I hate to bust every one's BUBBLE but who really gives a shit... Sorry just kidding but I could not resist...
Hello, Thanks for thinking of my connection to Long Beach. Back then, it was a great place to grow up. We stayed there until we got married and our mom stayed there until 1998. Sorry SS, I do not have an old photo of the time we were riding the original bumper cars at the Pike. But, ride them we did! At first, I had to ride with my dad. Then as we got to go to The Pike by ourselves, I rode those Bumper Cars to no end. This was the 50s and it was relatively safe to go 3 miles from our house to get to the Pike amusement center on the beach. Since I could now, drive those things by myself, I had one goal in mind, hit my brother’s bumper car in any way I could. Brotherly love at its finest. Ha! But, I do have an art drawing of a fantastic mural in downtown Long Beach that depicts a Bumper Car from that time period they were so popular. The artist is Leon Bee and it was a part of an art mural project for the whole city’s cultural donation/exposition displays. Jnaki My recollection was that they were “neck snappers” at best. As a little kid, I had to ride with my dad. Then, to have a similar experience, my mom became my adult designated driver, but I steered. As a teen, we did come off of those “bumper” escapades with sore necks. Teenage drivers, what does one expect!!! After my wife and I rode them together and in a single car each, she never wanted to go there again. Ha! Note: The next time we both went to The Pike was in 1968 early in the morning. (had an 8 a.m. meeting downtown, just a block down the street.) The Pike was closed, empty and was already in the early stages of destruction. Pentax 35mm camera 1.4x 50 mm lens Ektachrome slide One last photo taken by my wife at 7:30 am while we were walking around the closed Pike. The bumper cars were gone and the smooth track was empty…
Man that’s got to be the rarest of all Chevrolets just like a 62 Ford with a Starliner top.. Curious since your 77 and of the same era I grew up did you call ANY of them Bubbles when you were a teen and driving…I know I never did
The Jalopy Journal
