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Way out in Flemish

• Mark Mardell
• 24 Apr 08, 04:42 PM

I've just popped over to London by Eurostar and, as I get off the train at St Pancras, a Belgian family, speaking Flemish, are a little confused how to get out.

"Ah: 'Sortie - Way Out'," Dad spots eventually.

But, given that a lot of the trains come from Brussels, shouldn't the sign be in his own language as well?

Eurostar says that there are many Flemish speakers around to help and point out that announcements on the train are in Flemish, as well as French and English.

The company says that there are many more German, Spanish and Japanese travellers than Flemish speakers and they don't get signs in their own language either. It's just a practical thing, it argues.

Common sense or cultural insensitivity ?

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