Dirt Nap City

What Was CB Radio? A Dirt Nap City Dead End

• Dirt Nap City • Season 3 • Episode 63

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From the 1970's to the mid 1980's, citizen's band or "CB" radios were all the rage with professional truck drivers and the public in general. They inspired movies and songs - and truck drivers became the new outlaws of the open roads in the United States. In this episode, Alex and Kelly talk about what made CB's a special part of the the American cultural landscape. 10-4 Good Buddy! We hope you enjoy this episode!

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Alex:

Hey, Kelly, I got a good dead end for you.

Kelly:

Oh, I loved it ends.

Alex:

So thanks for not asking me what a dead end is every when

Kelly:

I asked you every time I think people know by now we

Alex:

by now. But you know, I like the 1970s Right? You reminiscing about the 1970s

Kelly:

I can tell by the way you dress. Next,

Alex:

I will tell you about something today that is so from like 1973 to 1981 just a small part, but it was a huge 1970s and it was a big part of communications. And that's the

Unknown:

recorded on

Alex:

breaker one nine. Now we're just breaker one nine

Kelly:

means somebody new coming into chat on channel right. Breaker is let me in and one nine a channel 19 was the

Alex:

trucker channel. Yeah, common for truckers. You had a

Kelly:

You know, I had a CDL and for a little while we had commercial driver's license. So we had a CB in the truck events

Alex:

for that was way after it was like a thing but

Kelly:

then both of my grandfather's had CBS Okay,

Alex:

in the 70s. Loved CB Yeah,

Kelly:

yeah. The in the in the Ford, Ford, Falcon or in the

Alex:

my drive to Buick, my drive to Buick, but yeah, I grandfather was very proper about the CBS. In fact, he his license number, not the handle, but he wouldn't say As you were supposed to do it was the law

Kelly:

back? Yeah. But he didn't, he didn't know that is write that down. And then anytime he wanted to say Yeah, claimed to be that guy.

Alex:

So if you're, if you're younger than us, if you're might not know what we're talking about. CB radios were were a two way radio mobile system where people could talk on sharing a channel, but you can only transmit one at a would you would drive and this thing would only cut on when talk and that was on that channel,

Kelly:

there was a squelch setting. Remember that it was up, it was a sensitivity of when it would cut on and I

Alex:

remember the squelch, and it would just come on, and people like truck drivers. And and I don't know exactly what maybe like a 10 mile each way or five mile each way. So you drivers and the things that they were talking about. They Bear. And if you wanted to talk you, you take the a button and then they could anybody listen to that channel hear you talk. Well, like I said, my grandfather would And it was really big. Well actually CB radio started in them. And then in 1958 they introduced a new service class service news service class and then hobbyists started to use kind of into like crystal radios or have a crystal radio

Kelly:

I've made one and the same. Yeah. Yeah.

Alex:

I love that. You just get to hear people But do you know what made the CB radios popular? You know popular?

Kelly:

Was it Smokey the Bear?

Alex:

Smokey and the Bandit smoking the bandit. No, that the CB craze. That wasn't the cause of it. No, what was it? in 1973, we had an oil crisis in this country. And and there hour speed limit that came because of that. And you would out of gas. There'd be like fuel shortages all over the lines to get fuel lines to get to get gas. And this tool the in their cab. They would use those Seabees to let each what gas stations had gas, and also where the speed traps they were having to go slower than they had before. Every mile an hour speed limits back. Yeah, national law, was 55 miles an hour and no road that wasn't interstate hour. So they would have speed trap setup. So this tool, this you young people, there was no internet.

Kelly:

There, there wasn't even CDs, they weren't even CD cassette players there was there was a FM radio, maybe FM then there was your, your driving buddy sitting next to the window and listen to the wind. So

Alex:

this technology was pretty cool, because these up about 10 miles ahead of you and they got gas. So you can up up ahead. And and, you know, so everybody slow down, it in like you said before, in their own little unique coded would also protest these gas shortages and 55 mile an hour convoys. And where this is a convoys would be where like and create like a caravan down the road and drive slow and They were protesting the speed limit or fuel shortages or they could do that they didn't have Twitter back then. Right? they would organize this stuff. So it was really a way an isolated job when you think about it to connect with each callsign.

Kelly:

He needed a license. It was a handle. It was called

Alex:

until night. Well, the thing that my grandpa had was digit number. But it was a handle. Yeah, it was your have until 1983 You had to have a license was like 20 license to operate one of these. They had these huge nine foot whips on these trucks that went yeah, you antenna you had the further out you could listen to big antennas? Yeah. Oh, yeah. Jenna's Yeah,

Kelly:

yeah, they Yeah, they were and sometimes they were them on the top, and it would just stick there.

Alex:

Well, because these truck drivers were protesting. each other, they kind of became like the Cowboys of the outlaws and they were trying to get stuff done. And it was the average person. And they just started making movies realized if, if I get a CB and just put it in my car, I can going on. I can hear all these people talking. And I can't at all. It just took off. In the mid 1970s 30% of radio radios and that crazy

Kelly:

and you know, some some executive was like, oh, yeah, anything else. CPAs are going to take us through to the to

Alex:

Just just keep on improving CB technology. icon of the seven you mentioned Smokey and the Chuck Norris called breaker breaker. Do you remember that movie called citizens band. I think Kris Kristofferson was Kristofferson is in some great convoy. There was a car, a Yep. There was a TV show called Moving on about a of Hazzard tattoo tapped into a major little

Kelly:

and then forget, BJ and the bear. Yeah. And then of

Alex:

course not to be ever out done with a jumping on a Hanna Barbera had a 1977 which was like a miss the good part end. They had a Charlie's Angels rip off because CB a bunch of bears rode around in Perth, the perfume wagon a perfume wagon, which was the actual like, code for garbage they wrote around in the perfume wagon, couple of then they're there. Um, like it would a guy would give him secret agent missions. And about bears always can't miss on a trend? Well, you know, in the UK, these songs were like number one hits like convoy and, and these kinds of were illegal. People were still using them because the were pirating CBS getting getting CB sent over from the until 1981 when they became legal, and then the 1980s in revolution. It was like a pirate thing. So their CV thing was like hand in hand with MTV almost. Right,

Kelly:

right. But but you know, the thing is over there, lorries. So so it was like, lorry and the lorry and the

Alex:

would be show ya know, that had the same shows that

Kelly:

in the way up but it was made in the UK. Yeah, be lorries.

Alex:

Right. Yeah, right. You know, who loves CB radios was Bugs and Daffy as his handle. And he used to just go down characters. I would love to heard that.

Kelly:

Yeah. How cool would it be to just be talking to him busting into a perfect Yeah, it would be like the guy who Simpsons, right?

Alex:

Yeah. Castillo Manana. Yeah. Or Harry Shearer? Yeah. immune to this at all. In the 1970s. Growing up as a young just hearing anonymous conversations. Yeah. And being know, eight year old voice. No, breaker, Breaker, breaker listening to these guys and trying and I'd have one of had all the codes in them. Right here, these guys talking foreign language. I would go to my book and go, Oh, police officer, you know, four miles ahead.

Kelly:

That's right. Yeah, I

Alex:

love that stuff. We got to bear cave up ahead. There then by 1977, they expanded to 40 channels. And like you that everyone went to that was the trucker channel. Today, In fact, there's been a little bit of a resurgence if you go like this subculture of CBS but they only use it to construction and accidents and speed traps and not really

Kelly:

they I think they also have a channel where they just just you know they all get together Oh it'd be awesome book club about this amazing podcast of ours. So

Alex:

you want to talk some slang? You want to talk some think you already said good buddy. Like that was the thing was good buddy. Right? And the thing to remember about 90% of that a police is a what a bear a bear right there pigs. They So once you know that a police is a bear you can figure the

Kelly:

would that be like a local police a rookie police.

Alex:

bear bite

Kelly:

I had to get a ticket. Yeah,

Alex:

that's when you get a ticket. Bear bear den.

Kelly:

It'd be like a speed trap or a police headquarters

Alex:

station? Yeah. Okay, bear in the air

Kelly:

in a helicopter copter even had a bear in the air. Cocker a

Alex:

bear disco is about the most 70s thing that you can obviously that's a big trap. Yeah, bear with ears.

Kelly:

Is that like a radar gun?

Alex:

No, it's where the bear is listening to us right now.

Kelly:

got ears on us.

Alex:

Exactly. full grown bear.

Kelly:

guess that'd be a state trooper state

Alex:

trooper. Exactly. What about a mama bear or Miss

Kelly:

Is that gonna be a lady cop? Yep.

Alex:

And a Smokey Bear is is like the officer the police they wear the hats like Smokey Bear. You know what an Evil motorcycle. Yeah. Cop on a motorcycle. Most of what they What about a fox in Headhouse

Kelly:

Ah Is that a? I don't know what that is unmarked the run. Okay,

Alex:

what about again? Here's the most 1970s thing you could Kodak cup.

Kelly:

A bald cop with a radar gun and doesn't have

Alex:

to be bald just to cop with what about a buster

Kelly:

is that going to be like? cars aren't aren't uniforms.

Alex:

This one has nothing to do with a cop. It's a UPS sort of 70s and then we've got our like, oh, meat wagon. You

Kelly:

It's Holland cows.

Alex:

No, it's ambulance. Oh.

Kelly:

That's even worse.

Alex:

What about a kitty car?

Kelly:

School bus

Alex:

school bus right there you go. All right. What about

Kelly:

Done don't know.

Alex:

That's a Volkswagen Beetle with a male driver.

Kelly:

okay. Is there is there a different one for female

Alex:

don't see that here but I just think that you know, it's a letdown to see one was written by a guy you know

Kelly:

What about lot lizard?

Alex:

Oh, right. Well, those are the women that hang around Or any trucks probably buches now, right? Yeah, probably. truck stop. Oh,

Kelly:

Bucky is the big time they have lots of truck lanes.

Alex:

Do they? Yeah, I guess. Yeah. Loves is pretty much right.

Kelly:

With the subway built into it and showers and all

Alex:

and then they had nicknames for cities to like know, like of course you know, like, the big D you know, it'd Boston. But what about what about idiot Island?

Kelly:

I don't know about that one.

Alex:

It's California. Okay, not really an island. But

Kelly:

let's see. Ever heard Shakedown?

Alex:

Is that LA? Yes. Earthquakes?

Kelly:

Yeah,

Alex:

yeah, that's a good one. So you got 10 for right. That agree with you. Do you know any other number ones? Like

Kelly:

What's your 20? Does that say one? What's your 20?

Alex:

Yeah, what's your 20? What's your location? Right?

Kelly:

It's not an emergency.

Alex:

It's a restroom break. I'm gonna go for that Gen 100. Bandit. One of the characters says, I don't get to 10 100 I to get out number two,

Kelly:

you know, totally. Sort of different topic. But I go shows in my day. And I remember being at a trade show phone. And I guess he's, we're in the bathroom and he's hear him say, oh, no, no, I'm just at the American Standard be right there.

Alex:

It's good. Like that when

Kelly:

we put the hammer down.

Alex:

Yeah, put the hammer down is to drive gotcha a sports car on your donkey?

Kelly:

I don't know what that means.

Alex:

And somebody's tailgating you. Okay, it's on

Kelly:

Oh, and your donkey? Yeah. Got a PG 13. Yeah, yeah.

Alex:

Pickle Park is an area you know, that is pick apart. that's known for prostitution. The example that Wikipedia doing flip flops around the pickup Park.

Kelly:

You know, it sounded so good until you told me what it parks. Oh yeah. It's gonna be it's perfect. Kotori on that.

Alex:

I think I was it's your back. Well, my so my mom's was Maxine. Okay, and I think I was like little Max or so I can't actually remember but I think it was something

Kelly:

I was the Space Cowboy from the from the Joker,

Alex:

the Steve Miller song. Yeah,

Kelly:

yeah. Wow, here's the Space Cowboy coming at you

Alex:

for you had it was before your voice dropped

Kelly:

and I remember actually my my so my both my them but I remember my mom was little buff. That was her.

Alex:

You know, the more I think about this and the more of being a trucker in 1976 It must have been so annoying so it used to be a cool way to talk to your friends about And the pickup Park. And now all of a sudden you have you cowboy getting on there. Right wanting to talk about Star the next McDonald's is down the road. That must have been were constantly going over to other channels.

Kelly:

Yeah, yeah, that that's true of almost anything, like, like

Alex:

college kids and then it was from your

Kelly:

mom is singing Green Day, you know, the day that along to you know, nirvana or Green Day or something. You're

Alex:

it's Jover dark. Yeah, it's over. Yeah. Well, I we went down memory lane and talked a little bit about CB goodbye in CB language?

Kelly:

Would that be over and out?

Alex:

I forgot about the one about peanut butter and you ears? What does that you can't hear? Yeah, means you're like

Kelly:

You got peanut butter in your ears there?

Alex:

Why do you have to say it all with a southern accent?

Kelly:

Max redmax Max cracks alright then good one. Love

Unknown:

Breaker one nine This is a rubber duck. You got a You have 10 Four Big fan for sure for sure. By golly it's Come on. Yeah, it's a big tin for their big fan yeah we good buddy mercy snakes alive looks like we've got a sec was a dark in the moon on the sixth of June and a Kenworth reefer on the Jimmy Hall and hogs was hidden for bear on I Shiki town says pig pen this here's a rubber duck and I'm now you want to back off for a five mile or so to Roger them here. By the time we got into Tilson town, we had 85 trucks and all the cloverleaf and the bears is wild wall he had them smoke bumper they even had a bear in the air I says Colin old about to go Uh huh there we go give me a pen nine on that big negatory big veneer spill to start to close up my sinuses. Merci. Thank you better back Well, we rolled up interstate 44 like a rock and slid on swindle sheets and left them sitting on the scales. By the bears was getting smart. They brought up some reinforcements Guard. There's armored cars, tanks, jeeps and rigs of every was full of bears and choppers fill the skies where we shot with 1000 Screaming trucks and 11 long haired friends Jesus rubber duck just soft mustard come on her yep Pam for some put that back and left him behind that suicide jacking he all the help he can Yeah. Well we laid a strip for the jersey show are see the bridge was lined with bears but it didn't have a dog here's a rubber duck we just ain't gonna pay no toll so we says let them truckers roll 10 Four What's your 20 out there for sure well mercy sakes good on here. So keep the books off your glass and the bears off flip flop says here's a rubber duck on the side. We gone bye

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Alex Milam

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Kelly Shores

Host