Fun pub discussion last night - things your kids will never know or experience

[northoftheborder]

412. Me too for much of the above. I'll try not to duplicate:

Pianos in nearly everyone's house, with children and adults who could play them!

Handwriting taught as a graded class in school.

As children, our old Chevy had a back seat area big enough for both my brother and I to stand up, and not touch the back seat, the front seat, the ceiling, or the door. We made up a game called "standing alone" and kept score. Being swung against the seat, sitting down, bumping the front seat took a point off. Probably drove our parents' crazy. We had lots of games we just made up to play in the car, and at home. Our "lawn" had large bare spots which were dirt. We used to love to play in the dirt, dry or muddy. Also, the warm day in the spring when we were first allowed to go barefooted all day, everywhere, was anxiously awaited. We only put on shoes when the sidewalks were too hot, or to go to church. I think we even went barefooted at the grocery. Of course, our feet got filthy, and many scrapes and punctures ensued to our feet.

Owning only one car. Auto tires with inner tubes! Turning and stop signals done by arm out the window.

Not only milk delivery, but also the drycleaners came by to pick up and deliver clothes.

Gas stations with actual mechanics and attendants.

Our science class-room actually passed around a big ball of mercury for us to hold and experience! I'm still alive and in my right mind!

Our house had portable gas heating stoves, which was our only heat source. They were turned off at night for safety, so getting out of bed, piled with several layers of blankets and quilts, walking on that cold wood floor, smelling the gas from the recent lighting, then toasting yourself until skin turned red on the front, then turning to the back for rest of body thawing - is an unknown thing for present day children who's air is totally conditioned, summer or winter. (Many fires were started with these stoves, but fortunately we never had any incidents from the heaters.)

Our radio was on most of the time at our house. I remember Pearl Harbor and all the announcers excitedly talking about the "Japs" (I was too young to know what they were talking about). Soap operas, Lum & Abner, Lux Radio Theater, Hit Parade, Fred Allen, Bob Hope, Mystery Theater, and tons more, many of which later made the transition to television. (Actually, there are online sources for listening to those old shows now.)

Some department stores had these zip lines with a container for your money or checks which went from the store clerk when you paid for your items up to the 2nd floor mezzanine, where change was made, or checks accepted, and receipt returned. No charges.