A very good friend of mine in high school got himself a flatbed when we all got fairly standard “first cars”. It was mostly because he worked for his fathers’ landscaping company, but he often used it to have a host of us sit up in it and hang out. At one point, I think he even had a rug in there.

We used to hang around all the time in it. I’m sure we looked ridiculous, parked in the lots of gas stations or out in front of each others’ houses. We would bring food in there, stereos, just about everything. One of my friends liked to sit up on the wheels, I usually preferred the corners. 

I’m sure you were waiting for the part where I explained that the flatbed sort of became a bit orgiastic. No, we didn’t have orgies. Yes, a bunch of us “played a little baseball” in it. 

Now, whenever I see a flatbed, I have a host of fond memories. And when I come home, we all hang out on it and catch up. I know, I know, how American apple pie of me.