Why I am an educator, not a formal interpreter: After visiting the grocery store, I saw police officers talking to a man making wild gesticulations near a fender bender, and I looked closer, and realized he was using sign language. I parked and offered my services. I voiced the young Deaf mans report of what had happened, (he was stopped, waiting to turn left at an intersection, and the other guy drove into him, manifestly true by the location of the cars and the dents in both vehicles) and signed for the officers telling him that his drivers license had expired two days ago, and where was his insurance card? So, heres where I became advocate instead of strict interpreter, because the man seemed very confused. I checked that he knew the sign insurance, and he nodded that Deaf nod that always meant no to me as a teacher, and I said, voicing for the police, too, You know Nationwide? Allstate? and he signed back, State Farm? and I said, Yes, that. They need to see it. He was like, What for? and I got to explain that it was the law to have it, so they could make their report, and so HIS insurance could call the OTHER guys insurance and talk money FOR him. Ta-da! The card was duly produced, and was current. The three cops all gave smiles and thumbs up. The other driver was declared at fault, and then tried to claim, cussing, that I had produced false excuses for the Deaf guy. I said that I hadnt seen the accident at all, so anything I said was merely telling what Deaf Guy told ME to say; I was just the interpreter. At fault guy seemed to think I was making it all up, but this didnt make him look good in the cops eyes, I dont think. Deaf guy said he was afraid that the cops didnt believe him when he said he was deaf. I voiced this, and also chatted with him, again, talking out loud as I did so that of COURSE the police believed he was deaf; it said HI on his license for Hearing Impaired, and they were just hoping *really hard* that he could lip-read *really well* before I showed up. All three cops smiled and gave thumbs up again. See? I said. I was right! I further served as advocate, because I asked the Deaf girlfriend passenger if she had a drivers license, because she would need to drive home, since Deaf guys license was expired, and that hed be cited if he tried to drive before getting it renewed. The officers asked to look at her license, and gave it back quickly. (They noted out loud that it said HI, too, which I think made them feel better about the communication issues.) I spent some time keeping the Deaf folks in the loop about the irrational, angry things the other driver was saying, and got to explain what was happening when the police made him do a roadside sobriety test, which was pretty satisfying for the Deaf couple to watch. (Again, more teacher, less-than-interpreter standards, here.) I dont know the official results of the other driver, but the police told my Deaf guy that he was free to go, and that they would not cite him for his expired license if he got it renewed the next day, and his girlfriend drove home. The Deaf couple both hugged me really hard and said Id made a scary situation all better for them, and that God had sent me, and thanked me over and over. I told them that it might have *taken* longer, but that the same result would have happened had I not been there, because they were innocent of major wrong-doing, and that I was glad to have helped, and God put me in the right place at the right time. Off they went, the girlfriend driving. The officers thanked me for helping out, and mentioned as an aside that in their experience, deaf drivers were on the whole safer drivers, relying much more on their sight. I said that I was really glad the police had given him a second chance on his license, and the officer said that with the other guy being such an ***hole, and my guy being polite and helpful and surprised his license was overdue, that he thought hed reward the nice guy with some grace to do the right thing. Deaf guy was so scared of being in trouble, the officer knew it would be taken care of right away. So, I treated myself to a chocolate shake from McDonalds, because I felt extra-virtuous today. (So much for swimming at the Y for burning calories this afternoon, though!)
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 00:18:10 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015