English-only truckers?
July 18, 2008
Pop quiz time! Truck driver Manuel Castillo was fined $500 after being stopped by police because:
a) his license plates had expired
b) the onions he was hauling fell onto the road
c) he spoke English poorly when talking to the police officer
If you answered “c”, you are correct and/or read about the federal government attempting to tighten its requirements that all commercial truck drivers speak English.
Last year, police issued more than 25,000 tickets for violations of the law. Now, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration wants anyone applying for a commercial driver’s license to do so without the help of an interpreter, according to the Associated Press story.
Government officials say it’s to ensure drivers can communicate clearly with authorities. Most states let truckers and bus drivers take parts of tests in English and would still be permitted to do so under the amended regulation.
What surprised me was that no one submitted comments to the FMCSA objecting to the rule change The government essentially forcing people to learn English to get a job seems like a ripe legal challenge.
What do you think? Or, if you prefer, ¿qué piensa usted?
DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentComments
Got something to say?
-
Business
Business postsLaw
Law posts- Garrett closer to getting a judge
- Can’t do the canned food drive
- Is Harrell the new Cathell?
- Uphill climb for gas-leak plaintiffs
- This week in Maryland Lawyer
- ‘Generally happy’ with billable training
- Law blog round-up
- Possible Enzyte trouble for Venable?
- Eiswert, Sherbin seek Garrett bench seat
- Blogger arrested for leaking songs
Recent Posts
- Bowie Baysox made the playoffs - if anyone noticed
- Garrett closer to getting a judge
- Wound up about design
- Loyola gets a nod for its tech offerings
Recent Comments
- Russell D. McGeorge: Don’t they still feel pressured to meet what they know to be the recent standard? If I...
- BeagleMom: I truly think it depends on each individuals situation and financial stability. With the economy...
- Kathleen Cook: Jeff is right. Not a proud moment. This one is doubly not proud. As the $1.5 mill wife, I was not an...
- Ginger Wassum: I was another unfortunate person who was traveling from another state on a quiet Sunday morning to...
- tfr: Yes. I have seen a deer in the City. Foxes too.
On Commenting
We ask that our readers follow a few guidelines, noted below.Please do not post any personal attacks, profanity, spam or other advertisements — they will be removed. Also, please post using only one name or pseudonym, as this consistency helps establish a sense of community. We will delete posts if they are signed with different names but originate from the same IP or email address. And if you’re going to comment using a proper name, please make it your own. Deliberate misrepresentations will be removed.