Topical Guide 179
Mark Dorset
Teenage Youths, Behavior of, as Observed First-Hand, in 1950-something
“Do you know what those roller-skating parties are like?” [Porky] asked me.
“No,” I admitted.
“Everybody meets at the high school,” he said. “You ride to the roller rink in a school bus, and everyone sings songs and tells jokes and has a wonderful time. In the back of the bus, they might do a little (he made the motions of puffing on a cigarette), a little (he made his hand into a fist and made the motion of drinking from his thumb), a little (he hugged himself and twisted from side to side). Then, at the rink, you skate and skate, and you take breaks for Cokes, and sometimes you walk out to the parking lot for some air, and a little (he made the motions of puffing on a cigarette), a little (he made his hand into a fist and made the motion of drinking from his thumb), a little (he hugged himself and twisted from side to side), and then you skate some more. You can have a hot dog or another Coke. Then everybody gets onto the bus again, and you ride back to the high school. This time, if the kids on the bus take care of the bus driver, he might take the long way home. You know,” said Porky, wearing an odd grin. “I’m going to be driving one of the buses to the roller rink and back. It might be arranged for me to take the long way home.”Little Follies, “Take the Long Way Home” [episode 174]
Teenage Youths, Behavior of, as Imagined by a Pre-Teen, in 1950-something
I lay in my bed and tried to form in my mind a clear image of what Veronica and Stretch were doing.
Three buses were waiting in front of the high school when they arrived. They got out of the car, and Jack drove away.
“Which bus should we take?” Stretch asked.
“I don’t know,” said Veronica. …
Boarding the first bus was that sad group of boys and girls who remain awkward throughout adolescence, who never find a cure for their acne, who either can’t lose weight or can’t gain weight, who are too tall or too short, too smart or too outspoken. … Boarding the second bus were the clean-cut boys and girls with whom my mother would have wanted me to ride if I had taken Veronica. The third bus, however, was Bus Six. …
“Let’s sit in the back,” said Veronica. …
The back of the bus was filled with smoke, loud talking, and boys and girls in leather jackets. Veronica and Stretch walked into the smoke …
By the time the bus reached the skating rink, Stretch and Veronica knew the names of most of the boys and girls around them, their breath smelled of bourbon, and their cheeks were flushed. …
Finally, the lights began to flash, and the skaters drifted off the rink, removed their skates, and boarded the bus. Shortly after Porky pulled out of the parking lot, the lights inside the bus went out. Stretch and Veronica peered into the darkness around them, squinting to try to make out just what the older boys and girls were doing. When Stretch put his hand on Veronica’s thigh, I smiled, stretched out in the cozy warmth of my bed, and fell asleep.Little Follies, “Take the Long Way Home”
Teenage Youths, Behavior of, as Depicted in Popular Culture, 1950s
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