You were a smart kid back then. I had a similar experience also. In 1978 when I turned 16, I got my grandparent's 1970 Buick Electra to drive. It had the old-style lap and separate shoulder belts which I ignored. However, printed above the steering column was "Fasten Seat Belts" which I constantly saw while driving, so one night, mainly out of curiosity, I buckled up both the lap and separate shoulder belts. They took a bit of adjusting as the shoulder belt did not have a retractor and really held me in place, but I was surprised at how much better the car handled and drove with me securely strapped in place. I was quickly in the habit of wearing them every time I drove. All of my friends thought I was nuts for buckling up those old -style belts and I was usually the only one in the car with belts on. Rarely a front seat passenger might use the lap belt after seeing me get buckled in. My routine was to get in the car, insert the key, turn the ignition, push in the lighter, buckle both belts, light a cigarette, shift into drive and take off. Fast forward to one Friday night in 1982 and I was coming home from college for the weekend. I had driven 75 miles and had only about 4 miles before getting home when a drunk driver in a Chevrolet Suburban crossed the center line and hit me head on. My 12 year old Electra was totaled, but because of the size and quality of the car, along with me wearing both the lap and shoulder belts, I walked away with minor scrapes, scratches, and heavy bruises from the seat belts. The drunk driver surprisingly was wearing his three-point seat belt, but had the shoulder belt under his left arm and had serious injuries to his face and chest from impacting the steering wheel. His unbelted drunk passenger went through the windshield and landed on the hood of the Suburban, also with massive head injuries. At the age of 16 I started wearing the seat belts for the enhanced driving experience, along with the obvious safety aspect. To me it was just a no-brainer to do so.

Amazingly, after my accident, my grandfather admitted that he had only worn both the lap and shoulder belts once and that was on a trip he made soon after he bought the Electra and he found the shoulder belt to be "too confining" and had maybe worn the lap belt only a "handful of times" after that. I guess it was just a sign of the times. Go figure.

I was alive during the time of this movie. I agree that the prosperity was far greater then, than it is now sadly.

How do you figure that? This is in Canada.

but at least you foooked the old lady in the back seat