My Rant

[Turtle]

Same scenario, except that everyone is speaking English. Due to the fact the atmosphere in that warehouse has been loud the whole time you were there (forklifts running back and forth, horns being beeped, Americans all talking and yelling English back and forth amongst each other), you happen to not get the "GET OUT OF THE WAY, or LOOK OUT" warning that driver is trying to relay to you cause you've tuned out and are ignoring anyone yelling in the background. If you heard the warning at all, you heard if because of the sense of urgency and decibel level, not the language, and as OVM notes, you'd have heard the same sense of urgency and decibel level in any language.

In the scenario of the Mexican warehouse, if you turn your back on a forklift driver while he is loading your truck, or stand there in a path where forklifts can go, and aren't giving the forklifts your full and undivided attention, then you're an idiot, and any language barrier is a non-issue.

 

[UncleTed]

I have to agree with OVM and turtle. #1, I would understand that there was a problem in any language and #2, You are an idiot if you don't keep your eyes on the fork lift driver and the forks! As far as dealing with mexican workers is concerned, We live in a country where free enterprise reigns supreme. Supply and demand does and should determine who gets hired. The company who hired the mexicans probably did so because they could get them cheaper. Lower overhead, theoretically anyway, translates into higher profits for the company and better value for the customer. It only makes sense to hire the less expensive worker.