Mike, I could not agree more. Except for me, the time period was in the 70's. I have to agree that I , too, was pretty damn lucky that I didn't kill myself or someone else with my chevelle. I guess you "live and learn" . Getting that job in the ER as a 19 yo snot-nosed kid was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me. First night on the job--- a double fatality. A double fatality from plain stupidity. A real eye opener and a humbling experience for me too. Kinda shook me up. I was lucky to have my dad to talk about it with me. He saw some pretty gruesome stuff, too, in WW 2,,and also shook him up. Our conversations were definitely symbiotic. Helped both of us.
But that first day on that job changed me forever. I thank the "Big Guy Upstairs" that I survived my "stupidity period".