When we
were kids, we constantly engaged in the now lost art of “hitch hiking.” “In
those days” (boy, does that make me sound like an old codger), when we were too
lazy to ride our bikes, we would hitch hike EVERYWHERE. The longest distance we
hitchhiked was usually the 8 miles to Norwalk on most Saturdays to either get a
haircut or just go to Meek’s Pastries to get the world’s BEST cream sticks! Meek’s
is STILL in the same place and once in a “blue moon,” I’ll stop in for the
world’s BEST cream sticks! Just like Becker’s Potato Chips (also made in
Norwalk), I use both these products as “benchmarks” for the best in the world! No cream sticks or potato chips have EVER
measured up to either one! Unfortunately, Becker’s has been out of business for
several years! I remember when Tim and I were in the service, our mother used
to send us metal cans of Becker’s Chips! I think what made Becker’s stand out
was that they used “palm oil” according to the ingredients. In those days, it
was worth the effort to hitch hike that far for those treats! We also hitch
hiked the 1-½ miles to high school when it became “uncool” to ride our bikes. Way
before this, it became REALLY UNCOOL to ride the school bus! Hey, we were
freshman in High School, so we were the “Ultimate of Coolness,” and we “knew
everything” too! (It’s too bad I lost all that “knowledge” when I got older!) Since
Tim and I were among the youngest members of the class (having started the 1st
grade at age 5 due to when our birthday was, and had no kindergarten in those
days), we were the last to get our driver’s licenses! The LAST thing in the
world you wanted was for your mother to take you ANYWHERE in the car! Our
mother didn’t understand teen-aged boys, I don’t think, so she always said, “You
act as though I had 2 heads !” I always reassured her that wasn’t
the case (since it was as if she had 3 heads)! We would hitch hike to school
every morning. We walked to Rt 61 across from TEACO to be headed in the right
direction. For a long time a guy in a black 1955 Ford used to pick us up every
morning. I forgot his name, but I remember that he used to work at AGWAY in
Huron. After he retired or something, we used to get a ride with Marilyn, who graduated
a few years ahead of us and was the older sister of one of our classmates. I
don’t remember where she worked, but as long as she was headed to Berlin Hts.,
that’s all that really mattered to us. We NEVER hitch hiked home, though, we
always walked. This was due mainly to the fact that we usually went right to
Chuck’s Bar 61 right after school to play pool and to exercise our talent of
being general pests. We definitely made a “bee-line” to Chuck’s if we figured
our Uncle Ned needed us for any farm work! When Tim, Kit, and/or Tom, and I hitch
hiked anywhere, we always split up into 2 groups of 2 each and would stay apart
a few hundred feet or so. We did this to make it more likely for all of us to
get a ride. When someone would stop for only 2 guys, we’d get in and after we
got moving would then say, “There’s 2 of our buddies, could you get them too?”
It usually worked every time. However, one time Tim and Tom were picked up
ahead of us and the guy had the radio on and was a “hot rod type” and when Tim
said, “There’s 2 of our bud…” By that time the guy was past Kit and I and was
so involved in the radio music, that he just kept on going! As I recall, we
gave Tim and Tom a “One Finger Salute”! Tim explained later what happened! Occasionally
a “jerk-type” would stop and just as we got to the car, the driver would take
off! Another time, Tim, Tom, and I were hitch hiking to Norwalk (again), and we
had a giant novelty cigar that Tom had gotten from his uncle, Stan Wright, who
owned a “Fun House” at Cedar Point. We lit it as we walked along the road, and
realized that NO ONE would pick us up with a giant lit cigar! We kept beating
it on the road and it seemed like it would NEVER go out! Ah, yes, some memories
of the days when hitch hiking was a normal mode of transportation!
