Wacky World of Rubber: Coloring my perspective

Editor's Note: We here at Rubber & Plastics News have a long history of bringing you news and features about the rubber industry. Stories on expansions, acquisitions, new technology and meeting coverage are found in our print issues, on our website and in other digital offerings.

But we also know that there's a lot more to the rubber industry. Things you won't read about every day. That's why we are starting this weekly blog called the "Wacky World of Rubber." By being in the rubber industry, like us, you probably look at the world from a different perspective. Just last week, Miles Moore posted a Facebook item about a"Law and Order" rerun from years ago where allergenic latex gloves were the murder weapon.

The "Wacky World of Rubber" will have few boundaries. Our entire editorial staff will participate and bring you items that are a bit off the beaten path. You may read about anything from little known rubber applications to bargains you can find online to rubber in sports anecdotes. There may even be an occasional movie review based on its rubber content—or lack thereof.

Above all, we hope you enjoy this. And if you want to send us any ideas, please share them with Erin Pustay Beaven, our online content editor, at [email protected].

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. After covering the tire and rubber product industry as a journalist for nearly three decades, it changes the way I look at the world.

But because you're also connected to the industry, you may have noticed that about yourself as well.

Here's just a few examples of how my brain processes things differently because of what I do:

• When latex allergies were the talk of the industry and hospitals and other health care providers were considering whether or not to switch to latex-free gloves, I asked the hygienist at my dentist's office whether she had experienced any allergy-like symptoms. She said that she and others in the office had, indeed, suffered rashes because of prolonged usage.

• If I see something in a store that I believe is made from rubber, I must determine if it is made from an elastomer and, if so, try to figure out who made it and where it was manufactured.

• Like many millions of Americans and, I assume, those in other parts of the world, I wear a CPAP mask (and yes, I actually use it and don't let it sit there collecting dust). I doubt, however, that other users wanted to determine which NAHAD members made the tubing and who produced the silicone mask.

• When I attended a recent concert, I noticed the car parked next to me had what appeared to be a Goodyear employee parking permit, but the car ironically sported Michelin tires. I'm sure there was a logical explanation—perhaps the tires were OE—but I just wish I knew what it was.

• Road trips can be interesting. Whenever I see a truck marked "Air equipped ride," I figure I'm one of the few whose first thought is, "That truck had air springs." Another time, when wide-base truck tires were gaining traction in the market (pun intended), I actively looked for them on passing trucks. I finally saw one, but it took close to an hour. Don't worry, though, I did this when my wife was driving.

• When I'm at a sporting event, I take note of which tire companies have advertising in the parks. In my first trip to new Yankee Stadium a couple weeks ago, I noted that Nitto Tires had a prominent spot in the outfield. I also happen to know that Toyo Tires (which also makes Nitto) is a sponsor of the Boston Red Sox. Now that's an interesting way to root for both sides in baseball's fiercest rivalry.

• And finally, when Jeopardy once had a full category on rubber, I caught that they mistakenly still had Brazil as the top global producer of natural rubber. As a side note to this, when Who Wants to be a Millionaire was all the rage, I played the online version a number of times. Only once, though, did I get to the million dollar question and it was, believe it or not: What is the process that makes rubber usable? Why, vulcanization, of course.

Now what do you think the chances are of me getting that question for a million dollars in real life?

Bruce Meyer has been on the staff of Rubber & Plastics News since 1988. Baseball will forever be his sport of choice and he's looking forward to the Indians winning a World Series title in his lifetime (but he's also a lifelong Dodgers fan). He knows that wherever he goes, rubber- and tire-related stories are sure to follow.