CB radio moment in Houston traffic echoes an older era of driver talk
A brief CB-radio exchange tied to Houston-area traffic drew attention this week for how clearly it reflects the culture that once made CB chatter a daily part of life behind the wheel.
The scene centers on the Glide-In, where a base-station CB radio is being used inside the diner. While Violet steps away to give a special birthday present and “The Duck” offers Melissa a ride, Wallace arrives and begins checking license plates.
As Wallace works, Pig Pen and Spider Mike use the diner’s base-station CB to make fun of him over the air. The exchange escalates to the point that Wallace attempts to arrest Spider Mike for vagrancy.
For drivers, the incident is a reminder of what CB radio can be at its best and worst: a real-time communications tool that can ease congestion, pass along local information, and help drivers feel less isolated—while also creating conflict when it becomes a platform for personal attacks.
The moment also lands with a bit of pop-culture resonance. The song “On the Radio” was released as a single and, in February 1980, became the artist’s tenth top-ten U.S. hit and her eighth and final consecutive top-five single. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on another chart listing.
Taken together, the diner CB exchange and the “On the Radio” reference underline a broader context many drivers know well: radio—whether CB or commercial—has long shaped the rhythm of road life, especially in heavy metro traffic where information and emotions can travel as fast as vehicles.