Comments on: (Not So) Wordless Wednesday: Joy Ride

By: Jennifer Shoer

Jennifer Shoer — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:47:16 +0000

Love your picture. Your Dad looks so young and I bet he was driving. My kids can’t believe we never wore seatbelts when we were kids. It is hard to believe now.

By: Jen

Jen — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 04:02:46 +0000

The interesting thing is that there are people in countries all over the world that still do that! We have friends here from Kazakhstan and we had to explain to them that everyone had to be in a seat belt and the kids had to have car seats. They just ride on laps over there!

By: Debi Austen

Debi Austen — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:51:08 +0000

Oh yeah, Shaz, riding home from the hospital in mama’s arms was just expected back in “my” day (and my girls were born in the mid to late 70′s). And nursing while a passenger in the front seat wasn’t out of line, either.

By: Amy Coffin

Amy Coffin — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:57:51 +0000

One of my favorite childhood memories is of sitting on my dad’s lap while he drove the truck. Ahh the 70′s. Good times.

By: Sheryl

Sheryl — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:05:07 +0000

You were an adorable child!

By: shaz

shaz — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:41:07 +0000

Those of us who had kids in the late 50s and early 60s did
not have seat belts for them — we did in the front seat. Our
three kids had free rein in the back of the station wagon
altho my husband did put the suitcases at the very back to
protect them if we had had a rear ender!!! I even brought
all three home from the hospital in my arms in the front seat!
Wonder how we all survived!

By: Linda McCauley

Linda McCauley — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 22:00:28 +0000

I remember taking my little sister (who is about 10 years older than you) places in the car after I got my drivers license. She would stand right beside me so she could see out. When I had to stop, I’d put my arm in front of her to keep her from tumbling forward.

By: Jen

Jen — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 21:03:56 +0000

I do remember sitting on the middle console thing in the van while we were driving. I would be facing the other direction – it was kind of a weird sensation. You guys are right – I don’t remember wearing seatbelts much when I was little.

By: Debi Austen

Debi Austen — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:52:44 +0000

Linda’s probably right. My kids are about your age (gasp!) and the only reason people had car seats back in those days was to keep the kid contained, not necessarily for safety reasons. It sometimes was easier to keep the child contained sitting on your lap. Not something we would ever do today but that’s the way it was back then

By: Linda Gartz

Linda Gartz — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:31:35 +0000

My guess is he probably was driving with you on his lap. Blurred background, his eyes concentrating on road. There wasn’t the emphasis on seatbelts and car seats back then as now. My dad once put my brother and me in a trailer he pulled along the expressway! Boy! It was fun–until a cop pulled him over and advised it wasn’t a great idea. Luckily we survived. Drove all the way out west — 5,000 miles in 1959 — no seatbelts — lying in the back of the station wagon. I don’t recommend it today. We were among the lucky ones!