Friday, August 9, 2013

Is it wrong to rank ladies by their appearance?

As one of my goals is to one day return to the trucking industry I have kept tabs on several news outlets regarding the trucking field.  One of them is Overdrive Magazine  Recently they did an article interviewing Maggie Stone.  She is a finalist in Overdrive's Most Beautiful.  You can read the article HERE.


I admit I do have mixed feelings about this.  Allow me to explain why.

On one side I can see what their intentions are.  While the majority of truckers out there are men, it is a job that women can do as well.  Furthermore, not all of them look like Large Marge from Pee Wee's Big Adventure.


However, I can also see a problem with this.  A woman's appearance should not have any merit on her qualifications to do a job.  Now while many women do love to have their beauty recognized, there is a potential to dismiss someone if they appear to be dainty and sexy as nothing more than eye candy.  

In my three and half years as a truck driver I have met many women truck drivers.  Many haul heavy equipment, explosives, fuel, flatbed, and many other trucking jobs that require more work than I did working with a refrigerated unit.  All I had to do was know how to back up into a dock.  I am also aware at how women are treated at the truck stops.  If a lady dares to dress herself in a sexy way, she is hassled by security as a potential prostitute.  Merely walking in the parking lot to and from her own truck can raise suspicion.  How many jobs do you know of where every day, you have to prove you are not a prostitute?

In addition, walking to and from the truck in the parking lots can get the attention of every horn dog trucker in the lot.  While some women do enjoy the occasional cat call, these females endure it as part of their nightly routine.