You have no doubt heard that truckers are planning to halt deliveries to New York City because of the recent verdict against Donald Trump. I don’t know if a large boycott of routes into NYC is a real possibility or if it is just a few independent truckers generating views on social media. There have also been a few YouTube preppers who have predicted this will have dire consequences in the city.
Having lived there, I wouldn’t want to drive an 18-wheeler through the city streets, but I question how severe a crisis this will be.
For example, how many independent truckers drive into the city versus those who work for fleets? If you are a driver for JB Hunt or Schneider, you can’t really turn down a load to New York if that’s your route. You could quit in protest, but how many will do that?
Second, many grocery chains and some of the largest retailers have their own trucks. Walmart, for example, uses their own drivers.
Third, UPS and Fedex deliver many items on store shelves. I doubt they will cut back.
Fourth, the closer you get to the city, the more democratic it turns. If some trucker in the Midwest says he won’t carry loads to New York, truckers in the New York/New Jersey area probably won’t feel that way.
And finally, many LTL loads get delivered to warehouses where they are cross docked and loaded onto other trucks. A trucker picking up a load at a warehouse in California might carry pallets going to 30 destinations, with only one going to New York. That pallet will probably be on four or five trucks before it transfer top a box truck for local delivery.
Stick to Your Guns
So while I don’t think the plan by truckers to boycott New York will have a huge effect, I think it makes a point, and I encourage them to stick to their guns. Even if it only affects 10 percent of the loads, they will get their point across.
If they want to shut the city down, they would have more luck parking a few trucks on the George Washington Bridge or in the tunnels. That will cause the commute and all vehicle commerce—including drivers who don’t support the cause—to grind to a halt. Of course, it will also likely result in arrests and impoundment of their trucks.
The potential for disruption in a city served by a few narrow choke points is high. That’s one reason I didn’t want to stay in New York when I became a prepper: the possibility of getting trapped on the Island of Manhattan was too high. The biggest threat is not that truckers will disrupt things, but that terrorists will.
Vote with Your Dollars
I am generally in favor of people using the power of their pocketbooks and voting with their dollars. If you don’t like Amazon because you think they abuse their employees, then don’t shop there. If you don’t like the policies of Budweiser or Target, then don’t drink their beer or go to their stores. If you want to boycott Disney, there are plenty of other amusement parks and movie studios out there. Spend your hard-earned money with companies and individuals who have policies you agree with.
Ten years ago, our financial advisor recommended an insurance product from Nationwide. I told them I don’t do business with Nationwide. They were shocked. “But it’s the best plan for you,” they said. “Tough,” was my reply. Some years before, Nationwide refused to cover a claim that I thought was obviously under the policy’s provision. I moved all four insurance policies to another company. I have not gone back and never will.
Likewise, I won’t deal with CitiBank because they started charging me a monthly fee of $25 on my checking account, which was free when I signed up. They said they no longer offer that account. So don’t offer it, but honor my agreement. They refused, so I switched to another bank where, to this day, I have free checking. The lady from CitiBank who called to ask why I was leaving after 20 years couldn’t understand why I was angry. That’s $300 a year. Worse, you just provide you don’t honor your agreements.
Now both Nationwide and Citibank are still around, so my actions were just pin pricks. But enough pin pricks add up. Just ask Gulliver.
Stand up for Yourself
As preppers, many of us no doubt have political stances and belief systems that others don’t always agree with. Don’t cave in. Stand your ground when those around you disagree. Stop looking for approval from your teachers, your co-workers, the people in your neighborhood, or the people you hang out with. (Instead, consider hanging out with someone else.) This isn’t high school. You can survive without your clique.
If you are a person of faith and a regular church goer, why do you hang out with those who aren’t? Why do you consider them your peers and let them lead you astray?
Likewise, your “friends” need to see the difference between someone who can pull the trigger when threatened versus someone who wakes up each day hoping this is the day they get to shoot someone. If they are rabidly anti-gun, they probably can’t.
If you support gun rights, why do you spend money in restaurants with “no guns” signs? Why do you live in a state where you have to jump through hoops to buy a gun or get permission to buy ammunition? Would you live in a state that prohibits free speech or freedom of religion?
I’m not saying you can’t be friends with people who disagree with you, but they should disagree with you respectfully. At the very least, agree to disagree. But someone who continues to tell you your faith is silly or that you are carrying a gun to compensate for something doesn’t deserve your respect any more than Target deserves your dollars.
The Libertarian Perspective
While not a member of the Libertarian Party, I like aspects of their approach, which seek to maximize autonomy and freedom. I look at it this way: I don’t care what my neighbor does until it interferes with what I do. In return, he shouldn’t care what I’m doing. Likewise, I don’t care what you do, as long as you don’t care what I do. We may have different belief systems, but we don’t try to convert others or force them to see the error of their ways. It’s more live-and-let-live.
Too many leftists and socialists want to control my beliefs and behavior (and yours too). They want to force you into the mold they designed. I prefer to remain unmolded, independent.
Don’t screw with us, and we won’t screw with you. Mess with us, push us too far, and a boycott will be the least of your problems.
