Perhaps it is just a thing that children in the United Kingdom do when they’re out and about, on their push bikes. Not too sure about their counterparts in the United States as, after having done some research, there isn’t much on the web to tell us that kids in the States have even heard of it, let alone do it.
I’ll cut to the chase. What I’m talking about is something which is an instant reminder of happy childhood memories, memories that come to mind when I think back to my younger years. We have all got childhood memories that make us happy, and this just happens to be one of mine. I suppose it shows that I was always destined to enjoy driving around with the best additions to my chosen vehicle.
I learnt it from my peers and older friends. We learn lots of different things this way, it’s an integral part of growing up. What we would do is scour the area we were in for plastic bottles, any shape and any size. We would then stamp on the plastic bottle we had found or chosen, so that it was curved on the ends and flat in the middle. Then, we’d fit the bottle between the frame of our bike and the back wheel.
We’d push off on our bikes and start to pedal. Steady at first, then pedal faster until our legs would hurt. When we were going as fast as we could, the plastic bottle wedged between the back wheel and the bike frame would rub against the rubber of the tyre, causing it to sound like a huge exhaust from a souped-up car (or so we thought). Looking back, in reality, it would have probably sounded like the exhaust of a really old car or one that needed to be re-fitted or changed. But that didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter where we went on our bikes. We could have just been cycling through different neighbourhoods, or on dirt tracks in the forestry. We could have been in the local park or in a car-park. It simply didn’t matter. As long as we were on our bikes and all together, that’s what mattered.
Eventually, of course, the plastic bottle would rub against the tyre so much that it would either fall apart or would have developed a hole where the rubber had rubbed against it. This would then mean that the sound of the exhaust would wane away, to eventually become mute, and we would have to find another bottle. Every plastic bottle had a different voice, and a different personality, so it was always about finding the right type for you.
This is the same for much of everything in life; finding the right thing for you. Back in my childhood, if I hadn’t joined in with the crowd and chosen to use those plastic bottles as an accessory to my push bike I definitely would not have the capacity to look back on a great time in my childhood. All of us have certain favourite memories from childhood. You should take the time to reminisce and remember. It will make you smile.
