I’ve been driving for about a year and I am surprised they don’t actually write the ability and willingness to swear without ceasing into the job description as with almost every trucker I encounter, it’s every other word. It’s not even creative swearing, just continual staccato F-wording. Even the driver in my yard who is a vegetarian Guardian reader concerned about world issues and is a bit of a thinker, is the same.
I’m not against swearing and do it myself, but the incessant nature of it in trucking I find really grating and boring and it makes me think of a friend who said people who do this all the time only do it as they don’t have a better vocabulary.
Has anyone else noticed this and found it grating, or is it just so much a part of the background noise you don’t hear it anymore?
I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed since starting in this industry is the racism, sexism and xenophobia. As for swearing, I admit I have a bit of a potty mouth but I normally wait till the person I’m talking to starts swearing first, if said person doesn’t swear then neither do I.
wanderingstar:
I’m not against swearing and do it myself, but the incessant nature of it in trucking I find really grating and boring and it makes me think of a friend who said people who do this all the time only do it as they don’t have a better vocabulary.
Or as Billy Connolly put it " A lot of people say that it’s a lack of vocabulary that makes you swear. Rubbish. I know thousands of words but I still prefer “■■■■”
Radar19:
I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed since starting in this industry is the racism, sexism and xenophobia. As for swearing, I admit I have a bit of a potty mouth but I normally wait till the person I’m talking to starts swearing first, if said person doesn’t swear then neither do I.
I did a CPC course and one of the drivers was Polish and a top driver as well.
The amount of derogatory terms and comments relating to Polish people was close to double figures the half wits concerned are so Xenophobic they don’t even realise what they are saying is offensive, embarrassing to be in the same room.
I find truck drivers to be a pleasant bunch when I can understand them, so many varied accents I usually miss the first two minutes as I nod along while I “tune in”.
Coming from working on building sites for the last few years I think in comparison truck drivers language is far cleaner.
I hate swearing myself but after being around builders and scaffolders for years the influence slips in more than I’d like.
The more ladies who comes into the job, whether behind the wheel or the desk, has helped things improve, well except for certain of the more shall we say butch of the females whose language would make a trooper blush.
Radar19:
I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed since starting in this industry is the racism, sexism and xenophobia. As for swearing, I admit I have a bit of a potty mouth but I normally wait till the person I’m talking to starts swearing first, if said person doesn’t swear then neither do I.
Effin and Jeffin only bothered me if I had the kids with me when they were little.
If somebody has their kid with them I watch my language.
I used to be the same if a woman was with them, but most women these days can swear better than me.
Swearing is ok in the presense of mates having a laugh but around people you dont know so well, i keep it clean. Swearing itself though, the missus being expert at it taught me the spanish version, its funny as ■■■■ her swearing at me in broken eeengleesh and me laughing at her means yet another kick in the [zb[ shins…
Radar19:
I’ll tell you what I’ve noticed since starting in this industry is the racism, sexism and xenophobia. As for swearing, I admit I have a bit of a potty mouth but I normally wait till the person I’m talking to starts swearing first, if said person doesn’t swear then neither do I.
On the subject of sexism, personally I think there is far more amongst middle management than drivers. Sure I had a lot of banter in my young days, but my view on sexism is where it’s coming from; is it a deliberate put down based on gender combined with the job in question, or is it good humoured joshing. ?95% of the time it was the latter.
