Front page – today’s The New York Times reports, James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera’s music director, has withdrawn from all performances at the Met for the rest of the year after falling while on vacation in Vermont and damaging a vertebra. The injury comes on top of a series of back operations followed by periods of rehabilitation to correct a painful spinal condition, called stenosis.”
I know that for many drivers, with country music and Nascar running deep in their veins, Mr. Levine, not being able to conduct the Met orchestra, just completely bums you out. You’re asking, “Oh no, what will I do during the day without being able to listen to Rigoletto or Don Giovanni.” Those are operas, by the way, not entrees from Olive Garden. I know Sirius/XM will not offer a version of a “Raw Dog” Opera anytime soon.
I’m sure they’ll find a suitable replacement for the talented Mr. Levine, however, he sure looks a lot like many truckers we’ve all seen on the road. We know he’ll never pass a DOT physical with his back problems. He’ll never be able to lift a tarp. His BMI isn’t what the government will soon require, and his forehead might as well say “sleep apnea” on it. You may have noticed that he’s conducting sitting down in a chair. You obviously drive a truck sitting down for hours on end, but conducting an orchestra? And what about all that vibration moving the baton and from the sound emanating from the 100+ piece symphony orchestra right in front of him?
FYI – STENOSIS: “People who drive for a living, such as long-haul truck drivers, can experience intermittent or chronic back and neck pain caused by stenosis. Why is this? Truck drivers endure long periods of whole body vibrations. Frequent pulsations over time can cause the anatomical elements of the spine to suffer from additional stresses and pressure. The intervertebral discs act as shock absorbers for the body, but repetitive vibrations can cause the discs to weaken and break down faster than normal.”
Leaving the beloved world of opera – you’ll get over it – let’s move to football. A second article from today’s The New York Times, “Lee Roy Selmon, the Hall of Fame defensive end who became a cornerstone of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during their first decade in the National Football League and remained a revered figure in Tampa, Fla., died there Sunday.
He was 56. The cause was a stroke (a day and a half earlier) on Friday, the Buccaneers said.” For those outside Tampa, Selmon owned a few popular sport restaurants, had a highway named after him, was big into foundations and social causes and was a respected community leader. It is not being reported whether Mr. Selmon had been diagnosed with high blood pressure or was under extreme stress prior or was being treated by a doctor, prior to his fatal stroke.
Mr. Selmon has passed, and need not worry about disability, COBRA, unemployment and the stress of providing for his family. Mr. Levine is a wealthy man and most likely his frustration is not financial, but in not being able to do what he loves. Many truck drivers also loved their job, but have serious financial woes because health problems do not permit them from continuing to be behind the wheel any longer. You don’t hear about them much in the press.
Selmon and Levine are public figures and thus their status is news, but we all know that stroke, heart disease, back and joint injuries happen to truck drivers every minute and the trucking media ignores the problem as they do the entire pay issue.
Seven years ago, back in 2004, fatality rate for U.S. heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers was 48.2 per 100,000 workers, approximately 11 times the rate for the general worker population. The Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses estimated 63,570 non-fatal injuries among heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers in 2004-the second highest number among all occupations. Other studies suggest that the risks of cancer, heart attacks, and other disorders may be associated with aspects of long-haul driving such as loading and unloading cargo, irregular schedules, long hours of driving, a sedentary lifestyle, and the nature of drivers’ food choices on the road.
I’m sure the statistics nowadays are even worse. But where is the “issue” being covered in the trucking press? It isn’t. The arrogant, blogging is not journalism, when is the next convention so we can schmooze and play golf with the ATA – mainstream trucking industry “writers” – prefer doing articles about the newest CB or engine additive versus the realities of trucking. That’s not journalism.
The glossy “picture” magazines you see offered for free – no one would ever pay for a subscription – at truck stops everywhere – don’t want to talk about driver health issues after the job is over. It’s too “real”. It’s “they” who know nothing of journalism. It’s too complicated for them. Their advertisers, who support their entire operation and staff, don’t want to hear about it. The trucking media can’t make it light and breezy, so they ignore it.
But the problem is very real and the issues extremely relevant. The media talks about the Selmon’s and the Levine’s, because of their fame. The trucking press talks about the guy who just made sales VP of this and that manufacturer or how social media is going to revolutionize the industry. Hogwash, all fluff – ending up on the travel plaza rest room floor – as it should be.
The trucking industry will start to move forward when the press that covers it gets their heads out of the sand and begins to report the truth.
If you liked that post, then try these...
No comments:
Post a Comment