If you're under 30 this will mean absolutely nothing to you

On Saturday Ed and I took his father to see the movie "3:10 to Yuma". He hadn't been to a movie in several years and really enjoyed the outing. While waiting for the show to start, he told me about long, long ago when he and Ed's mom used to go to drive-ins. One Saturday they decided to go, but they had been out partying the night before and were really tired. Apparently both of them fell asleep and didn't wake up until 4:30am when someone started knocking on their window.

Do you remember drive-ins? It was always such a treat when I was a kid. There was one particular drive-in in Tucson - the Midway- which was in the center of town. Because it's so hot in Tucson, during the summer there was a section in front of the screen where they had dozens of lounge chairs so people could get out of their hot cars and sit on the chairs watching the movie. We didn't have mosquitos because of the dryness so bugs weren't a problem. It was like a big nighttime picnic.

They finally got rid of the chairs, so we brought our own. My family, my aunt and uncle, and my grandparents would all go together. Each group in our own car. We would park close to each other, but leave at least one space empty between our cars and set up our lawn chairs, BBQ's, ice chests, and anything else we might need. Everyone else did the same thing so it was like a huge campsite with a movie playing. I still remember sitting there with my cousin, Ken, watching the Keystone Cops and laughing so hard our stomachs hurt.

In the winter the theater would give us little portable heaters as we drove in so we could stay warm without the engine running.

I can remember sitting in the car in the back seat trying to watch the movie. Cars would come in late and my dad would be cussing them out because they didn't lower their headlights. Cars with loud mufflers would drive by and you couldn't hear the movie. Or you'd find the perfect spot only to discover that the speaker didn't work or was missing! As soon as you got settled, one of the kids had to go to the bathroom which meant heading out, dodging cars, still trying to watch the movie, starting to get a little cranky.

When my kids were little, the only way we could go to a movie without paying a babysitter was to go to a drive-in. We had a little Chevy Vega station wagon and we would make a bed for the kids in the back, put their pj's on, and head to the movie. Even brought popcorn and drinks from home so we didn't need to go to the snackbar.

The snack bar was always in the back somewhere and a long dark walk. You would pass by all the other cars, all the while looking over your shoulder so you didn't miss too much of the movie. I think the rule was that all snack bars had to be really dirty with sticky floors and surly cashiers. And, of course, there was always at least one kid who spilled the popcorn and drink on the way back to the car. He was usually the one crying through the rest of the movie.

During the trek to the snack bar or the bathroom your parents would always try to divert your attention from the cars with all the steamy windows and the legs up in the air. I do remember once asking my Dad what was going on in "that" car and he told me something about the person was probably sick and trying to sleep. I was young enough to buy it!! I also clearly remember one time when I went into the bathroom while he waited outside the door. When I came out, the conversation went something like this (mind you, I was around 8 at the time):

Me: Hey, dad, they have something neat [we said "neat" in those days] in a machine in there - sanitary napkins!

Dad: Okay, time to go.

Me: But, dad, I want one. Can I have a quarter?

Dad: NO!

Me (whining): How come? If I get dirty eating the popcorn I want a napkin that's clean to use to wipe my mouth and it says it's sanitary!! Why can't I have one?

Dad: Your mother will explain it to you.

She actually did explain it - about 4 years later!!

I don't think there are many drive-ins left anymore. Certainly not where I live. The site of the last one now has a huge shopping area. No more four-plex drive-ins where you had a speaker to hear one movie, but kept looking around at the other three soundless features. Or driving down the road trying to catch a peek at a movie at you were stopped at a light. Ah, the good old days.