Let's be real

In my pre-trucking days, it’s unlikely I would have crossed paths with Benny. Heading north with produce from California’s Salinas Valley, my comm screen displayed a directive to convey a fellow driver to our carrier’s main terminal in the Northwest.

Of Asian descent, Benny was a formidable figure. What he lacked in stature, he more than made up for in self-confidence and presence. His tattoos and seasoned leather jacket were not borne out of affectation.

Having recently read Hell’s Angels, Hunter S. Thompson’s portrayal of motorcycle culture against the California zeitgeist of the 1960s, I to...