CAR HOPS and CURB SERVICE Nothing has shaped the consciousness and culture of twentieth-century America like the automobile. Along with the car came high speed and fast times in another of our most popular and enduring icons--the drive-in restaurant. From the Starlit lounge of the 1930s to Bob's of the 1950s, where the car hops whizzed by on rollersketes, radios blasted, cars cruised, and teenagers made the drive-in a way of life.

With lucrative salaries as an incentive, competition was fierce for jobs at the most popular locations. Aware of this, employers sought out the girls who could make the cut and had that special somehting--the more charm, personality, and beauty a girl had, the better her chances were for landing a plum job. In 1940, at Sivils drive-in in Houston, prospective hops had to pass the scrutiny of the owner's wife, twenty-one-year-old Mrs. J. D. Sivil, who made sure applicants were ". . . between 18 and 25, have good figures, a high school education, health cards, and 'come hither' personalities." Once hired, they were expected to smile, stand erect, memorize the menu, and endeavor to sell large orders of food. A cardinal rule was that the female hop could not touch a customer. Change was placed on the tray, not in the customer's hand. Also, she was not to touch the car or leave the lot during her shift. Trays were to be balanced on one hand and carried at ear level. The two costumes that the girls purchased for $37 (boots were an additional $5) were to be kept absolutely spotless. Mrs. Sivil coached the hops in diction, deportment, and the importance of laughing at customers' jokes. Punishment for small infractions, such as carrrying a tray too low, was folding a thousand napkins. Larger offenses merited immediate dismissal.