I can remember stealing the next door neighbor's truck the first time. I was in the 6th grade, and not by myself. Gerald opened the driver's side door (there was only one door on either side of all pick-ups back in Montgomery AL in 1969), and I pushed it backwards as he pulled and steered. It was just the slightest grade down towards the stop sign three houses away. Once at the stop sign we would hop in and Gerald would grab the keys from under the front seat (Where most men kept their car keys back then), and give it some choke, pump the pedal, and turn the key. And for the next 30 minutes we were adults.
Returning the car was just too easy. A block from the house he'd cut the engine and feather the non-power brake till it stopped right where it was. The hardest part was remembering to not slam the door when we got out.
And that was the start....joy riding. and people then got smart and started locking their cars at night..how silly, because we were determined little juvies. Breaking into cars became a game, and hot-wiring was a quick skill to learn. We tried not to damage them, but it was a learning curve. You'd be surprised how many cars had the driver's door locked and one of the other ones not. But coathangers and popping the vent window were standard. And coat hangers quit working when they removed the rim from the top of the door lock knobs..The Bassturds!
So it got harder and harder to break in. But by High school I had quit breaking in to cars for any reason. And yet the skills were cool to have. I became a boy scout. "Your keys locked in your car. lemme see. Yeah all I need is a hanger"
But now? No wonder kids don't bother going out into the neighborhood and have to play video games to "have fun."
Tesla, My Jr high self curses you and your damn sentry mode, and interior cameras, and the need for some weird credit card just to even start the damn thing... wait! What do you mean unbreakable glass? What's next....
No fun, NO FUN AT ALL.
Returning the car was just too easy. A block from the house he'd cut the engine and feather the non-power brake till it stopped right where it was. The hardest part was remembering to not slam the door when we got out.
And that was the start....joy riding. and people then got smart and started locking their cars at night..how silly, because we were determined little juvies. Breaking into cars became a game, and hot-wiring was a quick skill to learn. We tried not to damage them, but it was a learning curve. You'd be surprised how many cars had the driver's door locked and one of the other ones not. But coathangers and popping the vent window were standard. And coat hangers quit working when they removed the rim from the top of the door lock knobs..The Bassturds!
So it got harder and harder to break in. But by High school I had quit breaking in to cars for any reason. And yet the skills were cool to have. I became a boy scout. "Your keys locked in your car. lemme see. Yeah all I need is a hanger"
But now? No wonder kids don't bother going out into the neighborhood and have to play video games to "have fun."
Tesla, My Jr high self curses you and your damn sentry mode, and interior cameras, and the need for some weird credit card just to even start the damn thing... wait! What do you mean unbreakable glass? What's next....
No fun, NO FUN AT ALL.
