Just a note before we begin, this episode may not be suitable for all audiences.

I'm Lauren Norton, and this is one strange thing, the show where we search the nation's news archives for stories that can't quite be explained.

Strangers, the world has not always been so interconnected as it is now.

In an era before we could share strange stories on the web or in a podcast,

news simply traveled more slowly, over landlines and newspapers and letters.

It all seemed practically antique.

Still, even decades ago, without a cell phone or that little Bluebird app,

you could communicate with friends and strangers in real time.

That is, if you had the right equipment.

We've mentioned CB radio and passing on this show before, though it's not the institution

it was in decades past, but if you've spent time around truckers, you're likely familiar

with the term.

But for today's story, you're going to need more than just a vague understanding of CB

radio, so let's get started with the basics.

According to historic tech, CB or Citizens Band, Radio, came into existence after World War II.

Veterans returning from overseas needed a way to stay in touch with their comrades as they had in battle,

and radio was the logical venue. So, the U.S. Navy set up a special radio frequency

that the veterans now-turned civilians could easily use. But, as historic tech points out,

CB Radio's popularity well and truly exploded in the early 1970s,

for an unexpected but totally logical reason.

In the U.S., an oil crisis had led to widespread fuel shortages.

And to conserve what fuel was available, law enforcement began militantly

...