America went through some really wacky periods. One was back in the 70’s with the CB (citizen’s band) radio craze. It started during the Oil Embargo years under Jimmy Carter when you never knew when, where or if you could get gasoline. Truckers used their CB radios to advise one another and all of a sudden, average Americans imagined themselves as would be truckers hauling logs in their Kenworths.
Also fueling the CB firestorm were records such as “Convoy” and a movie called Smokey and the Bandit with Burt Reynolds and Jackie Gleason, truly one of the worst movies ever made, but so popular at the time that several sequels would follow.
Average Americans began buying CB radios and installed them in their cars, then attempted to speak “trucker-ese” and blocked most all the channels available. It was chaos in the airwaves.
Along with the CB fad, came home intercoms. What a great idea! Scatter intercoms throughout the house and be able to communicate with the entire family.
“Jimmie, supper is ready. Wash your hands and come eat.”
“We’ve already washed our hands and eaten,” said a strange voice on the other end of the intercom.
It was Donald Ramirez from across the street. We were on the same channel.
One of the fun parts of this strange slice of our history was learning the trucker lingo. The 18-wheeler guys spoke their own language, but average people tried their best to talk the talk.
Some of the terms used included:
Bear – Policeman
Seat cover – Pretty girl
Chicken coop – Weigh station
Choke and puke – Restaurant
County Mounty: A county sheriff or deputy.
Mama Bear/Papa Bear: A female or male police officer
Bambi: A deer standing on or near the road
Bumper Sticker: A tailgating car
Good Buddy: How truckers addressed each other
Handle: A driver’s CB nickname
What’s your 20?: Asking someone for their current location.
Hammer Down: Hitting the gas and accelerating.
Motion Lotion: Diesel fuel.
10-4: Your message was received
The Trucker craze mercifully fizzled out in a couple years, but if you invested in companies that made CB radios in the 1970’s, you did well.
