Carnies, The Next Generation
Carnival Cruise Lines: the Wal-mart of the cruising world. They come to Halifax a few times a week, spewing forth droves of tourists with thick Jersey accents. I'm one of the few that actually likes Jersey, and appreciates the accent. But no amount of accent affection can help me get over the Carnies. Some of them have difficulty comprehending that Halifax is not in the same time zone as New York. Others seem to believe the magic of the cruise ship transports them to some alternate reality.
Last week a couple of Carnies walked past my house (I'm right in the touristy area of town) and one of the two pointed to my neighbour's door and said: "1348! That's sooooo old!"
The question I ask myself is: Is this an isolated case of peculiar ignorance, or a sign of the more generalized failure of an education system? I hope for the former, but fear the latter is more likely.