I met a guy today (a fabulously gay one) who is a TDD translator. The technology has advanced to the point that he and the deaf person are connected via web cams; the deaf person signs to him and he then tells the hearing person what the deaf person said. Then he signs to the deaf person what the hearing one said and so on.

This seems like a nifty system; except for the weirdest part of the job. He has, on more occasions than one might imagine, had to translate phone sex. Remember, he is on camera to the deaf person, so he can’t laugh, no matter how ludicrous the messages he is conveying might be. And I wonder if, near the end of the phone sex, does he have to make the sign for “O” and then, I guess, just keep doing it over and over and then maybe one long one? Maybe moving it from left to right really slowly? How do you a capital sign language letter?

Ugh. Anyway – let’s see the guy from Dirty Jobs try that one on for size.

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