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When a vacationing couple, who use sign language, finally received their lost luggage it had a note on it saying "Please text. Deaf and dumb". The couple is outraged calling the note outrageous and cruel and they want an apology. "Deaf and dumb. How much more insulting can you get?" says James' mom.
The airline has replied "“We apologize to [the couple]. It was clearly a very poor choice of words. We’re confident there was no ill will, but we’ll be looking into this further and will be following up with our team members at IAH and the contractor that provides our baggage delivery services.” - but that's not good enough for this couple. "That person needs to be fired," Kay Moehle (mom) said. "The dumb one is the one who write the note."
I'm on the airline's side. What's PC these days for "deaf and dumb"?
When a vacationing couple, who use sign language, finally received their lost luggage it had a note on it saying "Please text. Deaf and dumb". The couple is outraged calling the note outrageous and cruel and they want an apology. "Deaf and dumb. How much more insulting can you get?" says James' mom.
The airline has replied "“We apologize to [the couple]. It was clearly a very poor choice of words. We’re confident there was no ill will, but we’ll be looking into this further and will be following up with our team members at IAH and the contractor that provides our baggage delivery services.” - but that's not good enough for this couple. "That person needs to be fired," Kay Moehle (mom) said. "The dumb one is the one who write the note."
I'm on the airline's side. What's PC these days for "deaf and dumb"?
"That person needs to be fired," Kay Moehle (mom) said. "The dumb one is the one who write the note."
The term is correct (if they are indeed unable to speak - the article just says deaf), but definitely poor choice of words. Whoever wrote the note is stupid, not dumb. Their intent was good, though. It is probably easier to just text the passengers than to try and communicate by phone.
Deaf would have been acceptable, but why add the dumb part?
They shouldnt be asking for the employee to be fired, they should have been fired automatically. Insult my customers you're gone..
Problem will be determining who wrote the note. Was someone seen writing the note? From what the article states. The luggage was lost and when the couple went to pick it up that is when the note was discovered. The note could have been written by any number of employees at any time during the trip back and the time before their luggage was picked up.
Problem will be determining who wrote the note. Was someone seen writing the note? From what the article states. The luggage was lost and when the couple went to pick it up that is when the note was discovered. The note could have been written by any number of employees at any time during the trip back and the time before their luggage was picked up.
yeah, that was my first thought as well. The luggage went all over the place so who knows who wrote it, but that doesnt mean they shouldnt be upset.
It's a REALLY old term for "deaf-mute" which is also considered offensive by deaf people. It's hard to keep up with what every single group finds offensive nowadays, but "deaf and dumb" is pretty out there. Most people would know better. "Deaf-mute" I could understand someone slipping on.
I think firing the employee is overreacting though. Sensitivity training is the way to go here. Unfortunately, constant sensitivity training is a fact of life in our easily-offended, overly-litigious culture.
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