Stranded At the Drive-In

One of our local DJs reminded me this morning that Smokey and the Bandit was coming on AMC tonight.
Ahh....Smokey and the Bandit. One of the great movies of all time. Burt Reynolds at his smirky best, Sally Field; so young.
Anyway...
I have a very poignant memory because of Smokey and the Bandit which will also show my age.
My parents decided to go see it at the local drive-in theater and took me along. I was about 4.
At some point during the movie we needed refreshments so my mother swooped me up and took me to the concession stand with her.
If my memory serves me correctly, there were two screens, one on each side of the concession stand.
For some reason, the other screen was empty.
Mom purchased a tray full of soft drinks, popcorn, hotdogs, nachos, or whatever my dad requested. Her hands were full so she was unable to hold my hand as we walked back to the car.
I guess I must have been fascinated by the people inside the consession area because I was looking around and not watching where my mother was going. I went out one door and she went out the other.
I suddenly found myself in the empty side of the theater.
It was dark, foreboding and I wandered around for a few minutes, frightened, before I noticed the only ones around were a gang of teenagers. My sisters were all teenagers at this time so I felt sure they would help me.
I walked up to them and in a trembling voice I said, "Do you know where my mama is?"
A bunch of laughing ensued and one of them said "I don't know yo mama!"

At that moment, a police officer grabbed me by the hand. As I looked up at him, I knew his face would forever be burned in my memory. I remember exactly what he looked like: he was tall, thin, black and bald like Kojak.
I don't remember what he said to me but he led me back into the consession area and as we walked through the doors on the empty side, the doors on the open side burst open and in ran my mom and dad, hand in hand. Even at 4, I recognized the terror on their faces.
I can't actually say I remember the movie or what happened to the snacks after all of that but each time Smokey and the Bandit came on TV for the next 20-some odd years, my family would say, "Remember when you got lost at the drive-in?"