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When I was leaving India two weeks back, I got a lecture from the Immigration Officer at Chennai airport. He wanted me not to waste paper anymore. The reason for the lecture? - the checkin guy had put an additional embarcation/disembarcation form in my daughter’s passport.

I told him I did not know the procedure and the checkin guy did it. Still he went on lecturing for about 5 mins. Since my passport was in his hands, I had to listen :beam:

LOL, JK - you tree-cutter-person, you!

Although, I did consider it nice of most of the officials to let me stand in the handicapped likes since I was carrying my sleeping son for the most part and traveling by myself :)

Two interesting posts in one.

On IM’s: Personally, I don’t use short-cuts either because there’s no reason for it unless you’re lazy or illiterate. Call me old-fashioned, but I like to talk to people in complete sentences. :-)

On immigration: Regardless, of where you go, immigration officers like to lecture people about anything that fancies them. For them, it’s a power trip. And you have to listen because they can make life absolutely hell. Me? I much prefer the stone-faced, silent types, who take their sweet time, but at least they don’t harrass you.

Niraj, thanks - I guess we sticklers-for-spelling and words are old fogeys in a way :)

I do agree with you about the immigration officers.

Actually, I would be considered a fairly “young fogey”, and I can assure you - it pisses me off when folks can’t spell right.

It almost seems to be a matter of pride among most Indians to spell like 13-year old American girls who adore Jessica Simpson. Worse yet, they (the Indians, not the American girls) continue doing so at 30, which is immensely disturbing, straight out of a Japanese manga comic, or something.

Usually, I just go ahead and annoy the person chatting like a retard (no matter who they are) until either they correct themselves, or don’t talk with me at all. The occasional spelling/grammar mistake is acceptable, but consistently using bad English just rubs me the wrong way.

Excuse ME - but if you cannot learn to speak like an adult, I’m not having this conversation. Period. Nothing wrong, of course! And ironically, it works. They actually manage to spell right when I’m around, beat that. Either that, or they avoid me like the plague. Kinda makes you feel ?owerful, you know? Like a, umm, Grammar Nazi? :D

hey there, no i Don’t think you’re an old fogey! most of the abbreviations are downright annoying and Unnecessary!

While the occasional “brb” is quite useful, it sets my teeth on edge when i see all the LOLs and ROTFLs carelessly scattered around the internet.

I think this preference has less to do with age, and more to do with a respect for the power of words. But I suspect that someone younger will disagree. ;)

I agree, Yesha - things like ‘k and u2 - stuff like that annoys me to no end.