Next time I'll pass on the taco and head to Subway.

Along with interpreting at my church, I volunteer teaching a sign language class.  Recently I assigned the class to go to the Hamilton Place mall, and we were not allowed to talk.  They could only sign so that they would come closer to experiencing the daily communication barrier that Deaf people deal with. 

The first event of the day was lunch at the food court.  Many of the students went to Subway.  One student and I hopped over to Taco Bell, which was right next to Subway.  As we stood in line we signed to each other since we were not allowed to talk at all while at the mall.  As we waited we also took the time to write our orders down on pieces of paper so we could just hand them to the cashier.  I decided to pay for my friend and snagged her order paper as it came up on my turn.

When I got up to the counter, I handed my papers to the woman working.  She looked at them and loudly said to me, "Are they together?"  I nodded my head to show her that was fine but also signed.  She rolled her eyes and angrily said, "You're gonna have to talk to me, I don't speak that sign language, honey."  Since she had refused to acknowledge my head nodding, I went to reach for a pen and set it down on the counter for her to use; meanwhile another friend of mine who was there, but not in my class, told the woman I said that was fine.  I guess that still was not enough for the woman because she then proceeded to shout at me "ARE THEY TOGETHER?"  I scooted the pen towards her.  She rolled her eyes again, shook her head angrily, smacked the counter, and wrote "Split checks?"  I looked at her and AGAIN nodded my head.  She then handed me the receipt and told my friend my order number.  I signed "Thank you" and the woman mockingly said "De Nada".

The woman's name was Regina, and I am SO sad to say that she herself is the manager of that location.

Subway gave the other students kind, patient, and extremely helpful service.  They were willing to write notes and point and gesture to make the communication work.

I was SO humiliated and angry.  I realize now though that I should not have felt embarrassed in front of all the other people around;  Regina should have.  Her temper tantrum was consistent with a young child's.  I have rarely seen someone get so angry so fast.  She could have made the whole transaction so much simpler by either paying attention to my head nodding, listening to my friend interpret for me, or by writing on the paper without making a scene about it.

I do not know if Regina realized I was hearing.  If she did, and that's why she insisted I talk to her, then I still don't understand her behavior and reaction.  As someone very involved in the Deaf Community, I should be able to bring that culture without being treated that way.

If Regina did not realize I am hearing and thought indeed that I was Deaf, then her behavior is even more appalling.  Deaf people often do not read lips and it makes no difference to shout at them.  They are DEAF for goodness sake.   I also cannot believe that she demanded I talk to her.  If I had been Deaf I very well couldn't have.  So her being unable to sign is the same as a Deaf person being unable to talk.  Deaf people are expected to change to match the hearing world; can the hearing world not change to match the Deaf world?

I'm sure Regina views Deaf people as being handicapped and limited;  I however view her as way more disabled than any Deaf person I know.  Her inability to accept differences, and do what is necessary to help WHATEVER costumer she has, no matter their language, race, or culture is infuriating and outrageous. 

A very sad part in me wonders what has gone on in Regina's life to make her this way.  Maybe someone has treated her that bad that now she treats others the way she's been treated.  Maybe it's just the evilness that can run in all of us.

Whatever it is, I pray she can change.  And I will definitely pick Subway in the future.