The long-lambasted white van man has been besmirched and is actually, according to a new study, diligent, hard-working and the backbone of the country's economy, writes Matthew O'Brien.
Just as we were running out of obscenities to shout at our nation's white van men, it appears that maybe we've gone over the top with our prejudice towards these drivers we love to hate. A survey released by the AA today reveals they're essential to our economy.
Yes, these worthy members of society are pouring billions of pounds a year - in fact £35bn, the AA has found - into Gordon Brown's piggy bank, and are actually (brace yourself for this) "diligent and hard working". Rhiannon Parker, head of van insurance at the AA, said: "Love them or hate them, vans are a big part of our culture and contribute enormously to the UK economy."
The study also found that the label of "white van man" is inaccurate, as more than a third of commercial van drivers are women. But despite the stereotypes being knocked down, white was still the most popular colour, preferred by one in three van ... persons.
So I wonder, have we been wrongly vilifying them, or did Radio 2 DJ Sarah Kennedy have it right when she coined the "white van man" phrase back in 1997?
Has white van man's reputation been restored? Or do you have enough tales from the road to keep your prejudices intact for a long time yet?
