have a responsibility to ensure that they can deal with cheques written in Gaelic. After all, if I went to Spain and had a cheque book in Spanish, I would expect to write my cheque in Spanish, not English. If banks are going to provide Gaelic chequebooks, then they must expect that people will write their cheques in Gaelic. Otherwise their use of Gaelic on their shop signs and pamphlets etc and providing chequebooks in Gaelic is just a gimmick and a cynical ploy to attract unsuspecting Gaelic speakers.
When the Poll Tax started in Scotland in 1989 my Wife was working for the Council. One day, an irate citizen came in to pay his dues. To my Wife's astonishment, the guy produced a cheque that had been written on a large cupboard door!!
The Chief Cashier had a look at it and reckoned it was legal. My Wife can still remember him heading to the Bank with the door/cheque tucked under his arm.
My Wife also remembers an owld wifie running into the Rent Office shouting:-
"Get it up ye, the Poll Tax has been DEMOLISHED"
Aah, sweet old dears eh?
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