Still Feeling Guilty

It's funny the memories that last through one's life. I was a junior in highschool, a newly minted driver, possessor of that coveted driver's license. I didn't get to take the family car often but as a member of the Junior class play crew I had to be there every night. So the folks let me drive myself rather ferrying me back and forth.

We had a 1955 4-door, turquoise and cream, Plymouth Savoy like the one pictured above.

One night after play practice, we (and I've forgotten who was with me) just 'had' to scoop the loop. It was a time honored tradition. At first it was driving up and down main street, making a u-turn at the 'top' near the courthouse and at the 'bottom' near the train depot. By the time I was old enough to get a license the u-turn at the top had been outlawed so we had to go up main street and down back street. If any other drivers were doing the same thing it became a game to follow one another.

On this particular night my second cousin (our mothers were first cousins) was also in town driving their family car which was similar to ours only red and white.

I was following him around the loop, going down the back street, when he decided to be silly and started driving erratically. About that time the town cop came out from a side street and lit up his lights. He pulled my cousin over and as I learned later gave him a fine of, the way I remember it, thirty dollars. 

I don't know why I felt guilty that night because I didn't have anything to do with his decision to weave around the street. But I did feel that I had contributed to his actions. If I hadn't been following him it wouldn't have happened. It is a feeling I haven't shaken in all the years since. Maybe I'm just naturally altruistic.