GROWING UP IN THE 40'S - Part 6

We spent a lot of time riding or building things that rolled.  A 
pair of wheels on an old wagon, baby carriage, or tricycle never stayed on the curb long enough for the trash pickup.  We built coaster wagons, usually without brakes and we had some great hills to coast down.  We were smart enough to not coast down when there was traffic. The one who had just coasted to the bottom of the hill would look at the traffic and wave us on if it was clear or hold his hand up if a car was coming.  The problem with this was that a car had quite a while to appear while we were riding down the hill but nobody ever got hit.

Well, nobody ever got hit but I was almost run over by a car while riding down the Johnson's driveway on my buddies Flexy Racer.  I was lucky that the driver saw me early enough to slam on the brakes and skid to a stop just before running over me.  Yeah, my Mom found out about it..... , she was driving the car that almost ran over me.  Yes Mam, no more flexy riding for me.  The flexy racer was a convertible coaster sled type thing that had skies or wheels would be put on depending on the season.  Notice the bumper on the front that protected the racer from front bumps.  The problem was you laid down on it on your belly and your head would stick out way in front of the bumper.  

Does anybody here know what a "Skate
Key" is?  The skate key would fit all nuts and screw heads on a pair of skates to adjust or put the skates on your shoes.  Back then kids wore leather shoes with soles sewed on.  The skates that were common then would clamp onto the shoe sole and a strap would go around the foot.  It worked pretty well but they did sometimes come off while you were skating..

Not us.

Even when parts of the skates were shot they were still of use.  We made skateboards and skate scooters.  The skate would come apart and could have the front and back separated and nailed on a board.  I made one one time that even had a seat on it.  Usually we would just nail a board across the skate an let her roll as the kids in the picture did.

NOTE:  All pictures are internet images.



Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson