Never even try to drive past a police officer without wearing a seatbelt. But surprisingly, the no seatbelt era was our childhood.
In the 1960s and 1970s, seeing a pickup truck with 6-8 kids bouncing and having fun around in the back wasn’t a crime or triggered anyone.
We had the real actions in the back. No seatbelts, no airbags. Basically, no roof. Hilarious right?
Simply just open air, smashing our face at 55 miles per hour. How amazing a feeling!
Yes, yes, I know. It was dangerous. We were super exposed. But it was fun, and we considered it the best way to travel. Best days ever!
So, let’s jump in!
The VIP Section (The Wheel Wells)
If you look from the outside, it may seem like chaos back there. But honestly, we knew the rules, right? And we obeyed them.
There was a strict pecking order to the truck bed travel.
As I remember, steel humps were the First Class seats to travel. You know why? because they gave you the slight elevation you needed to show everyone who is in charge.
Not only that, it had an armrest. This scenery basically made you look like a real cowboy. Amazing right?
I remember I sat up there looking out over the fab. It gave me the feeling like I’m an army commander leading my tank. Funny right?
But the problem was, you needed to be fast enough to pick that seat. Otherwise, you would be relegated to “Steerage”. The floor. Hahaha.
Now let’s talk about the floor. It was basically a smooth carpet. It was literally corrugated steel with hard ridges designed to keep cargo from moving when travelling.
No cushion seats like nowadays. But it was adventurous.
Normally, after 30 minutes ride to the lake, you’d hop out with the imprint of those metal straps permanently stamped onto your butt. Hahahaha. What a moment.
The floor was super loud and smelled like exhaust. Don’t forget, it was super hard as rock.
But by sitting there and watching, the road felt like real freedom. Yep, that’s all you need.
The “Human Pile-Up” (Sudden Stops)
The funny part is, the ride was super fun. But only until your dad hit the brakes. Now the scary part.
We were the unsecured cargo. The laws of physics applied to us instantly as soon as Dad hit the brakes. We became no passengers, we became bowling pins. Lol.
As soon as Dad hit the brakes, the human pile-up began. Funny right?
Everyone sitting on the wheel wells slid forward, and the funny thing is, everyone on the tailgate rolled backward. We spread all over the truck bed.
You won’t believe. It was basically an instant, chaotic dogpile against the back of the cab.
I remember one time, I ended up with my cousin’s elbow in my ribs and my sister’s foot in my face. Funny. We all tangled together like wool. We laughed so hard, shouting limbs.
If our dad drives faster, no issue at all. We had our own manual intercom system.
This was it. We’d bang on the sliding glass rear window. Then our dad got angry and yell “Don’t make me pull over!” and slid it shut.
Honestly, that little window was our only lifeline to the climate-controlled world up front. Funny and adventurous!
Highway Speeds with No Protection
Riding on a truck at 15mph was totally different than doing it on the interstate.
Today, parents start to panic if a car seat strap is slightly twisted. But let me tell you, we were doing 65 MPH on the highway with nothing on.
We handled it like champs, and we believed in gravity and a drip of steel. That’s the truth.
I remember the wind was so loud and we couldn’t hear our screams. And yes, sometimes we try to stand up which was super dangerous. But we couldn’t stay still because air pressure pulled us down.
Your cheeks flapped and your eyes watered. You basically felt like a dog with its head out of the window. Amaizng right?
Our only safety feature was the side rails and spare tire that were chained in the corner. Terrifying ride.
Looking back, we were basically just loose cargo with heartbeats. lol. Terrifying, unsafe, but it was super fun.
The End of the Road (When the Laws Changed)
Like all other dangerously fun things, this also had to end. How sad!
By the late 1980s and early 90s, a new safety law came into effect. It strictly said seatbelts are a must. Otherwise, you’ll get a ticket.
With that, the sight of kids bouncing around the truck bed went from normal to illegal. How sad.
Yes, as humans, we tried to find loopholes. Hope you remember the fiberglass camper shell. But unfortunately, it was hard.
I remember parents slapped those toppers on the truck and threw a mattress in the back, thinking, “Well, now they’re enclosed, so it’s safe!” But it wasn’t.
(Spoiler: It wasn’t really safer, but at least we stayed dry).
However, eventually, this law forced us all inside to sit on actual seats.
Sadly, the era of the open-air ride was officially over.
The Wind in Our Hair
Riding back of the truck was not just related to transportation. It was basically an entertainment. An event.
It showed the flavor of our childhood. Fun and exciting!
We arrived at our destination with messy hair, dust on our faces, and sometimes with bruises from the stop signs. But most importantly, we were smiling.
We had no screens. We just watched how the world flies backwards while we are moving forward. Such an amazing feeling!