It's April 1965 - You're Gonna Start A Band - People Laugh - You Don't.

It's April 1966 - You're On The Bus- You're Not One Of The Cool Kids.

The Bus – every day. Back and forth to school. Back and forth to the Beach – back and forth to your girlfriend's house. Twelfth grade – you're too old to ride the bus. Your friends make jokes. Everybody has a car – you don't. Passed Driver's Ed – aced the test. Dad won't let you borrow his car. He tells you to get a job and buy one.

Weekends – bagboy at Daylight Market – stacking canned goods – mopping floors – cleaning spills – picking up broken glass – sweeping up cigarette butts. Getting yelled at by customers because you don't know where the Pineapple is (it's not in season). $1.25 an hour and a smock plus tips.

They don't tip at Daylight Market – never have. The Store Manager will throw a party for you when they do.

You had weekends – you had friends; once. Bus into Hollywood – go to Lewin's – go to Wallich's – listen to records – smoke cigarettes – look at girls – act cool – think of being clever – never say a word. Horny with no place to go. Horny with short hair.

Eyeing a 1957 Ford Fairlane – $225 – used car lot on Pico. Sitting there since January – it's got your name on it. Last week they added O.B.O. – two weeks it'll be yours.

Payday – clean out your bank account – leave enough to say you have one. Beg your dad to go with you and look at the car. Cross your fingers you get it for $150.

Give it the once-over. Looks better close up – even dad nods. Salesman hovers – if he had a tail it would wag. He smells a sale. Money is dying to fly out of your pocket.

Dad is good at haggling. Salesman shrugs shoulders and agrees to $150. You're going to pee in your pants. This is big stuff. You stifle a yell.

Dad turns to you and asks if you thought about car insurance.

Car insurance?

The thwacking sound is your jaw hitting the ground. Car Insurance?

$40 a month – half a month working at Daylight. Dad won't front you – he knows you too well. You still owe him for the train set you got when you were nine.

Make salesman promise he won't sell the car until you get insurance – should be two weeks. Offer to pay him already – dad shakes his head; nothing doing.

Get to work early – put in overtime. Finally raise the money. Run down to AAA – Underage. Dad has to co-sign.

Continue begging. Dad finally gives in. All set.

Race down to the used car lot – fists full of Ben Franklin.

Car gone.

Salesman swore he promised, it was the "other salesman" who didn't.

Take bus home. Sit in your room – lights off. Stare at the radio.

Reb Foster – KFWB. You imagine you're driving somewhere.

If only . . .

Maybe not compensation but background noise, here's almost an hour's worth of Reb Foster from KFWB – April 11, 1966

https://pastdaily.com/2024/09/07/its-april-1966-youre-a-teenager-youre-on-the-bus/

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