If you were one of the lucky ones and you lived in an area where the street in front of your home was paved with good old asphalt mix (not black pitch, which used to melt under the hot sun and became soft around midday), then you probably had a skateboard or enjoyed fun times in groups with a classic "trolley.’
Kids back in the old days were incredibly creative. They cut and assembled select pieces of wood using door clamps and bearings from car wheels to create the classic skateboard. They were quite noisy on the paved road surface, but we had loads of fun racing. If the construction was not executed properly and one of the clamps became dislodged during the race, the outcome was a typical ‘white man’ bruise, which can be quite painful.
Another invention that frequently led to simultaneous injuries was the trolley. Its construction was simple: a long piece of wood could accommodate at least four people seated behind the person steering the contraption, with bearings used as wheels for racing on the road. The trolley was controlled by the driver's feet on the front axle, allowing them to push left and right, or by a rope tied to either end. Power came from behind. A long rod was anchored to the back, and as many people as possible would grip the rod to push.
It was a race that often ended with one or both trolleys crashing into the drain or simply toppling over, spilling everyone onto the road (yes, some ended up with "ah-white man," that is when your skin shaved off from grating along the road surface, but we sure had fun). The older guys would push so hard that the driver would lose control, which typically happened when a corner was involved. Damn, those were the good old days.’