sign of the times?

**myakka** · 08-13-2012, 08:16 PM

I have noticed something watching old television shows like Perry Mason and The Green Hornet.

When folks got into their cars back in the day, they would climb in on the curb side, and slide across to the driver's side.

Now we walk around the car and get in on the driver's door.

Why do you think this has changed?

My only theory is that when we went through the sub-compact push in the 70's gas shortage, then the cars were smaller and smaller. Which led to center consoles (cars sit lower, so around the drive shaft.)

So my dear intelligent friends..... Theories?

**RICHFL** · 08-13-2012, 08:41 PM

It's the Feds Fault. They demanded higher and higher MPG increase; So autos needed to be lower to the ground for wind resistance. Weight of a bench seat is a lot more the a pair of bucket seats.

**5Pyd3Rm4N** · 08-14-2012, 02:04 PM

what?!?!? then why are bench seats still the basic rear seat plan? Can you site some data on your theory? I believe that Buckets became the seats of choice because they used to be the 'upgrade'. Then manufactures figured out how to build them just as cheaply as the benches.

I've been around a while and I can't remember getting in the front seat and sliding across behind the wheel...the kids used to do it because it was safer to get in curbside and slide over than walk into traffic...still do on the odd occasion I'm someplace where there's curbside parking

**Morgan101** · 08-14-2012, 05:51 PM

Very few cars back then had a console in the middle. I don't think you would see them sliding over a console. Now very few cars don't have a console. It was easy to slide across back then.

**myakka** · 08-14-2012, 06:03 PM

In case you want to see this for yourselves, (to show that I'm not crazy....) you can watch free episodes of Perry Mason on abc.com

And I think that is all it really is, that most cars have a center console. But what interests me is that we become conditioned to a way of doing things. So even with cars (and trucks) that have no center console we still walk around now because that's what we are used to doing.

**dalewick** · 08-14-2012, 06:15 PM

Bucket seats and center consoles.

Dale

**MGF** · 08-15-2012, 04:49 AM

I don't think I've ever had to parallel park in high traffic areas on a regular basis. If something changed about the way people do it, I wouldn't have noticed.

**nakadnu** · 08-15-2012, 07:37 AM

Did people actually slide across in real life, or did they only do it in the movies? Could also be people were scared to walk into the oncoming traffic lane in those days.

**TheLastMountainMan** · 08-15-2012, 10:35 AM

I drive an 86 ford 1/2 ton, and when parked at a curb, I enter from the passenger side. I don't trust other peoples' driving skills in the Greater Kansas City area. They suck at driving around here.

**Griptilian** · 09-13-2012, 07:04 PM

I lived in Mphs. most of my life except for the time I spent in the Army. Know about crazy drivers, can't park, don't give signals, etc. etc. Moved out of the big city but still drive to Mphs. often. Its hard not to give a person the air wing salute when someone cuts you off or whatever reason. Anyone in the military knows what that is, the middle finger. When I was in Thailand they must of had a death wish or something. They drove like a bat out of he-- all the time, 24 7, but, no one got mad about it. If you've never been out of the country its a real eye-opener.