In the 80's my Lasonic TRC-920 was with me 24 / 7, it was something I lived with. At night it was against the wall on my bed next to my head, plugged in, volume very low. |-) During the day it was with me when I road my bike, sometimes it was across my handle bars pointed straight up at my face ringing the sh!t out of my ears and sometimes it was in one hand as I gripped the handle bars or in one arm cradled like a baby!
Back in high school it was customary to take our radios to school, to do a little blasting at nutrition, between classes and at lunch. Many of us did it but it was a BIG no no on campus.
I still remember back in 83 when I was taking my radio to school, I was in 10th grade. I had a few friends that did the same and we were always hiding them from the teachers, trying to not get them taken away from us, hiding them in our lockers and back packs. I had found a back pack that my TRC-920 would just barely fit in. It was an ordeal to get it in there with out breaking off those fragile toggle switches. But I always took my time to be very careful and never broke one.
Anyway...
We had been breaking the rules for along time, taking our radio's to school, sometimes even playing them at low volume in the back of the class. I had a few warnings over the course of the school semester and the school even tried combating the problem of radios at school by playing music over the PA system at lunch. But I didn't want to hear what they were playing, I wanted to hear my own music.
It finally came to a head one morning when the principal came on the PA system and said that anyone found on campus with a radio would have it taken away PERMANENTLY and they would be checking lockers and back packs. I had already been busted so many times, I swear I thought that message was just for me.
I can still remember the feeling of panic.
Knowing that if I lost this box, that would be it. I had no money to get another one. My parents were broke and they could never replace it. I would be screwed. The very thought of loosing my radio made me sick to my stomach. 
At this stage of the game it was early in the day, maybe 2nd or 3rd period. The gates were locked, there was no way for me to get out. They had been having problems with kids jumping the fences so they had extra security on campus and they had been putting black grease on top of the fences where people typically jumped to try to deter us, there was just no way to leave!
Since I was known to be a blaster, I knew myself and a few other dudes that would certainly have there lockers checked, so I couldn't stash my radio there. I had it in my back pack with me, so I was just in a panic.
I remember rounding the corner of the science building to see about hooking up with one of my buddies to see what he was going to do. And as I headed to his locker I rounded the corner and he was standing there with security and handing over his radio! OMFG! :'-( I could feel the blood rushing from my face.
I ducked back around the corner with my mind racing trying to think of what I could do.
Could I get up on the roof some how? Maybe leave my box up there? I still needed my back pack to carry all my books...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
Class is about to start. I can't go to my locker, I can't walk past any security, they are going to check my back pack.
Finally, with my mind racing I did the unthinkable!!!
I found a cluster of dense bushes at the end of the school building and after some people walked by, I pulled my radio out of my back pack and I stashed it as far and deep into that bush as I could. Hoping and praying that no one saw me and that no one would see it and steal it.
As I walked away, I looked back thinking "is this the last time I am going to see my radio? I swear I will KILL someone if they steal it from me". There it was, my NEW, in 1983 920 sitting unattended in a bush as I'm walking away. I wanted to throw up.
As the day went on it seemed like the longest day of my life. 4th, 5th and 6th period dragged on. I couldn't think about school work. All I could think of was, "Someone is going to rip off my radio" or "security is going to find it and that's the end of it".
To make matters worse it was threatening to rain all day. It sprinkled here and there and I remember my heart beating in my throat while I stared out the window praying to any angel
or even the devil himself :devil: not to let it rain on my radio!
Finally the 6th period bell rang and I was on the far side of the school. I ran a full sprint with a full back pack of books across a crowed school of thousands of kids almost breaking into tears. :'-( The ground was wet from light sprinkling all day.
It seemed like the closer I got the more crowded it became, people slowing me down. Winded, my sprinting became, running, then fast passed walking as I negotiated people walking in all directions, all in my way! DAMN IT I WISHED THEY'D ALL JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY! :evilmad:
Finally I was at the end of the science hallway, I just had to round the corner and I would be there and as I got to the end of the hall I heard the 9 worst words of my life to that point "Excuse me young man, are you looking for something".
My exhausted legs almost gave out from under me. I gasped in horror, letting out an uncontrollable pathetic whimper as I slowly began to turn around. Behind me a classroom door was halfway open with a male teacher sticking his head out.
I stopped, turned and said "are you talking to me?" He pointed and said, "No, you there, come here" and called another kid over!
I almost collapsed right there on the spot. My exhausted rubber legs struggled to carry me just a little further and as I finally rounded the corner, I could not see into the bushes, it was too dense. I could not see if my box was in there. My rubber legs couldn't move me any faster and as I got closer I could see that the bush was wet from the light rain.
Was it in there? Was it wet and ruined?
Even as I stood right at the bush, I couldn't see into it. My hands pushed inside, reaching around....I COULDN'T FEEL IT!
Was this the right bush? There were about 5 or 6 buildings that all had bushes at one end. Did I make a mistake in my mind? Was it another bush at the end of another building?
THEN, I felt something, I shoved my whole upper body in with both arms extended, I was getting all scratched up, but then there it was. I had my hands on it....
I carefully pulled it out of the bushes, being careful not to scratch it all up or break any switches.
My pulse went from 500 beats per minute to breathing normal, and since the bush was so dense, it wasn't even wet!
My radio and I weren't just reunited and I wasn't just back in possession of an electrical appliance, up until this point my life with my radio was something I took for granted. No longer would I ever think that. At this point I thought that if I ever lost my ability to blast my music, I would loose my identity.
I stopped taking my radio to school for the next week, but I couldn't be with out it. Once things cooled down, I was back to my old tricks, but I was far more cautious. We all were. No longer did we openly walk the hallways playing our music or try to defy the rules. But I still couldn't live with out my radio. I walked to and from school. At the very least I needed it for that and if it meant being cool on the volume knob while on campus so I could BLAST going to and from. Then so be it.
One thing is for sure....The bond that was built that day by almost loosing my Boombox is what has brought me to this site and reunited me with the TRC-920 I roll with today!
I think I'll charge my batteries and hit the street!
PEACE! :sin:
Back in high school it was customary to take our radios to school, to do a little blasting at nutrition, between classes and at lunch. Many of us did it but it was a BIG no no on campus.
I still remember back in 83 when I was taking my radio to school, I was in 10th grade. I had a few friends that did the same and we were always hiding them from the teachers, trying to not get them taken away from us, hiding them in our lockers and back packs. I had found a back pack that my TRC-920 would just barely fit in. It was an ordeal to get it in there with out breaking off those fragile toggle switches. But I always took my time to be very careful and never broke one.
Anyway...
We had been breaking the rules for along time, taking our radio's to school, sometimes even playing them at low volume in the back of the class. I had a few warnings over the course of the school semester and the school even tried combating the problem of radios at school by playing music over the PA system at lunch. But I didn't want to hear what they were playing, I wanted to hear my own music.
It finally came to a head one morning when the principal came on the PA system and said that anyone found on campus with a radio would have it taken away PERMANENTLY and they would be checking lockers and back packs. I had already been busted so many times, I swear I thought that message was just for me.
I can still remember the feeling of panic.
Knowing that if I lost this box, that would be it. I had no money to get another one. My parents were broke and they could never replace it. I would be screwed. The very thought of loosing my radio made me sick to my stomach. At this stage of the game it was early in the day, maybe 2nd or 3rd period. The gates were locked, there was no way for me to get out. They had been having problems with kids jumping the fences so they had extra security on campus and they had been putting black grease on top of the fences where people typically jumped to try to deter us, there was just no way to leave!
Since I was known to be a blaster, I knew myself and a few other dudes that would certainly have there lockers checked, so I couldn't stash my radio there. I had it in my back pack with me, so I was just in a panic.
I remember rounding the corner of the science building to see about hooking up with one of my buddies to see what he was going to do. And as I headed to his locker I rounded the corner and he was standing there with security and handing over his radio! OMFG! :'-( I could feel the blood rushing from my face.
I ducked back around the corner with my mind racing trying to think of what I could do.
Could I get up on the roof some how? Maybe leave my box up there? I still needed my back pack to carry all my books...WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?
Class is about to start. I can't go to my locker, I can't walk past any security, they are going to check my back pack.Finally, with my mind racing I did the unthinkable!!!
I found a cluster of dense bushes at the end of the school building and after some people walked by, I pulled my radio out of my back pack and I stashed it as far and deep into that bush as I could. Hoping and praying that no one saw me and that no one would see it and steal it.
As I walked away, I looked back thinking "is this the last time I am going to see my radio? I swear I will KILL someone if they steal it from me". There it was, my NEW, in 1983 920 sitting unattended in a bush as I'm walking away. I wanted to throw up.
As the day went on it seemed like the longest day of my life. 4th, 5th and 6th period dragged on. I couldn't think about school work. All I could think of was, "Someone is going to rip off my radio" or "security is going to find it and that's the end of it".
To make matters worse it was threatening to rain all day. It sprinkled here and there and I remember my heart beating in my throat while I stared out the window praying to any angel
or even the devil himself :devil: not to let it rain on my radio!Finally the 6th period bell rang and I was on the far side of the school. I ran a full sprint with a full back pack of books across a crowed school of thousands of kids almost breaking into tears. :'-( The ground was wet from light sprinkling all day.
It seemed like the closer I got the more crowded it became, people slowing me down. Winded, my sprinting became, running, then fast passed walking as I negotiated people walking in all directions, all in my way! DAMN IT I WISHED THEY'D ALL JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY! :evilmad:
Finally I was at the end of the science hallway, I just had to round the corner and I would be there and as I got to the end of the hall I heard the 9 worst words of my life to that point "Excuse me young man, are you looking for something".
My exhausted legs almost gave out from under me. I gasped in horror, letting out an uncontrollable pathetic whimper as I slowly began to turn around. Behind me a classroom door was halfway open with a male teacher sticking his head out.
I stopped, turned and said "are you talking to me?" He pointed and said, "No, you there, come here" and called another kid over!
I almost collapsed right there on the spot. My exhausted rubber legs struggled to carry me just a little further and as I finally rounded the corner, I could not see into the bushes, it was too dense. I could not see if my box was in there. My rubber legs couldn't move me any faster and as I got closer I could see that the bush was wet from the light rain.
Was it in there? Was it wet and ruined?
Even as I stood right at the bush, I couldn't see into it. My hands pushed inside, reaching around....I COULDN'T FEEL IT!
Was this the right bush?
There were about 5 or 6 buildings that all had bushes at one end. Did I make a mistake in my mind? Was it another bush at the end of another building? THEN, I felt something, I shoved my whole upper body in with both arms extended, I was getting all scratched up, but then there it was. I had my hands on it....
I carefully pulled it out of the bushes, being careful not to scratch it all up or break any switches.
My pulse went from 500 beats per minute to breathing normal, and since the bush was so dense, it wasn't even wet!
My radio and I weren't just reunited and I wasn't just back in possession of an electrical appliance, up until this point my life with my radio was something I took for granted. No longer would I ever think that. At this point I thought that if I ever lost my ability to blast my music, I would loose my identity.
I stopped taking my radio to school for the next week, but I couldn't be with out it. Once things cooled down, I was back to my old tricks, but I was far more cautious. We all were. No longer did we openly walk the hallways playing our music or try to defy the rules. But I still couldn't live with out my radio. I walked to and from school. At the very least I needed it for that and if it meant being cool on the volume knob while on campus so I could BLAST going to and from. Then so be it.
One thing is for sure....The bond that was built that day by almost loosing my Boombox is what has brought me to this site and reunited me with the TRC-920 I roll with today!
I think I'll charge my batteries and hit the street!
PEACE! :sin:
Thanks very much! :sin:
And Tony as well! and 880 in high school! its like driving a BMW to school!
