My brother and I received new sleds the Christmas of my 5th grade year. The
sled runners returned at the rear and bent up to meet the platform allowing
the sled to slide backwards, known in our neighborhood as "sissy sleds".

One of the activities which we in southern New Jersey participated in was
"hopping cars", which involved grabbing the rear bumper of a car, best case
at a stop sign, worst case doing a belly flop and grabbing on while the
vehicle was moving. Occasionally my father, on a "snow day" off from school
would drag us out into the country on his bumper (always exciting when you
hit a bare spot and sparks flew up behind the sled).

On the night of January 24th my brother and I were out hopping cars and ran
into a classmate of mine, Sam Schwab, who took the opportunity to berate us
for having sissy sleds. He came along with us, and we later grabbed onto the
rear of an oil truck which was about to proceed after making a delivery.
Unfortunately, the truck backed up. My brother and I were able to slide
backward by stiff-arming the bumper. Sams sled runner got caught in the ice
and he was crushed under the rear wheel of the truck, a runner puncturing his
pancreas. My first confrontation with death, and the last time I was allowed
to hop cars.

Twybil