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It's written from the perspective of one of the masters. > The role of the head coachman was well defined. Toward his superiors, he was deferential and obedien

It's written from the perspective of one of the masters. > The role of the head coachman was well defined. Toward his superiors, he was deferential and obedient. So the chauffeurs and typists are not as deferential and obedient as the author would like.

IAmBroom 1mo ago
The author never lived in that era, and is making some of that shit up. "Ran roughshod" is overkill, I suspect, for the fact that the mechanic/chauffeurs did not come from a servant background, where the slightest failure to observe decorum could result in dismissal (or worse, being made an indentured servant for several years - in slightly earlier years).
- qarl2 1mo ago
  Kind of like how programmers today refuse to wear suits: roughshod in the minds of the elite.
- adolph 1mo ago
  > The author never lived in that era, and is making some of that shit up. Lienhard cites Borg [0], who is writes "Between 1903 and 1912 howls of protest arose over chauffeurs’ arrogance and insubordination and the pages of the automotive trade press overflowed with letters, articles, and editorials describing, complaining about, and offering solutions to the 'chauffeur problem.'" [1] One might quibble about a specific subjective characterization or if the description should use the norms of the period or today, but that is a far cry from "making some of that shit up." 0. Borg, K., The "Chauffeur Problem" in the Early Auto Era: Structuration Theory and the Users of Technology. Technology and Culture, Vol. 40, No. 4, October 1999, pp. 797-832. 1. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/33428 https://muse.jhu.edu/article/33428
  - IAmBroom 1mo ago
    I stand corrected.
    - adolph 1mo ago
      Cheers. Lienhard is a Houston institution (warts and all, some people can't stand listening to his voice) and having listened to his show forever, some "don't you neg that nice John Lienhard" energy really came out.

IAmBroom 1mo ago

The author never lived in that era, and is making some of that shit up. "Ran roughshod" is overkill, I suspect, for the fact that the mechanic/chauffeurs did not come from a servant background, where the slightest failure to observe decorum could result in dismissal (or worse, being made an indentured servant for several years - in slightly earlier years).

qarl2 1mo ago
Kind of like how programmers today refuse to wear suits: roughshod in the minds of the elite.
adolph 1mo ago
> The author never lived in that era, and is making some of that shit up. Lienhard cites Borg [0], who is writes "Between 1903 and 1912 howls of protest arose over chauffeurs’ arrogance and insubordination and the pages of the automotive trade press overflowed with letters, articles, and editorials describing, complaining about, and offering solutions to the 'chauffeur problem.'" [1] One might quibble about a specific subjective characterization or if the description should use the norms of the period or today, but that is a far cry from "making some of that shit up." 0. Borg, K., The "Chauffeur Problem" in the Early Auto Era: Structuration Theory and the Users of Technology. Technology and Culture, Vol. 40, No. 4, October 1999, pp. 797-832. 1. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/33428 https://muse.jhu.edu/article/33428
- IAmBroom 1mo ago
  I stand corrected.
  - adolph 1mo ago
    Cheers. Lienhard is a Houston institution (warts and all, some people can't stand listening to his voice) and having listened to his show forever, some "don't you neg that nice John Lienhard" energy really came out.