A friend and colleague of mine sent me this in response to my link to the Felixstowe Customer Service Agent joke.
Historical information you need to know about shipping Manure: In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship. It was also before commercial fertilizer's invention, so large shipments of manure were common. It was shipped dry, because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, it not only became heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane gas. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen.
Methane began to build up below decks, and the first time someone came below at night, with a lantern, BOOOOM! Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening. After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the term," Ship High In Transit" which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane. Thus evolved the term "S.H.I.T," which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.
You probably did not know the true history of this word.
Neither did I. I always thought it was a golf term.
Eric
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Mandabar, yes of course I know its a joke...just a bit of levity here.
Posted by: Eric J. Joiner, Jr. | December 10, 2008 at 08:55 AM
i really enjoyed this history. now the freight forwarding industries have become so much mature that it was before.
Posted by: steve | December 10, 2008 at 01:58 AM
Hi - I hope you know this is a joke. The word has a history far before merchant shipping...
Posted by: Mandabar | December 09, 2008 at 05:58 PM
wassup dawg.. me from south africa.. following all the shipping blogs around the world.. have one meself in the form of http://shippinginsouthafrica.wordpress.com which is about shipping and its processes in south africa..
check it and maybe we could share links..
Posted by: Hariesh Manaadiar | December 05, 2008 at 07:47 AM