In my earliest years hanging out in porn theaters, it was all about watching. To this day, though they have lessened some, my voyeuristic inclinations are among my strongest. Back in the day, I was often just as happy to stand back and watch - hoarding up mental images of the debauchery in front of me - while others actually did the deed. Somehow, it seemed that the event had a longer life (at least in my memory and fantasies) if I could take it all in, rather than being carried away by the momentary pleasure I might have experienced.
On the particular evening in question, there was no option. We all watched. No one was allowed to participate, or even touch. Only the two of them. And no one else was complaining.
They had walked into the Mel about an hour after I arrived. It was couples night, so the crowd was large and - unfortunately - completely comprised of men. We were all scattered throughout the cavernous old theater hoping that a couple would wander through those back doors. When they came in, I can't imagine that I was the only guy in the place surprised to see that they were both women. Holding hands and smiling at one another.



There are still a few of them around the country, but most disappeared a long time ago. They were one of the symbols of the new, upscale, mobile lifestyle that seemed to sweep the country after WW II. We were in love with our cars. They were bigger, quieter and flashier than ever. Interstate highways were popping up everywhere, allowing Americans to ride their shiny new machines farther than they had ever gone before. Suburbs became possible, because we no longer had to ride public transportation or walk to work. Motel chains, Kampgrounds, drive-in restaurants and a plethora of other businesses were created to take advantage of our love affair with the automobile. None of them were more iconic than the drive-in movie theater.