It truly is amazing when one stops to think about it and realizes the amount of “stuff’ that is still transported by water in this county. Unless you live near or have some connection to the US waterways I don’t think most people are aware of the traffic on our nation’s rivers, but it is tremendous. What I find fascinating about life on the river is the contradiction in terms and definition. Even though the tugboats are equipped with the most current and sophisticated electronic equipment and the drivers and crew are highly skilled, life on the river is approached in a slow paced and old fashion manner. There is a definite respect for each other and the rivers and it shows in the way these men (and women) approach their tasks and each other. Most of the pilots are male and are from the south, so at first it takes a little while for one’s ear to “hear” and understand what they are saying but once one grasps the lingo it really is fun to follow their conversations. The first thing that struck me was the politeness with which they talk to each other. Even in the most trying of times, never have I heard an unkind or impolite conversation between the tug boat captains in their discussions with each other. “ Yes Sir” “I appreciate that” “Whatever works for you” are standard lines in their conversations. Yesterday we met only a couple of pushers and tugs on the river but today the tugs seemed to be traveling in a convoy. As I listened to the tug boat captains talk among themselves, I could not help but think of the 1970’s when CB radios were all the rage. It was fun just to listen to them talk…Their talk ranges from very thick Cajun accents and phrases to young preppy almost “Valley Girl” jargon. When asked by an older captain his intentions, a young skipper replied “Color me gone, Dude”. One can not help to smile and be charmed by these men of the river. 
There is an old fashioned honor and respect that is extended to each other and even to us “pleasure crafters”, if we deserve it. Never have I seen, heard or been made aware of “road rage” among tug boat captains. However, what they will not tolerate for a minute is stupidity and I must say that the stupidity usually comes from careless and disrespectful “pleasure craft” boaters. The navigable rivers in this county belong to the commercial traffic and as “pleasure boaters” we are guests upon their waters. I must say that during this trip we have seen too many disrespectful and discourteous “pleasure crafters”. Most often the disrespectful boaters appear to be “captains” delivering boats south for their clients. They think nothing of creating dangerous wakes as they pass barges with working crew and seem to feel that their need to meet a deadline is justification for being rude and potentially harmful to the others on the rivers. Often these “captains” either do not have their VHF radios on or choose not to answer them when hailed by commercial traffic asking that they slow down.
While I am sure that that tug captains, too, have deadlines to meet and a corporate America suit to account to somewhere, the tug pilots make their way along the rivers in an almost casual manner ever mindful of each other and exceeding respectful of the river. I can not help but feel that the tug boat captains are a lot like cowboys in that they have a job to do but that the basic core and nature of that job has not really changed all that much in the last 150 years. Nor has the dedication or charm disappeared from the manner in which they approach their vocation. I can truly understand how Paula Deen’s heart was captured by a tug boat captain.
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