To CB, or not to CB

[Nytewyng]

I had one back in the day when I was listening to the Doobie Brothers on an 8-track player, I remeber jawin with the truckers form my "puddle jumper" ( 63 vw bug) I also remeber having to wedge a book of matches under the 8 track tape so I could get it play track 3 an 4.........wow did that bring me back

[Micro469]

"a book of matches"? what's that?

[madjack]

as a 20+ yr trucker I have used CB's extensively and they can be great but let give a warning...there are a lotta nut cases out there and women should be especially careful of using them...they can draw a lotta bad attention quickly...if you are thin skinned, prudish or just "delicate" you should stay offa channels 19 and 21(truckers road channels)...
madjack

[Nitetimes]

...if you are thin skinned, prudish or just "delicate" you should stay offa channels 19 and 21(truckers road channels)...
madjack

Ya know I noticed the last time I used mine (hadn't had it in the truck for a few years) It's getting really bad on 19 & 21. They used to keep it pretty clean back in the day but it seems that now anything goes. I remember a lot of guys being pretty good comics and quite a few were just fun to listen to. But now it's worse than sitting in a whore house. They will say anything to anyone and most of it is just swear words strung into sentences. Not much bothers me but I got tired of listening to the BS so I usually turn mine down and just turn it up occasionally to check the road conditions and find out were smokey's hidin'. It is handy when traffic slows down tho, at least you can find out why.

[madjack]

Rich, years ago is you wanted to be a trucker you had to know someone or want it really bad...there were "rules of the road" and they were enforced by the "knights of the road"...nowadays with all of the 4 week wonders out there, that "brotherhood" is mostly dead and gone...even as a trucker, I got to where I kept my radio squelched way down so only those who were near me could be heard and I just listened to the jukebox...much more enjoyable than all the trash talkin'
madjack

[asianflava]

To this day, I can never see the allure of an echo box. A buddy of mine has one and when I asked why he had it he said, "Ain't it cool?" OK, but I'd much rather have people understand what I'm saying. He also had a PA and one of those (ahem) boxes that would boost th signal so that it would even bleed over into cable TV.

[Miriam C.]

MJ wrote:

they can draw a lotta bad attention quickly...if you are thin skinned, prudish or just "delicate" you should stay offa channels 19 and 21(truckers road channels)...

Ah MJ. Sad but true. Truth is, it has alway been dangerous for women to broadcast their where abouts on the open road or the computer. I have had a CB for 26 years and I can tell you there are still a lot of great Knights or the Road out there. Yes there are some creaps and today men are in as much danger as women. If the language gets too rough find the off button and turn on the radio. I'm keeping mine and I know if I keep my mouth shut when the --it flys someone will correct it. I don't get into it with jerks cause that is what they want.

Keep the faith.
Miriam

[Joseph]

I've been considering getting a CB simply because I go so many places where a cell phone simply won't work. The Adirondacks are a cell phone black hole as are many places in western Missouri. I have a friend with a cabin out in the Missouri sticks and I gave her a cell phone to use out there. Might as well have given her a rock for all the signal she can get.

Joseph

[Joseph]

I had one back in the day when I was listening to the Doobie Brothers on an 8-track player, I remeber jawin with the truckers form my "puddle jumper" ( 63 vw bug) I also remeber having to wedge a book of matches under the 8 track tape so I could get it play track 3 an 4.........wow did that bring me back

Wow - you had an eight track in your '63? I had a '74 and all it had was an AM radio.

Joseph

[madjack]

Miriam, I have said for a long time(to anyone who would listen) that the internet and CB radios are a lot alike in that anonymity allows a person to hide behind the facade of choice..always be careful...I know there are still a lot of "Knights" out there because I am/was one and know alotta others but the demand for drivers has risen so much and schools are turning out hi numbers of minimally skilled drivers that it has gotten very scary...even for an old trucker like me...this is another instance where common sense and situational awareness can go a very long way to ensuring your personal saftey(a S&W can help here also)
madjack

[Miriam C.]

MJ

...this is another instance where common sense and situational awareness can go a very long way to ensuring your personal saftey(a S&W can help here also)

You tell it Brother! I agree with S&W for some, if and only if the person holding it understands that you must be willing to use it. If not it isn't worth the trouble.

You are right about the wanna be drivers too. Just get on 44 if you want a lesson in getting out of the way. Another reason to have a radio. Ya can tell em ya don't want no company in the back seat.

Miriam

[s4son]

I thought it was illegal to use obscenities on the CB. Maybe it was just common courtesy, that seems to have disappeared in a lot of areas.


Scott F.

[Nitetimes]

I thought it was illegal to use obscenities on the CB. Maybe it was just common courtesy, that seems to have disappeared in a lot of areas.


Scott F.

It was and probably still is illegal but considering they are not registered anymore it would make it more difficult than it was to enforce. Anywhere I've been no one seems to care, all garbage mouth except a few and they couldn't care who is listening. Just in case you might think they'd be a little more considerate with all the women drivers out there, yea right, they are just as bad.

[Miriam C.]

Scott
It is illegal to use obsenities over the radio, it is illegal to play the radio over the CB, or block transmition, or sell stuff. It happens. There is no enforcement. Joplin has a person who is vulgar beyound anything you can imagine, a lot of people tried to get him off the radio. The local prosecutor was petitioned over more than one incident. Nothing. The FCC couldn't care less. Some people are just vulgar, they like it.

Listener be aware.

[Gage]

Darn, I still remember my old call letters K6KWH (way back when we were required to have a license). I still have a base and two mobils. My base and one of my mobils goes up to 805 and most of the time that I talk now days is up high on side band. Talk a lot of North/South skip and every chance I get when Aus. comes in. There are still a lot of good long haul drivers out there. It's the 'local cowboys' that have no respect. Just my two cents.

Have a good day.