Accent triggered phobia

[bunn]

Why is it that if someone comes on the phone with a particular generic-eastcoast american accent I automatically assume that they will be not just vastly competent, but the agent of a huge and hyperefficient organisation that will scorn and trample my tiny rural British IT business into the mud? I don't know why I get that reaction, but I do.

Whereas, if someone phones with a random Eastern European or Indian accent, I tend to leap to the conclusion that they are trying to sell me stuff I don't want. Admittedly, so far this has I think been 100% correct, but I feel bad about it for some reason.

Comments

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Was it some intrinsically Finnish quality that baffled you, or the accent?

[wellinghall.livejournal.com]

Partly the fact that almost every letter in his name was doubled (so it wasn't, eg, Dan, but Daann.)