One Bicycle - Five People
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
May 2, 2017 8:25am CST
When I was a child in the 1940s our family didn't have a car, but our parents had a novel way of getting around.
They had an old bicycle with two seats, one behind the other, which was called a tandem. They had used this when they were courting some years before, but it wasn't much use when we three little girls came along.
My Dad was quite resourceful and set about making a 'sidecar'. This was basically a box on wheels which he attached to the side of the bike, and into which we three crammed.
With both Mum and Dad providing the power by cycling we would set off to 'see the world'. We felt like little princesses riding in our 'chariot', and in this manner our horizons were considerably widened.
Mum used to pack a picnic, but as this was just after the war and food was still rationed, it mostly consisted of bread and jam sandwiches. These we thoroughly enjoyed and devoured them with gusto.
I remember these outings with joy, and they provided us with the opportunity to get to know our father better, as he'd been away at the war for most of our early years.
The image is from Pixabay but gives you an idea of what a sidecar looks like. Did you have an unusual mode of transport when you were a child?
50 people like this
52 responses
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@LadyDuck I remember that song Anna
'Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do, I'm half crazy all for the love of you,
We won't have a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage,
But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle made for two'.
I didn't know it was American, but it was popular in my youth.
6 people like this
@Juliaacv (51019)
• Canada
2 May 17
That sounds like it was cozy, in a fun way!
As you know, my Dad was a farmer, and the main vehicle that a farmer needs is a tractor.
So after he bought a few of those, he also needed (a priority for hauling things) was a pick up truck.
So, he and my mother would go everywhere in the pick up truck.
They went to church, to the bank, to the grocery store and he went to get seed and fertilizer and hauled empty wagons to the fields in it.
And then they started a family, and they had 4 children within 4 years.
And we all crammed into that pick up truck.
It wasn't until my youngest brother was born that they considered that we might all be comfortable in a car. And he bought one, which made him a 2 vehicle household, plus all of those tractors.
But even when we were teenagers, if Dad was going somewhere and taking us there, quite often it was in the truck. And it never seemed to matter if there were just him and I or if some of my brothers were tagging along to, there was always room in the front of that pick up truck.
6 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
2 May 17
We had a car as early as I can remember. I remember sitting on my fathers lap as he drove the tractor. I also remember riding high on the hay wagon....returning from the fields.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@Morleyhunt Oh yes, that's what I meant too - I worked on a farm.
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21744)
• Canada
2 May 17
@jaboUK as an adult I've gone on one amazing....hilarious....memorable hayride. My childish memory was a working hayride. We were bringing the hay in from the field.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340278)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 May 17
@jaboUK When I was a child my sheep cart was what we called a 'butter box' stuck on old pram wheels with pieces of wood for handles. Vince couldn't envisage what I wanted for Herc but came home one day with a garden cart which is all very nice but being four wheels it is quite heavy for him to pull. Anyway he is retired now. 
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
2 May 17
those are such cool memories, I would have loved to ride in one of those. My dad was to young to be in the war but he did try to join all the services and was turned down repeatedly. He had very very rare blood and that was the reason he was rejected time and again.
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@fishtiger58 Yes it was a lot of fun.
Did your Dad's condition make him ill?
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
2 May 17
@jaboUK No not at all, he just had rare blood and apparently the services were afraid if he got hurt he would die because getting him the right blood would be difficult.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8768)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
That sounds like fun. We didn't have any unusual modes of transport. It was usually Shanks's pony or the bus. As we got older, we had bikes at various times.
My Mum couldn't (and still can't) ride a bike so such a device wouldn't have helped our family, although I'm sure my Dad would have been happy to pedal her plus three daughters.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@pumpkinjam Yes, Shank's pony or the bus was usual for us too, not that we went on the bus very often. Remember me to your Mum please
1 person likes this
@much2say (55669)
• Los Angeles, California
2 May 17
I was thinking "chariot" too! That must've been so much fun! Were you seated? I imagine back then they didn't enforce seat belts and helmets - but you were all fine. Can't really say we had any "unusual mode" of transport . . . I think these days some kids might thinking walking long distance is unusual! 
3 people like this
@cmoneyspinner (9219)
• Austin, Texas
3 May 17
I just love your image. I can't ride a bike. But I wouldn't mind getting in one of those types of vehicles.
3 people like this
@cmoneyspinner (9219)
• Austin, Texas
3 May 17
@jaboUK - I'm sure I missed out on lots of fun. Had a minor accident growing up. I was about 6 or 7 years old. One of the neighborhood kids hit me with their bike. I was trying to cross the street and the kid was riding down the street at the time. Coming fast because he was racing against another kid and he had fallen behind.
I remember the incident clearly. He tried to stop and avoid hitting me but … Wham! He was fine but my mom took me inside the house to nurse my cuts, scrapes and bruises. After that I never had much motivation to learn to ride a bike.
Looking back I realize that I should have learned this very practical skill. Fortunately, most of my kids know how to ride a bike. They taught themselves. My daughter rides her bike to and from her part-time job.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
@cmoneyspinner After that, I can understand why you didn't want to ride a bike.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
@cmoneyspinner Yes it's a cute image, isn't it? You never learned to ride a bike? You missed out on some fun
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50284)
• United States
3 May 17
I've seen sidecars in movies and tv shows.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
@Tampa_girl7 So you have an idea of what I'm talking about here
1 person likes this
@hostessman (11871)
• Tucson, Arizona
3 May 17
i don't remember my parent ever having a car. i bought myself one when i was 16
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
@hostessman I should think that is quite unusual for an American family not to have a car, isn't it? You always seem to be ahead of us on most things.
1 person likes this
@hostessman (11871)
• Tucson, Arizona
3 May 17
@jaboUK maybe but we lived in a small town
1 person likes this
@just4him (317089)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
2 May 17
@jaboUK It always amazes me how inexpensive things could be during those times, usually a bit of elbow grease and ingenuity, where today that thought doesn't even cross a person's mind - they need to have the real thing, made with the best materials and cost a life savings to have it.
2 people like this
@Gabugs (1895)
• United States
3 May 17
How wonderful that you vividly recall the early childhood years and share it here. I'm sure you had a very happy childhood.It shows in your writings. You'll be surprised to learn that we didn't own a car when we got married. So we went around on a vespa scooter. When our boys arrived, we placed them is the side car and used it as our main means of transport. As unlike here in U.S. in Bombay, to be able to afford a car, was a big thing in those days.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
@Gabugs That's interesting that you used a sidecar for your children Gabby, even though it was on a motorised scooter. I think I was about 11 when my father got his first car, and that was a big deal for us too, although I did have my own when I got married. You grew up in India? You must have had an interesting life.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
2 May 17
I love the ingenuity some of us have. Sounds like a fun way of getting where you needed to go.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
2 May 17
@jaboUK ......When I was a young kid I don't think I thought much about comfort and such. Just the journey and the adventure of it all.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@celticeagle Yes, it was fun - an adventure every time we went out in it. Looking back, it must have been pretty uncomfortable with three of us crammed in it, but we never noticed.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@celticeagle That's it exactly - it's only when we get older that comfort becomes an issue.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
2 May 17
Great Story Janet love it.
Jam Sanwiches were also our lot and we used to make them ourselves.
Would have loved to have driven in that "chariot" though.
2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
2 May 17
@jaboUK
Not really I can´t and what about cheese and daddy sauce sandwiches as well for the School trips?
What about pork dripping sandwiches as a treat?
Love the chariot thing though.
What about pork dripping sandwiches as a treat?
Love the chariot thing though.1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@lovinangelsinstead21 Oh the dripping sandwiches were delicious, weren't they? We never went on any school trips - I don't think there were any when I was small.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@lovinangelsinstead21 Can you imagine kids nowadays thinking that jam sandwiches were a treat? Yes the chariot was great fun.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16761)
• China
3 May 17
In those days,your parents made the most of what they could get to let you three lead a happy life.Poor parental love!I like your posts about your childhood and always read them with relish .
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16761)
• China
4 May 17
@jaboUK You are welcome !I hope there will be more posts like this!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
3 May 17
Thanks @changjiangzhibin89 for reading my posts and finding them interesting
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45156)
• Philippines
2 May 17
that was a good memory of a family bonding together with the bike with sidecar. Wow, I can feel the happiness in your heart. Time fly fast and sometimes we want to return in that moment of our time.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
2 May 17
@ilocosboy They were great times - we didn't have a lot of possessions in those days, but we had a lot of fun.
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45156)
• Philippines
2 May 17
@jaboUK that's true, I miss my childhood too.
1 person likes this
