A Most Ordinary Life

Chapter 7 - Getting Around in the Fifties

As a student in New Brunswick in the fifties, Rigor had no money to spend on frivolous things and all of his friends were in the same boat, because their families either couldn't afford to give spending money or just wouldn't. Leon Essing was somewhat an exception because his parents owned a few clothing stores in the Maritimes but gave their son no money at university for most of the terms. So Leon borrowed from everyone he could and then payed his debts a couple times a year when his folks ultimately coughed up. But he was the exception. 

Hitch-hiking was the favoured way to get around and it was considered very safe and very common. So common that to go anywhere one had to pick the right time of day and then pick the best place to stand, because there was usually competition. There was a code of ethics as well. It wouldn't be proper to stand in front of someone who was there first. Traffic was sparse so picking the time of day to catch a few cars often meant finding too much competition.

Rigor seemed to be going somewhere most of the time. Probably the far away fields are always greener idea. Amherst was 10 miles away and often a destination for many Mt A students, and Rigor was no exception. Getting there in the afternoon was normally not a problem and worst case walking back was also doable. Some students who would frequent the Amherst legion would catch the train from Amherst which would pass through Sackville. The problem with this stunt was that it didn't stop in Sackville and the only way off was to jump from an open boxcar. A bit high up and quite fast moving. It was considered a heroic feat and Rigor was far too timid to attempt it.

Winter was no deterrent though, and on one particular night that was bitter cold, and when it came time to head back from Amherst, there were no cars for the longest time. Rigor and Eric looked at each other and RIgor said,

"It's too damn cold to walk back now", knowing with the wind on the open Tantramar Marshes and the drifting snow.

"So let's walk around town and see what we can find", said Eric.

Soon they came across a door leading upstairs. They climbed the stairs and found a hallway in front of a dentist office door. It had some heat and was quite comfortable. No other doors were there so they knew they wouldn't be discovered until the office opened the next day. This was a real find. In the morning the sun was out and they got a ride back pretty quickly.

They kept this secret place to themselves and used it a couple times more, until one night when the door off the street was locked. Maybe they had been found out. This was another really cold night, and try as they might there were no other free places to bunk down that they could find. Desperate people do desperate things, so they went to the police station which was about the only place open at that time of night.

"We are hung up here with no place to spend the night", said Eric.

"OK, you boys can stay in a jail cell for the night", the officer said without asking any questions.

They were led to a room with four cells, two were empty and each cell had two beds. The cells were iron bars with iron slotted bed frames. Nothing else. Just iron and concrete. The night was uneventful, just a long wait. In the morning, they were told that they could not get out until the judge arrived around 9 am and talked to them.  

As they were waiting someone came by and hosed down all the cells from top to bottom. They could see why it was only iron and concrete. Much like what was called a slammer, Rigor thought. They finally got to see the Judge who asked their names and what they were doing, and then let them go. This wasn't the only time they spent time in jail. It happened in Moncton also when it was too cold and rides were too hard to get. They had walked in better weather from Moncton to Sackville, 30 miles, all night long, but this was winter and another cold cold night, so a warm jail cell seemed pretty good. They knew the routine and soon were in a double room with actual beds. Not very clean but beggars can't be choosers.