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Old 10-21-2021, 05:48 PM   #43
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Do you remember when there were service stations? I grew up in a small town of about 1500 folks, and back then there were no convenience stores with gas pumps. When you needed gas you went to one of the service stations, or "filling stations" as we called them. There were no self-service pumps. Someone, usually the owner, came out when you pulled up to the pumps. He pumped your gas, cleaned your windshield, and checked the oil. If you were a grownup you probably had a charge account at the station. He would take the receipt book with your name on it from under the register, write down the date and amount, and give you a copy. When you got paid on Friday you went back by the station and paid for your week's gas. The station would have one or two service bays, with one "grease monkey" doing oil changes, brake jobs, and other basic maintenance tasks.

Back in the 50s, there were no chain grocery stores, just the mom & pop grocery. I worked as a bag boy after school during my junior and HS years.

I sure miss those simple times.........
We still have one exactly like this in our town, charge accounts and all.
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Old 10-21-2021, 06:22 PM   #44
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They have a lot of mom-n-pop stores in Japan still. They have a TV show where mom sends their 5 yo child to the store, alone, to buy a loaf of bread. The TV crew films the child’s adventure and it gets pretty funny at times.
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Old 10-21-2021, 07:01 PM   #45
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Service

We had a service station in the country but on a 2 lane highway. That station raised a lot of “neighborhood” boys. They’d work on their vehicles while at work. It was a perk of the job that was allowed as long as you didn’t neglect any of the real work.
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Old 10-21-2021, 07:36 PM   #46
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A pump with a tall lever moved the gasoline into the glass cylinder above the pump. You read the markings on the cylinder to know exactly how many gallons of gas you were buying before it ran down the hose into your tank. Remember when the traffic signals were only red and green, no amber? And turn signals on cars were a new fad?
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Old 10-21-2021, 08:22 PM   #47
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Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers View Post
Do you remember when there were service stations? I grew up in a small town of about 1500 folks, and back then there were no convenience stores with gas pumps. When you needed gas you went to one of the service stations, or "filling stations" as we called them. There were no self-service pumps. Someone, usually the owner, came out when you pulled up to the pumps. He pumped your gas, cleaned your windshield, and checked the oil. If you were a grownup you probably had a charge account at the station. He would take the receipt book with your name on it from under the register, write down the date and amount, and give you a copy. When you got paid on Friday you went back by the station and paid for your week's gas. The station would have one or two service bays, with one "grease monkey" doing oil changes, brake jobs, and other basic maintenance tasks.

Back in the 50s, there were no chain grocery stores, just the mom & pop grocery. I worked as a bag boy after school during my junior and HS years.

I sure miss those simple times.........
I worked part time at one of those gas stations but as for grocery don't forget the A&P
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Old 10-21-2021, 09:18 PM   #48
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In our village of Kirkwood, we had a little country store that had a few basic groceries and also a small hardware store down the wooden stairs in the basement where my dad bought his first chainsaw. Definitely no handicap access down those stairs! It was an old house with a big wrap around porch converted into a store with apartments on the second floor. The single gas pump was across the street at the one bay garage. It was barely enough room to park your car and get gas.

Anyone ever 'help' themselves to a bottle of coca cola from the machine? My skinny little arm could reach up inside the unit and pull a bottle out. I know it was wrong, I repented of it and much more....

We also had an Acme in the next town where we bought most of our groceries. Never did see the Wiley Coyote or the Road Runner there, lol. I always looked at the Hotwheels in the glass display case on our way out.
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Old 10-21-2021, 09:30 PM   #49
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I sure miss those simple times....

I remember well. My father owned a Richfield Station and I worked with him in the 50's & 60's. Every weekend and all summer since I was 8 till 16. I pumped gas as low as 13.9 cents in gas wars. Full service only limited by customers time. Most would get out, go in office and visit with my dad while I pumped, washed & checked oil & tires. My most vivid memory was fueling a regular customers pickup truck one hot summer day. He knew to park at end of island so I could stand on high curb next to pump and reach his fuel tank. The gas pump hose picked just that moment to split open above my head and shower me with Boron gas. That burned in the sun. Dad came running out, hosed me off, wrapped me in a fender cover and drove me home to mom. Abandoning the station. When he was able to drive back, the customer was still there watching over, without being asked. Simpler times, caring people.
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Old 10-21-2021, 10:57 PM   #50
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The one that truly stumped me was the "48 cadillac"! I might be off a year, or two but it was the one with the filler cap under the left side tail light. You had to press in on the reflector to expose it..... I was 14 years old and the owner of that car was busting my A-- to hurry, knowing I had no idea where to put the filler nozzle! He left me a good tip so I guess it was just his way of having fun.

Yep, that is one of them. My father had a '51 Cadillac that had the gas cap under the taillight that popped up when you press the round reflector. The gas cap on the '56 and '57 Chevy was also fun at first.
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Old 10-22-2021, 07:23 AM   #51
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Nobody mentioned….

Maps! Free maps. How I loved getting one each time and following the routes my dad was driving out west from KC. I still love maps!
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Old 10-22-2021, 12:16 PM   #52
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I too grew up in the 1950's It was a simpler time, by necessity. If one was white, male, and at least middle class economically (my demographic), it was a good time to be young. A nice bicycle was a big deal then. At 16, a car that ran was the dream.
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Old 10-22-2021, 12:59 PM   #53
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When you wax nostalgic about the prices back in the "good old days", don't forget inflation and income levels. In 1955, the average cost of gasoline was $0.29/gal. Factoring in inflation, that's $2.97/gal. Lower than our current average but higher than a year ago when the US average was $2.166. In 1955, the median family income was $4,400/Yr. In FY 2020 it was $65,521, 14.89 times the 1955 median income. A comparable gas price would be 14.89 x .29 = $4.32. And vehicles didn't get near the gas mileage they do today.

And most of us were kids then and not trying to balance our bank accounts.

And, instead of driving a nice Class A with slide-outs, you'd be pulling one of these:



On the other hand, camping was a lot more fun and a lot less work. Eat breakfast, take off to explore or go fishing until lunch was on the table and repeat the cycle until dinner time. Depending on our age, our kids or grandkids probably feel the same.
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Old 10-22-2021, 02:47 PM   #54
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No, I don't miss them at all. Back then, you could get crippled by polio, there were virtually no treatments for heart ailments, you had to service your car every 3000 miles, carburetors weren't very good at delivering fuel, radial tires weren't invented yet, etc., etc. and etc. No, I don't miss a thing and I'm 80, so I've been around a while
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Old 10-22-2021, 03:24 PM   #55
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No, I don't miss them at all. Back then, you could get crippled by polio, there were virtually no treatments for heart ailments, you had to service your car every 3000 miles, carburetors weren't very good at delivering fuel, radial tires weren't invented yet, etc., etc. and etc. No, I don't miss a thing and I'm 80, so I've been around a while
You're right Dan. We want to only remember the good times but they weren't all good!
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Old 10-22-2021, 07:33 PM   #56
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Maps! Free maps. How I loved getting one each time and following the routes my dad was driving out west from KC. I still love maps!
As a kid when we went on Vacation (WY to MS or TN) I would get a Free Map at each gas station we stopped at.

It was my way of having a souvenir of the trip.
(no sense in asking Dad/Mom to buy a souvenir)

When we went FT ---I would still get state maps to use but they weren't free and sometimes tough to find
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