A woman passenger aboard a ferry of the company Baleària has reported on Twitter that she has been discriminated against for speaking Catalan when travelling from Menorca to Barcelona.
She approached an employee to ask if the pool could be used during the journey. "I understand you, but speak to me in Spanish", he said. "I'm sorry, but I speak Catalan," the woman said. "So, the pool won't be allowed," was the employee's final answer.
Sobre el respecte als drets lingüístics, teniu alguna cosa a dir, @Balearia? Ferry Ciutadella-BCN:
— • Natalia Touzón •
-Hola, sabeu si la piscina es podrà fer servir durant el viatge?
- Te he entendido pero háblame en español.
-Es que em sap greu però jo parlo català.
- Pues no habrá piscina.
Among hundreds of responses to the viral tweet, there are also reports of discrimination in the Baleària company. One is the case of the actor Fermí Fernández, who has branded employees as arrogant and rude: "Baleària is not an option to recommend", he said.
The company's response, from Denia (Valencia), has been quick in Catalan. "We apologize for a response that does not correspond to our standard or model of customer service", it said.
Catalan language is official in Balearic Islands, as in Catalonia. It is also official in Valencia, where it's called Valencian.