The car was an MGA, old even in 1966. The trip involved two lanes of winding highway from Tuscaloosa to Guin, a little over 50 miles. The reason was the same as it always was when we were 16. Come to think of it, the reason hasn't changed a whole lot since.

There were five of us, and the car had two seats. For any sensible person, it might seem dangerous. We weren't sensible; we were teenagers. As long as we didn't run into state troopers, county sheriffs, local When we left that Saturday police, or anyone's parents, we'd be okay.

If our parents had found out, we'd still be grounded. If they had known why we went, we would have been neutered. In reality, the trip gave us a reason to do something out of the ordinary and have a story to tell. Even in retrospect, it was worth it.

Randy spent a few weeks each summer visiting his grandparents in Guin. They lived next door to a family that included a girl our age. Randy and this girl decided there were enough females in Guin for several big city boys. That was how the whole thing began.

Like a lot of really stupid ideas, no one was willing to suffer the abuse associated with pointing out the obvious problems. Since no one said no, the plan gained momentum. Staff meetings operate on the same principle. afternoon, the sun was out, hopes were high, and we all expected an evening to remember. A cramped ride in a two- seater sports car was minor compared to meeting wild country girls.

I was in the trunk going up. Time seemed to crawl by a lot slower in there. When we arrived, Randy's grandparents' amazement grew as more and more teenage boys climbed from the car.

Randy made contact with the girl next door. She was as amazed as Randy's grandparents we had accepted her offer. I guess she didn't know teenage boys very well. It was quickly determined no other girls would be showing up. We weren't sure what to do, so we hung around and did nothing; young boys do that well.

By the time we started home, the sun had disappeared, and the night was a lot cooler. There were too many of us to pull the roof up, so we drove home with the top down.

I spent the return trip curled up in the floor of the passenger seat. Every joint in my body quivers at the thought of two hours in the same cramped position. As it turned out, I was the warmest passenger. We made it home safely and undiscovered.

Today teenagers are being led away in handcuffs for doing things more benign than what we did. Zero tolerance came about because people can't remember what being 16 involves.

On paper, our trip was a failure and miserable experience. Today, we only have memories of the good parts and a story to share. But everyone of us would probably do it again.