16 Things '70s Teens Did While Waiting for a Ride

Waiting for a ride in the 1970s turned minutes into small stories. Without cell phones, location sharing, or instant messages, teens relied on clocks, windows, landline calls, and the sound of a horn. Some filled the delay with records, magazines, television, cards, snacks, books, or conversation. Others sat outside, practiced basketball, played guitar, doodled, finished chores, checked their appearance, or simply paced near the door. These habits reflected a time when plans depended more on patience and trust. The wait became part of going out, creating a mix of boredom, anticipation, improvisation, and excitement before friends, dates, movies, dances, and weekend adventures began.

1. Watched for Headlights Through the Window

Long before text messages could tell someone that someone was outside, teenagers often stood near the window. A curtain shifted, a porch light turned on, and every car that passed made everyone feel hopeful. If a parent, a brother or sister, or a friend had said they would come to pick someone up, watching the street was the easiest way to make sure they didn’t miss it. Doorbells and calls on the landline were useful. Things didn’t always go as planned. A ride might come ten minutes early or twenty minutes late. Teenagers watched the clock and the road, at the time prepared to grab a jacket and run outside the moment the familiar family car showed up.

2. Played Records While They Waited

When a ride ran late, the nearest record player could rescue the evening. Teens dropped an LP or a 45 onto the turntable, turning the room into a private concert while they kept a close eye on the clock. Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Elton John and Stevie Wonder filled bedrooms and living rooms across the decade. One song could make five minutes vanish. An entire album side felt risky if the driver could appear at any moment. The volume stayed low enough to hear a horn. Music made waiting feel less dull, yet teens still listened for tires on the driveway, between choruses and guitar solos.

3. Read a Paperback Until the Car Arrived

A paperback fit perfectly into the gap between getting ready and getting picked up. Teens could sit on the sofa, porch steps, or the edge of a bed. Read without starting anything complicated. Popular young readers encountered novels by Judy Blume while science fiction, mysteries, romances, and school-assigned books also filled minutes. Reading worked well when a parent controlled the television or the household had only one set. Still, concentration rarely lasted uninterrupted. Every engine outside could pull attention from the page. A bookmark stayed close because the ride might appear before the chapter ended, sending the book shut in an instant.

4. Called a Friend on the Landline

Teens often reached for the family telephone when waiting stretched longer than expected. A rotary or push-button phone sat in a kitchen, hallway, or living room with a cord that limited wandering. They called a friend to confirm plans, asked whether the driver had already left, or simply filled a few minutes with conversation. Long chats were risky because an incoming call could not get through on a line. Parents also disliked having the phone tied up. That made every conversation a balancing act. Teens talked quickly, listened for a car horn, and hung up when the promised pickup seemed close.

5. Sat on the Front Porch

Some teens waited outside, watching from behind a window. Teens sat on porch steps, leaned against railings, or stood near the driveway where the approaching car was easy to spot. Warm evenings made this especially pleasant. The front porch offered a little distance from parents asking questions about destinations and return times. Neighbors passed, dogs barked, and bicycles rolled along the street while minutes slipped by. If the ride was late, impatience showed through repeated glances toward the corner. Once the expected car finally appeared, the teen could wave, hurry down the walk, and climb aboard without making anyone wait.

6. Flipped Through a Magazine

When a bus was late, there was time to read a magazine. Teens turned pages in Rolling Stone to see music news, in Sports Illustrated to read about sports, and in popular teen magazines to learn about celebrities, fashion, and get advice. Reading a magazine is easier than starting a TV show because you can stop right away if a horn blows. You do not have to finish each article before moving. A teen may look at pictures and skim product reviews. Read a short column while sitting by the door. The pages give fun without needing a lot of focus. When the headlights come into the driveway, the magazine just sits on the table until later.

7. Checked Their Look One More Time

Waiting sometimes became an excuse to check appearance one final time. Teens stood before hallway mirrors or bedroom mirrors, adjusted shirt collars, smoothed bell-bottoms, fixed hair, or checked makeup before heading out. Fashion mattered at school dances, parties, movies, and dates, so a few spare minutes could turn into another round of grooming. A comb might travel through feathered hair again while lip gloss or eye makeup received a touch-up. Nothing required cameras or filters. The mirror gave the verdict. Then a horn sounded outside; someone shouted that the ride had arrived, and the careful inspection ended with a dash toward the door.

8. Played a Quick Card Game

If friends were already together, a deck of cards could turn a wait into a small competition. They sat at the kitchen table and played short games of Crazy Eights, Hearts, or War. Cards needed no electricity, no setup, and no costly gear, so cards were useful whenever plans stalled. The game could become very serious even though everyone knew that the game might end any time. A horn outside could interrupt a winning hand. Players gathered the cards, argued jokingly about which cards would have won, and rushed for coats. Waiting felt shorter when bragging rights were suddenly at stake.

9. Grab a Snack From the Kitchen

Teenagers often used waiting time to raid the kitchen before leaving. Teenagers could quiet hunger with a sandwich, cookies, potato chips, or a bowl of cereal before an evening away from home. Fast food was popular during the 1970s. Teenagers did not always have enough spending money to buy snacks later. Teenagers saved cash by eating at home for movie tickets, gasoline contributions, records, or other plans. The snack also gave hands something to do while the clock moved slowly. Teenagers stayed alert for the horn outside, sometimes finishing the bite in a hurry. A napkin, empty glass, or plate remained behind as the door closed.

10. Talked About School and Friends

When teens were waiting at a friend’s house, they often spent the time talking about school. They talked about teachers, complained about homework, shared plans for the weekend, and told stories about students. Gossip spread through talking, writing notes, and making phone calls, so being together in person gave a good chance to stay in touch. A promised ride might be forgotten for a while when the conversation was really interesting. Then someone looked at the clock. Wondered if the driver had gotten lost. The conversation moved closer to the window or the front door. When the car finally arrived, the same conversation usually kept going in the seat on the way to where they were going.

11. Watched Whatever Was on Television

Some teens passed the time by turning on the television and watching whatever was on at that moment. There were no streaming menus, no on-demand episodes ready to play. They had to pick from the channels they could get in their area. Sitcoms, game shows, local news, cartoons, and old reruns filled the time until someone came to pick them up. The challenge was not getting too wrapped up in a show. A ride might come in the middle of an episode, leaving the ending a mystery unless someone later told them what happened. Teens stayed close enough to hear a car horn or a family member calling from another room. As soon as the car showed up, the television turned off and the real plans for the evening began.

12. Shot Baskets in the Driveway

A basketball and a driveway hoop provided a way to spend time after school. Teens took turns making throws, tried bank shots, or played against a brother or sister while watching the road. The fun needed no setup and could end as soon as a car came into the driveway. In places without a hoop at home, throwing a ball or shooting at a court worked just as well. The game kept waiting fun from becoming boring. Sometimes the ride they were waiting for came while the ball was still in the air. A last shot was taken; the ball was picked up, and everyone ran toward the car that was waiting.

13. Doodled in a Notebook

Teens who carried a notebook often used moments to doodle, write their own song lyrics, or scribble notes for friends. School notebooks were always close by. The blank margins begged for drawings, band names, hearts, cartoons, and fancy lettering. Waiting for a ride gave the right kind of free time that made creativity feel natural. There was no need to make things perfect or share them with anyone. A pencil and paper were all it took. Some pages turned into little time capsules—of names, inside jokes, and fleeting thoughts. When the horn finally sounded, the notebook closed quickly. Slipped back into a bag, hiding whatever had filled those quiet minutes before the next stop.

14. Played a Few Chords on a Guitar

Music-loving teens sometimes used the wait to tune a guitar or play a few chords. Acoustic guitars were common enough in homes, bedrooms, garages, and informal gatherings, and playing did not require setting up a band. A teen could practice a chord change, repeat part of a song, or quietly improvise while listening for the expected car. The instrument made an unpredictable delay feel productive. It also carried one risk: becoming absorbed and missing the horn outside. Parents or siblings often solved that problem by announcing the arrival. The guitar went back into its case or against the wall, and the player headed out.

15. Finished a Quick Household Chore

A teenager who had not finished getting ready could use the time to do a task around the house. Parents might ask the teenager to put the dishes away, take the trash out, or tidy up their bedroom before they were allowed to go out. Waiting for a ride gave teens enough time to finish the task and prevent a fight at the door. The chore did not make the teenager excited. It helped use the time that was not certain. Every noise from outside made the teenager move faster. When the car came, the last dish was in the cupboard the trash can lid was. The clothes that were scattered were no longer visible.

16. Paced Between the Clock and the Door

When nothing else seemed worth starting, teens simply paced between the clock, window, and front door. Waiting without updates could make a few minutes feel much longer, especially before a date, concert, party, or school event. They checked a wristwatch, looked down the street, sat briefly, then stood again. A parent might offer theories about traffic. Remind them that the driver was probably on the way. The routine captured a reality of 1970s plans: once someone left home, communication became difficult. Eventually, an engine slowed outside. A horn sounded, and the restless pacing and anticipation finally turned into motion.