7 Hilariously Relatable Sounds That Defined Every 1990s Road Trip

Road trips during the 1990s were quite an experience. There was the excitement that accompanies any long-distance travel, of course, but other factors were quite different from any modern such undertaking.

No smartphones, no GPS, and fewer amenities lent your '90s venture a distinct aura, and, if you were there at the time, the sounds listed below will no doubt be instantly familiar.

Cassette Tape Compilations

Forget your streaming services – if you wanted music of your choice on your trip (and you definitely did), then physical media was the only option. Cassette tapes were a wonderfully versatile and relatively compact way of taking your tunes with you. Your cassette tape compilation served as a reflection of your personality. Each song had to be chosen with care, and not just for its aesthetic qualities – its precise placement in the running order had to be considered, so that the compilation flowed naturally. They took time to put together, painstakingly starting and stopping to get the cut just right. A good cassette compilation was a work of art that made the journey roll by.

Singing

Ah yes, we made our own entertainment back then. Singing was a great family bonding exercise, whether you wanted to take part or not. Cassette tape compilations always included at least a half dozen sing-a-long classics, and if you happened to be listening to the radio and a commonly known anthem kicked in, then say goodbye to silence for the next three minutes. Communal singing was also a great way to distract younger kids. Every parent's vehicle contained at least one or two 'nursery rhyme favourites' tapes or CDs.

Changing Radio Stations

The audio equivalent of flicking through TV channels in search of something good. The prime seat in any car would be the front passenger position, not least because you would often find yourself in charge of the car radio. From talk shows and comedy to classical music and the latest hits, radio was your reliable friend. Long-distance trips also came with the added novelty and adventure of stations changing as you travelled – the old familiars left behind to make way for new and exciting local fare.

Travel Games

Forget mobile phone games – you'd be lucky if you had Snake back then. Travel games were big business, and almost all the big classics were available in travel-sized versions, often complete with magnetic pieces and boards. Chess, backgammon, Snakes & Ladders, even Scrabble were staples. Cue a cacophony of sounds: arguing over lost pieces, arguing over the rules, arguing over who's cheating. That's before we even get to the out-loud 'mind-based' games. I Spy, of course, was king, mainly because all ages were equally as skilled. Trivia questions were always popular. Another was 'yellow car' – the aim of which was to be first to spot, erm, a yellow car, and shout to 'claim' it. 'Number plates' was a little more taxing – you had to look at the number plate of the car in front and come up with the longest word that used the same letters in the same order. The hours just flew by.

The Rustling Of Maps

You know where we're going with this. Reliable and affordable GPS systems were some way off, and Google Maps wasn't a thing. If you wanted to get from point A to point B, then you had to plan it all out on an actual map. Kids today will never know the struggle of marking out a route by hand. Said route would inevitably either disappear into a deep fold in the centre of a book-style map, or onto the other side of a fold-out version, leading to chaos and confusion, a whole lot of rustling, and urgent shouted requests as to which of the many imminent turns was correct.

Grunts And Groans When Packing The Station Wagon

Preparing for a family road trip back then was a serious business. Suitcases, hampers, cold boxes, travel games – anything and everything, usually in too high a quantity, had to be stuffed, shoved, and cajoled onboard. This would inevitably be accompanied by slamming doors, hefty sighs, raised voices, and the creak of containers. It wasn't a road trip without a lengthy pre-departure period of hustle, bustle, and noise.

Squabbling

Heat plus tiredness plus a confined space equals short tempers. Unless you and your siblings were incredibly docile, amenable, and well-behaved, squabbles were an inevitable part of any '90s road trip. None of us had a mobile phone with the internet at our fingertips that we could lose ourselves in. You could potentially lock yourself off with earphones and a Walkman or Discman, but even that only took you so far. Chief sources of squabbles included: disagreements whilst playing games, personal space (or lack of), who needed a rest stop, air conditioning, the choice of radio station, etc. 

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