The Rumble Seat

The rumble seat was a seat outside and at the rear of some early Ford cars. If you were young enough it was an exciting place to be. The automobile was new and ownership was still rare.

There was a feeling of isolation from the people inside the car. Pretty exciting if you were 12 years old.

In fact they were dangerous. Even a minor mishap could put the passengers in the rumble seat in grave danger. An aggressive driver could easily terrorize its occupants.

Look at it from the perspective of the unfortunate passenger. Unlike the driver, you were exposed to the elements - wind, rain, sleet, hail or a merciless sun were your companions. A discussion with the driver who was safely inside the car, about reckless driving was likely out of the question.

Nearly a century later, the rumble seat has long ago passed into oblivion, but for many of us, the feeling of being taken for a ride by an out of control driver persists. Sometimes we can exercise enough control over our lives to just get out and walk, but most of the time the forces that bedevil us are large and well out of earshot. Like when the driver is the guy in the White House, or running Enron, Countrywide, or Bear Sterns.

So whats a fellow to do? Laugh? Cry? Shout at the driver? Discover why spitting into the wind is not a good idea?