Believe it or not, rudimentary English on the job site can come in handy:
A Park Hills man was killed Thursday in a freak sawmill accident in Washington County.Washington County deputies were not available to discuss the incident Friday morning.
According to Washington County Coroner Brian DeClue, Jose Garcia, 29, climbed into an edger at H & H Lumber to clear a piece of wood sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Other workers shouted at him not to go under the machinery, but Garcia, who did not speak English, did not stop.
The company gives a monthly safety class, but it's in English -- a language with which Mr. Garcia had only the sort of passing familiarity one acquires from glancing at one's forged social security and green cards.
Posted by floridacracker at February 11, 2007 04:24 PMa few years ago at the brand spanking new reservoir
they are building between Tampa and Polk, some guy was standing next to a trailer loaded with pipe.
When they 'busted' the load, they were yelling at the guy to move but he just stood there.
It was later discovered he had just landed here..it took a while, because they had to sift through the bunch to find one who knew him-and spoke whatever in the f--k he spoke.
What's messed up is the other day at the eye doctor, a young lady was there to get glasses, because she couldnt pass the vision test. I really got pissed because when I re-upped my license, one guy interpreted for five other guys..to get their license. It wasn't even for the vision test-I don't think they even have to take that...No, it was just to help fill out the friggin forms. Now, you're telling me that everyday...across this land, we have *that* many illiterate applicants getting driver's licenses ???
I see these guys all the time, and it freaks me out. They just drive through stop signs...school zones, the whole nine yards
Posted by: csason at February 12, 2007 10:01 AMyet another reason that you dont hire illegals. I was born and raised in Orlando, FL and with the exception of the few white collar jobs that i worked it, every job i worked in had illegals that didn't speak English... the worst being pizza places in the tourist areas although i suppose it wasn't too bad to work with them as they understood words like "not" and "no"
Posted by: chris at February 12, 2007 11:03 AMWe have probably 100 Hispanic employees. My husband is absolutely loyal to them all.
Once he got through the language barrier, he was amazed to discover how intellegent they were, and encourages them to learn English and get drivers licenses.
On an out of town work site he learned that a Mexican foreman was going out to titty bars at night in the company vehicle and talking by the pool with the company cell. He was abusing his position, so he was fired.
The men were terrified, and told my husband that this man said he was going to turn into a bird and come and get them.
There were cultural issue before, but to believe that someone could turn into a bird and come and hurt them....
The point is...most of them are bright and capable,humble, they cry about missing their children like American men would,
but with the primitive beliefs...I don't know(?)
After attending the ice sculpture show the Gaylord Palms in Orlando at we stopped at the information booth for directions. She didn't speak english!
Posted by: jbugbee at February 12, 2007 09:14 PMDon't ask for help in Walmart either..cause they'll just look at ya
Posted by: the real Nancy at February 12, 2007 09:45 PMIllegal aliens don't kill people--they kill themselves.
Posted by: Jeff H at February 15, 2007 11:48 AM