JF Ptak Science Books LLC  Post 1005

Every so often I meet a pamphlet that makes me want to travel back in time, even if that time was mostly a wispy bit of creative analogy.  Men You Like to Meet (subtitled Stories of Highway Heroes), written and published by the American Trucking Association in 1942, is one such example:  what a handsome truck!  The driver greets you with his snappy brimmed cap in hand, neat jacket and a tie (!), looking like he takes his job seriously.  (On the other hand, I take my job seriously, and I don’t wear a tie; I do know though that people take me more seriously the more clothing I wear.) 

The Trucking Association wasted absolutely no time in this publication in telling he very many stories of the superb highway behavior of its members-it fills the publication with stories of heroism, courtesy, delightfulness, courage and general human respect with as much as could possibly fit in 23 pages including illustrations). Here, four women can do nothing with their tire but look at it, waiting for the knoght of the road to come and help them out.

(I’m not sure why this woman is unconscious and missing her shoes–the car seems to be only about half covered.  I’m surprised that the trucker lost his hat, though he did have the presence of mind to make sure that the unconscious woman’s blouse covered her knees.)

Well.  The roads were evidently filled with Good Trucking  Samaritans, and the Trucking Association wanted the public to know that–especially when they were butting heads in D.C. with the railroads and battling a poor public image.  I’m not saying that truckers weren’t/aren’t saints–I’m just saying that I like the idea of truckers with caps nd ties.