This story started out innocently: a few of us decided to carpool to a group outing. It made a lot more sense than driving multiple cars to lunch and then driving those same cars back to the exact same place from where we started. So, we all met up at the appointed time, give or take some tardiness, and headed to lunch.
Now, the friend who drove has purchased a new car since the last time I saw her. So, someone made an off-hand remark about how it'd be my first time in her car. There was all manner of banter about the pomp and circumstance necessary for this momentous occasion, and we all shared a few laughs about it all.
Since there were three of us, though, someone had to sit in the backseat. That's where this story started to get far more amusing. Since I tend to have shorter legs than many of the other folks I hang out with, I'm very used to sitting in the back, particularly that middle seat in the back. And, since this is such a common occurrence, I immediately volunteered to sit in the back for my maiden voyage.
The other relevant piece of information here was that this vehicle only had two doors. So getting to the back involved sliding and tilting the front seat forward, so that you could then access the back. I didn't know this in advance, but since I was closest to the door when I volunteered, this more or less put me in the position to dictate where I would sit. After all, the other passenger couldn't just barrel past me to get to the back seat.
Now, she protested and tsk'ed at this turn of events, since she was firmly in the pomp and circumstance for the first ride camp. However, she didn't exactly have much choice. Besides, it's not like I was suddenly relegated to third class, and habits die hard. The banter, however, did not die all that quickly. She playfully pouted and demanded that on the way back, I sit in the front seat. Like a good parent, the driver stepped in and helped to broker an accord. We would swap places on the return drive.
So, we got to the restaurant, and everyone involved had a good time. There were quite a few laughs and we all left feeling quite content. As we were leaving, though, everyone had to say their good byes. Since we had a large enough group, this involved standing around in a circle and working our way through the various combinations of people who needed to either hug, shake hands, or dap.
Now, by a sheer fluke of coincidence, I happened to start the process first. It was neither intentional nor planned, though in hindsight, I wish I had planned it out (you'll see why in a little bit). The driver, as it turned out, was the second person to work through all of the good byes. So, she walked to the car, and unlocked the doors.
Well, I'd already said my goodbyes, so I didn't have anything else to do. Also, I noted my opportunity to steal the back seat again. I pounced. The absolute best part was that as I was climbing in, well past the point of no return, the pomp and circumstance passenger caught wind of what had happened. She yelped an immediate, "no! Sam!" and I laughed my head off in the back seat. I didn't catch the other people's reactions, but I like to imagine some mixture of bewilderment and laughter. I got a stern talking-to on the ride back, but I was way too amused to really pay it much attention.
Oh, and that last yelp and exchange led to several amusing emails after the fact. They spanned the range from classy ("Sam got attacked for trying to be a gentleman") to rogue-ish ("couldn't wait to get to the back seat"), but either way, they were all good for a few laughs. All in all, my decision to sit in the back seat was totally worth it.
Now, the friend who drove has purchased a new car since the last time I saw her. So, someone made an off-hand remark about how it'd be my first time in her car. There was all manner of banter about the pomp and circumstance necessary for this momentous occasion, and we all shared a few laughs about it all.
Since there were three of us, though, someone had to sit in the backseat. That's where this story started to get far more amusing. Since I tend to have shorter legs than many of the other folks I hang out with, I'm very used to sitting in the back, particularly that middle seat in the back. And, since this is such a common occurrence, I immediately volunteered to sit in the back for my maiden voyage.
The other relevant piece of information here was that this vehicle only had two doors. So getting to the back involved sliding and tilting the front seat forward, so that you could then access the back. I didn't know this in advance, but since I was closest to the door when I volunteered, this more or less put me in the position to dictate where I would sit. After all, the other passenger couldn't just barrel past me to get to the back seat.
Now, she protested and tsk'ed at this turn of events, since she was firmly in the pomp and circumstance for the first ride camp. However, she didn't exactly have much choice. Besides, it's not like I was suddenly relegated to third class, and habits die hard. The banter, however, did not die all that quickly. She playfully pouted and demanded that on the way back, I sit in the front seat. Like a good parent, the driver stepped in and helped to broker an accord. We would swap places on the return drive.
So, we got to the restaurant, and everyone involved had a good time. There were quite a few laughs and we all left feeling quite content. As we were leaving, though, everyone had to say their good byes. Since we had a large enough group, this involved standing around in a circle and working our way through the various combinations of people who needed to either hug, shake hands, or dap.
Now, by a sheer fluke of coincidence, I happened to start the process first. It was neither intentional nor planned, though in hindsight, I wish I had planned it out (you'll see why in a little bit). The driver, as it turned out, was the second person to work through all of the good byes. So, she walked to the car, and unlocked the doors.
Well, I'd already said my goodbyes, so I didn't have anything else to do. Also, I noted my opportunity to steal the back seat again. I pounced. The absolute best part was that as I was climbing in, well past the point of no return, the pomp and circumstance passenger caught wind of what had happened. She yelped an immediate, "no! Sam!" and I laughed my head off in the back seat. I didn't catch the other people's reactions, but I like to imagine some mixture of bewilderment and laughter. I got a stern talking-to on the ride back, but I was way too amused to really pay it much attention.
Oh, and that last yelp and exchange led to several amusing emails after the fact. They spanned the range from classy ("Sam got attacked for trying to be a gentleman") to rogue-ish ("couldn't wait to get to the back seat"), but either way, they were all good for a few laughs. All in all, my decision to sit in the back seat was totally worth it.
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