Take another look at CB
Page 31
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I REALISE CM will have had letters from the usual tail-end cranks that plague any controversial campaign, but I take this opportunity to state that the vast majority of Breakers are normal, sane people.
lain Sherriff's main argument against CB in his article (CM August 30) seems to be the assumed dangers of steering and talking at the same time. The sort of driver who would try and talk while negotiating a road hazard, would also be likely to try and steer round a roundabout whilst changing gear, eating a sandwich, or lighting a cigarette.
The main point in favour of CB with regard to life saving, is its ability to cut response time; the telephone cannot serve the same purpose, even if it hasn't been vandalised, because it is not always convenient to have your accident next to a phonebox.
The official police view is by no means "simple and precise". At the moment the police have no jurisdiction over CB, unless an individual officer wants to hold the vehicle for some other legal reason, until he can alert HM Customs and Excise, but this would only be an over-zealous reaction.
I would be happy to see a CB facility on any frequency that will allow similar range of use, with the same quality and cheapness of set as available now on the black market, and the possible extra expense of a licence fee would be welcomed; 27MHz CB is not the terror it is often made out to be by its enemies.
The Government has at last realised the need for CB, but the Home Office appears to be trying to delay matters by decrying 27MHz, possibly in "the interests of National Security" as 27MHz can reach outside our national boundaries, and by pleading lack of air space for frivolous pursuits (ham radio? R/C models? Microwave ovens? Rally and race cars?).
At the present I run three rigs, car, truck and base. I am situated in a position to monitor CBers on the junction of two motorways, two associated "A" roads, and a third "A" road that crosses all four. My wife and I, with friends, spend a fair amount of time relaying traffic reports to motorists and truckers, and giving local information such as short cuts, cafe locations, fuel availability (particularly late at night), and help with finding addresses for strangers.
I feel that Commercial Motor, which I have read since I became part of the haulage industry, has not explored the possibilities of CB in an unbiased manner, and should make greater efforts to expose all sides of the argument to its readers. You are, after all, the leading journal in the industry, and hauliers will gain more than anyone the benefits of CB.
To prove my good faith, and accountability for my beliefs, I enclose both my CB handle, and my name and address, and trust you will treat them with the trust ' I offer them in.