Back in the sixties, for fun the guys would cruise the ones for babes, or to show off their cars. Since our cars not the kind you wanted to show off; we cruised for babes. Usually, the cruise would end up at the local A and W root beer stand where we would chug a couple mugs and scarf sandwiches and fries.
One Friday Mike dropped by the House with John to pick me up for work. We all worked together at the local Drive-in theatre. For those who don’t remember Drive-in theatres; they were movies shown on a screen outside while you sat in your car and watched. Of course, the teenagers didn’t go to watch the movie. They went to met other kids from school and plan the week end, or brought their dates to make out. Believe me more children were conceived in the backseat of cars then anywhere else in the fifties and sixties.
On this fateful night the three of us had decided to take off work early and cruise the ones, scope out the babes and maybe pick them up. Now you have to visualize the ones. They were two one way streets, one going east the other going west. Girls and guys standing around up and down the streets, sitting in cars and listening to tunes. Every ones hormones running wild. If you ever saw the movie American Graffiti; then you know what the ones were like.
It was around 10 that night that we left the Drive-in theatre. I can’t remember what excuses we used, but I’m sure it was sickness or death in the family. Knowing Mike, he probably just quit the job.
We got to the ones around 10:30. In those days most cars had what they called bench seats. Not like today where most cars have bucket seats. In those days only the rich kids had those. Mike was driving his 56 Chevy. I was sitting next to him and John was riding shotgun. Up and down the ones we went. John hanging out the window of the door, yelling at people he knew. Mike...ever so vigilant; watching where he was driving and keeping an eye out for babes. After about a half hour; Mike spotted 3 babes on the corner. Like a hunting dog pointing to birds in a bush; Mike pointed his finger at them while clueing John and I to the fact that they were beautiful, and looked lonely. While driving past them ;Mike flashed a big toothy grin and waved. The girls waved back.
A block down from them ;Mike pulled over and stopped. He just couldn’t believe how beautiful these girls were. So I told him to drive back, stop, and talk to them. Ask them if they would like to cruise with us.
Mike drove down a block, turned left, went another block, turned left again ;went down three blocks, once again turned left, one more block and turned left back on the ones. Slowly , he drove down the street looking for the girls. Finally, after spotting them once again, he pulled over and began talking to them. All the while the girls kept giggling. Finally, after about five minutes of talking ; he asked the girls if they would like to cruise. One of the girls said "What about your boyfriend?"
Unknown to Mike; while he was driving back to the ones, John had slid down to the floorboard where no one could see him. I on the other hand had put my arm around the back of the seat right behind Mike. Not knowing any of this had happened; Mike turned around ,looked at me, and noticed the situation. He turned from a light pink to a bright red; stepped on the accelerator , and left a patch of rubber in the street. All the while yelling at John to get up and telling me to get my arm away from him. The things he called us are not fit to print. Yelling and screaming something about getting even with us.
From that day on ; whenever we would use Mikes car for cruising the ones, or anything else for that matter; one of us would have to sit in the backseat ; while the other had to sit as far over to the passenger door as possible.
John and I forever would have to stay on the alert for Mikes revenge.