Red-neck Revolutionaries: the CB Radio

mid-morning on Wednesday, the 22nd of October 2003 by Scott

Glenn Reynolds has an interesting perspective on the the CB radio at his TechCentralStation column. It seems the CB radio craze back in the 1970s had been spawned by the social engineering experiment of the 55 MPH speed limit so cheerfully enforced by that social engineer extraordinaire, Jimmy Carter, >thptt !<. For my take on Jimmy >thptt !< check this out.

I was part of that revolution - a 9 year old with his very own base station and FCC CB license. I lived near the “double nickel” highway 55, and spent many hours listening to truckers as they traveled through America’s heartland.

Reynold’s gives an interesting perspective on CB radio, one that I had never really considered. He sees it as the predecessor to the Internet and appreciates it for taking power from the elite and giving it to the masses.

Anyone who hates Carter >thptt !<, appreciates history, and digs Jacksonian democracy should check his article out.