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"White van man" is a stereotype used in the United Kingdom for a smaller-sized commercial van driver, typically perceived as a selfish, inconsiderate driver who is mostly
petit bourgeois ''Petite bourgeoisie'' (, literally 'small bourgeoisie'; also anglicised as petty bourgeoisie) is a French term that refers to a social class composed of semi-autonomous peasants and small-scale merchants whose politico-economic ideological sta ...
and often aggressive. According to this stereotype, the "white van man" is typically an independent tradesperson, such as a builder,
plumber A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, and for sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.
or locksmith, self-employed, or running a small enterprise, for whom driving a commercial vehicle is not their main line of business, as it would be for a professional freight-driver.


Usage

The first recorded use in the British press was in an article titled "Number is up for White Van Man – scourge of the road." published by '' The Sunday Times'' on 18 May 1997 written by Jonathan Leake, that paper's then-transport editor. Later in 1997, it was used by
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content ...
's
Sarah Kennedy Sarah Mary Kennedy MBE (born 8 July 1950) is a British retired TV and radio broadcaster. She presented her daily early morning radio show, ''The Dawn Patrol'', on BBC Radio 2 from 1993 to 2010. In the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kennedy w ...
. She was made honorary president of the First Ford Transit Owner's Club in 2005.carpages.co.uk – Ford Transit Owners Club
/ref> '' The Sun'' newspaper ran a regular "White Van Man" column for some years in which the driver of a light goods vehicle was interviewed in his van on the issues of the day. These columns were accompanied by a picture of whichever driver had been interviewed leaning out of his cab. The term was used in 2010 as part of
road safety campaigns A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...
by the
Freight Transport Association Logistics UK, formerly the Freight Transport Association (FTA) is one of the largest trade associations in the UK, with members moving goods by road, rail, sea, and air. Its mission is to represent the views and interests of over 18,000 companie ...
.


See also

*
Essex man Essex man and Mondeo man are stereotypical figures which were popularised in 1990s Britain. The "Essex man" as a political figure is an example of a type of median voter and was used to help explain the electoral successes of Conservative Prime M ...
* Pickup truck *
The man on the Clapham omnibus The man on the Clapham omnibus is a hypothetical ordinary and reasonable person, used by the courts in English law where it is necessary to decide whether a party has acted as a reasonable person would – for example, in a civil action for negli ...


References


External links


BBC Radio 4 documentary on White Van Man Speaks

Academic study of white van overtaking habits around cyclists by Dr Ian Walker


{{DEFAULTSORT:White van man British culture Stereotypes of the working class English phrases Stereotypes of working-class men Social class in the United Kingdom Socioeconomic stereotypes