For the end of 2010, Art or Idiocy? has invited ten guests to each contribute a list of ten items. Join us each week as a new list is published. Earlier contributors include Steve Ruiz, Danielle Paz, Nicole Mauser and Thea Liberty Nichols.
Marilyn Volkman currently lives and works in Chicago. Volkman’s work is often site specific and developed in collaboration with particular groups, collective communities and organizations.In the last days of 2010 I asked Truckers from Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas for their picks of the best and worst things about 2010. This list is compiled from their answers.
2010 According to Truckers
Marilyn Volkman • Truck Terminal 1 • 2010
View these pictures and more from our Ten for Ten series in all their glory at Flickr.
10 Best Things about 2010
1. Fighting for our Freedom: “We are still fighting here and overseas because we believe in our freedoms.” -El Paso, TX—NTS Truck Stop
“We still have some freedoms. There is freedom inside the country and good people. I am from Serbia and this is in contrast to the way it was when I left my country. When I left it was bad.” -Lordsburg, NM—Love’s Gas
2. Trucking: “I am a vagabond and a loner. Trucking is a good job for me. The time on the road clears my mind.” -Lordsburg, New Mexico—Love’s Gas and Travel Center
3. DOT Regulations: “The Department of Transportation is now regulating the truck drivers weight and body mass. Your body mass has to be under 30%. It’s supposed to regulate how tired you get. The heavier and fatter you are the more tired you get. Its good because there have been accidents where drivers fall asleep. This year that number has gone down.” -Las Cruces, NM—Love’s Gas and Travel Center
4. Pulling out of Iraq: “I was in the military and I know we don’t have any business being there. Afghanistan was harboring terrorists, but Iraq wasn’t. The Middle East is totally blowing up now. Getting the troops out of Iraq is the best thing about 2010.” -Demming, NM—Truck Terminal
5. Obama: “He has made a lot of mistakes but he is a big man.” Tucson, AZ—TTT Truck Stop
6. November Congressional Elections: “When the GOP took over the house, America woke up to the fact that all politicians are liars. It was a small statement, but not a weak one.” -Lordsburg, NM—Pilot Travel Center
7. WAL-MART: “Wal-Mart lets us stay over night in their parking lots. You can always count on them. Anyone can sleep there, no problem.” -Demming, NM—Truck Terminal
8. Aid to Haiti: “The best thing about 2010 was the American peoples’ ability to come up with high standards for helping people—like in Haiti.” -Globe AZ, Shell Gas Station
9. Demming Truck Terminal: “The 24 hour restaurant at the Demming Truck Stop is amazing. It seems like a typical truck stop diner with early 90’s country music, but it is also a great place to stop for Indian truck drivers—and for anyone who wants the most authentic Indian food on I-10 for that matter. Just ask them for the Indian menu—they have Mah Dal, Raj Mah, Gazar Mattar, Kheer…” –Demming, NM—Truck Terminal
10. “The sun comes up and goes down every day.” -Benson, AZ—Gas City
Marilyn Volkman • Truck Terminal 2 • 2010
10 Worst Things about 2010
1. Healthcare Bill: “The Pelosi, Obama, Clinton connection and the passing of the healthcare bill are contrary to a country based on the freedom of choice. Now they are spoon feeding us like children.” -Las Cruces, NM—Love’s Gas
“The healthcare bill being passed costs the middleman more money. I have 5 kids and my job doesn’t offer insurance. I can’t afford it.” -Lordsburg, NM—Pilot Truck Stop
2. DOT/CSA Regulations: “With the passing of the new DOT regulations they are now blaming the truck driver for everything. Now all of the problems are going to the individual and not the company. If a light goes out on your truck, it is your fault.” -El Paso, TX—Pilot Travel Center
“The new CSA regulations are based on hours and service violations for Truckers. Government special interest groups like PATT (Parents Against Tired Truckers) and CRASH (Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways) are doing this. Last year was the safest year, but I’m an outlaw trucker. I used to take pills. If I had to get a load to Chicago I would pop a couple of pills. Now it’s recreational. These young guys start driving to make easy money so they can buy recreational drugs. It’s like the regulations come 20 years too late.” -Las Cruces, NM—Love’s Gas and Travel Center
“The trucking life and all the rules they are trying to implement—I am young but my co-driver is old school. He was getting 25 cents a mile in the 70’s and he’s still getting that now. It used to be fun, but it’s not fun anymore. You have to stay on the road all the time.” -Tucson, AZ—TTT Truck Stop
3. Obama: “Nothing is moving, I can’t pay my bills and this has everything to do with Obama.” –Fabens, TX—Fast Trak Truck Stop
“Obama has not done enough for the economy.” -Phoenix, AZ—Pilot Travel Center
4. The Economy: “Half the people I know don’t have jobs. I am not exaggerating. The good thing is I still have a job." -Fabens, TX—Fast Trak Truck Stop
“There are not enough jobs for everyone.” -Demming, NM—Terminal Truck Stop
“I’m not getting paid as much as I used to, there is just not enough work, and I am never home.” –Lordsburg, NM—Love’s Gas and Travel Center
5. BP Oil Spill: “The CEO of BP—what’s his name? Tony Hayward. He is totally out of touch. I haul BP’s product and how they do things is nothing but lip service. They set up programs to make it look like they’re doing something, but its window dressing from the bottom up.” -Globe, AZ—Shell Gas Station
6. Arizona SB1070: “Police Officers are doing racial profiling. I am a poor guy. I don’t have money to hire a lawyer. Drugs were planted in my brother’s truck. He had a permanent green card but didn’t have enough money to hire a lawyer so he was deported back to India. Now I have no trust for the law.” -Demming, NM—Truck Terminal
7. War: “America is policing the world.” -El Paso, TX—Pilot Truck Stop
8. Apathy: “Our continued ability to ignore people in need. This started with Reagan when he was governor of California and he threw people into the streets.” -Globe, AZ—Shell Gas Station
9. The Sharia Law: “Obama wants it to be okay for us to practice Islam. I am not okay with this.” –Lordsburg, NM—Love’s Gas and Travel Center
10. George W. Bush: “George Bush is still the worst person of the year because of him we are at war and the economy is bad.” -Fabens, TX—Fast Trak Truck Stop
1 comment:
It is true that there are best and worst thing happened every year in our surroundings. We can't make all perfect, everyone is being affected of our own government in a nice and in a bad way. But still, everyone should be thankful that inspite of all the worst things that happened there are also best things comes into our lives.
Mary
My Blog: miroir ancien
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