When I was 8 years old, my family was in a car accident. Luckily, none of us were hurt physically, though I do remember it being the first and only time I heard my dad swear.
"Get the HE>> out of the car!" He thought it would help us get out of the car faster. I don't buy it. If he wanted us out of the car fast all he would have had to say was, "Look! Is that a box full of candy??" and then watched the 8 of us kids fight to get out first. But whatever.
Our car was totalled. We didn't have much money and so in between getting a car that would fit all of us, a friend lent us their car. A nice gesture. One that my parents accepted. It was a rather small car.
A Volkswagon Bug. Dark Blue.
Yeah. I know.
Most of the time, if we needed to go somewhere as a family, we would have to take two trips. But when we would go to church, we all would just cram into that thing. All 10 of us. My parents would sit in the front. Four kids would sit in the back seat. The other four of us little ones would squeeze into that back space behind the backseat and the back window. Yeah, it was super safe.
I am sure when we all piled out it looked like a circus car, with an endless stream of children exiting the car. If that happened in this day and age, I am sure CPS would have been knocking down our door. Can you imagine if we would have been in an accident? That would have been awful.
My poor parents. I don't think they had a choice. The accident happened the day before New Years Eve on our way home from a church function. It was really cold. Add to it that we didn't have much money. And I don't even think that rental cars were an option back then. Remember this was back before seatbelts were required.
We could have died. Forget that someone could have rear-ended us and killed the squaters in the back. Forget that if we would have rolled, it would have been the end of us.
No, that wasn't the most dangerous part of driving a Bug with ten passengers.
I got more bruises during that month than any other time because every time we would get in or out, my siblings would hit my arm and yell, "Slug Bug!!"
Yes, I could have died!!
14 comments:
LOL!!!! Funny!
My kids still play that slug bug game and dang it hurts!
Your stories are the best, Stef!
Yeah, its amazing any of us survived in those days before "safety" became the buzz word!
I always wonder what it would be like to have grown up in a large family. These stories are the best!!!
Ha ha ha hah a......love your story. i needed a good laugh today. i appreciate this one.
Found you on Mormon Moms Who Blog. I'm glad I did.
We played that game util we reached 500 punch buggys. The winner got a crown. (YEs, it was a punch buggy crown.)
My exhusband rode in that little window above the back seat from MA to Tennessee when he was a kid.
They say he was totally fine, but I still say the excessive heat fried his brain.
Isn't it crazy how we managed to survive our childhood. You definitely win fill the car though. Ten in a bug. Unbelievable.
Dana
It's like the telephone booth...except the slug bug! You're right...it's a wonder we all survived our childhood...nowadays we are so safe. It would be interesting to compare the statistics from back then to now.
I love hearing your big family stories!
Y'all must have been little! 10? In a Bug? Wow. That took some skill.
I got punched in the arm out of nowhere when my youngest and I were pulling out of the grocery store parking lot yesterday afternoon. When my boys see one they punch you and say, "Punch buggy! No punch back!" Have to be sure and get that last line in or the other person can punch you back!
yes...i'm surprised we all lived growing up in our 'generation' i think my mom used to tell me she would just set the carrier (if you could call it those..more of a bouncy chair) in the seat when driving...that's where she gets the armbag from..making sure none of us make it out the front window...you just gave me a blog idea
Grinning here! You and a perfect cup of coffee. What better way to start the day! Good morning!
I remember so many road trips on our station wagon names BETSY where all 6 kids layed out in the back to sleep. Totally unsafe! I would never ever do that with my kids--funny how life was so different.
I always enjoy these blasts from the past from you. Such a fun story!
=)
Ahhhh.....the good ole days! We never had car seats or seat belts either. And we all lived! Amazing! My husband's family had a bug when he was growing up and he and his four siblings would argue over who "got" to ride in that space in back.
Wow, 10 people in a bug.... That's almost like something you'd see in those movies with frat boys and spring break (or something like that!) Good thing you guys were fairly small, right? I'm just glad the car was able to carry that much weight in it :)
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