On any given summer evening, the sound of the ride man coming down your street meant begging Mom for a quarter, only to be told to ask your father. As he fumbled in his pocket, your anticipation grew, wondering what ride it would be: the whip, the Ferris wheel, or your favorite, the bumper cars.
As the music grew closer, a small crowd gathered, and suddenly, the bright blue truck appeared. "What genius thought of this?" Dad would say. "Is it a darn gold mine?" Another dad chimed in. To my disappointment, it wasn't the bumper cars this time, but the whip was more than good enough.
The ride man opened the gate and collected your quarter until the whip was full, then closed the gate. Pulling on a lever, he started the ride as kids screamed with excitement with every twist of the whip. One good thing was that the ride man let you ride for a long time while he talked to the parents, especially the Moms.
As the sun began to set, he turned on the colored lights, which made the ride even more fun. But like most things, the ride ended, and the ride man waved goodbye until the next time he came down your street. Those special moments on any given summer evening have stayed with me all these years as I look down the street for the bright blue truck that I wish would be the bumper cars.
Mike 2025
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