Why did Toyota make bench seats

https://youtu.be/Zip4QyJyD5g

 

It's even more weird with a guy sitting in the middle. That's when the driver works the clutch and the middle passenger shifts. Real cowboys know to sit in the middle. You don't have to drive, or mess with the gate.

From an old MMM song. At about the 2:30 mark.

The Cowboy Logic Song by Michael Martin Murphey - YouTube

And bench seats were a great way to have your date sit real close when driving. Kids today may never know what they are missing.

Of course, when riding with 3 guys you always had some A-Hole sitting by the window that would bend over and pretend to tie his shoes making it look like there were 2 guys seated in the cab sitting close.

 

https://youtu.be/Zip4QyJyD5g

 

We had a 96' Ram (12 valve Cummins, manual) with the regular cab and bench seat. Definitely came in handy in carrying a 3rd person. Yeah, shifting could be awkward and usually tried to put the smaller person in the middle.

 

If I wanted bucket seats I would have bought a sports car.

 

Trucks are the new luxury vehicle.

 

I used Toyota standard cab trucks as work trucks for decades. A single dad with 2 kids the bench seat worked outstanding for me and my kids.

 

Some years ago I had an '89 Pickup with a bench seat. In those days I moved around a lot and had many jobs but tended to have crummy sweat shop jobs and being able to semi-recline on the bench seat during a lunch break for a catnap was nice, to the extent possible.