You know you're getting old when...
- Thread starter Chris Allingham
- Start date
Phil Perrin
TVWBB Hall of Fame
<sigh> Helped Dad look for a wrench for 4 hours once..... it was in his back pocket. No, I'm not making that up.
John G (Boston)
TVWBB Super Fan
Here are a few little encounters that made me feel older...
A young guy was helping my brother remove an old steam radiator. When they got it out there were a few trinkets behind it, one being a pull-tab. The kid picked it up and asked "What's this for". My brother explained what it was and the kid remarked that it was a dumb design - because, "Wouldn't people just throw those on the ground if they weren't attached to the can?" Well, yeah... He's right. They used to be all over the place.
I was walking with a young guy and spotted a 45 record converter on the ground (one of the red plastic ones). Of course I picked it up and exclaimed, "Wow. haven't seen one of these in years". The kid had no idea what it was and knew absolutely zero about records.
A friend of mine has a nice workshop with a long bench at the back. On it is an old rotary phone. A young guy spotted it and went to have a look. He then asked what it was. My friend replied, "What do you mean? It's a phone." The kid asked if it worked. My friend replied, "Yes, it works. You can use it if you want". Then the kid asked, "How do you use it?"
A gave a ride to a young guy in my 67 Dodge Dart (sadly now gone). He was into cars and knew enough about them (well, modern ones anyway). I drove along and stopped at several lights as we went. The kid watched me shift the transmission each time (a three on the tree) and finally snapped, "Why don't you just leave it alone! Put it in drive and let the car shift when it wants to." I had to explain that it was a "stick shift". He was even more amazed when he noted that the gears were not marked on the shifter - How do even you know where you are???
A young guy was helping my brother remove an old steam radiator. When they got it out there were a few trinkets behind it, one being a pull-tab. The kid picked it up and asked "What's this for". My brother explained what it was and the kid remarked that it was a dumb design - because, "Wouldn't people just throw those on the ground if they weren't attached to the can?" Well, yeah... He's right. They used to be all over the place.
I was walking with a young guy and spotted a 45 record converter on the ground (one of the red plastic ones). Of course I picked it up and exclaimed, "Wow. haven't seen one of these in years". The kid had no idea what it was and knew absolutely zero about records.
A friend of mine has a nice workshop with a long bench at the back. On it is an old rotary phone. A young guy spotted it and went to have a look. He then asked what it was. My friend replied, "What do you mean? It's a phone." The kid asked if it worked. My friend replied, "Yes, it works. You can use it if you want". Then the kid asked, "How do you use it?"
A gave a ride to a young guy in my 67 Dodge Dart (sadly now gone). He was into cars and knew enough about them (well, modern ones anyway). I drove along and stopped at several lights as we went. The kid watched me shift the transmission each time (a three on the tree) and finally snapped, "Why don't you just leave it alone! Put it in drive and let the car shift when it wants to." I had to explain that it was a "stick shift". He was even more amazed when he noted that the gears were not marked on the shifter - How do even you know where you are???
Similar thing here. Shortly after we bought our house, I ran down to grocery store with our neighbor's 12 year old daughter. My pickup had a 5spd stick, and she had the presence of mind to ask what I was doing with my right hand. Her older brother, several years later, got a quick lesson on sticks in my Heep, before he started learning to drive OTR trucks. <snicker> I had my current truck in the dealership to have some codes cleared a few weeks back. "Hey! You've got the anti-theft device!" This one is a 6spd.A gave a ride to a young guy in my 67 Dodge Dart (sadly now gone). He was into cars and knew enough about them (well, modern ones anyway). I drove along and stopped at several lights as we went. The kid watched me shift the transmission each time (a three on the tree) and finally snapped, "Why don't you just leave it alone! Put it in drive and let the car shift when it wants to." I had to explain that it was a "stick shift". He was even more amazed when he noted that the gears were not marked on the shifter - How do even you know where you are???
Vaughan
TVWBB Member
No home phone for me too. Been well over a year and I don't miss it.
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I think it's been 10 years or more for me with no landline or "home" phone of any kind.
Timothy F. Lewis
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I told a kid from church that I’d be happy to teach her how to drive a standard transmission and I got the glassy eyed stare and she said “why would I EVER need to know that!?” I said that in other countries, of she needed to go somewhere and drive, it just might be convenient. More glassy eyed vacuum…
I just walked away.
I’m dumbfounded by the lack of interest in so many things that seem to be dying off.
I just walked away.
I’m dumbfounded by the lack of interest in so many things that seem to be dying off.
Mike_S
TVWBB Member
I just turned 32. When I was around 16 I was huge into the street racing video games so I made sure I learned how to drive stick the day I got my permit. The first car I bought was also a standard.
PHolder
TVWBB Pro
A/C and power steering wasn't
John_NJ
TVWBB Wizard
Or an AM radio- also an option
Fred Strickland
TVWBB Member
Ashtray - standard.
Mark Silver
TVWBB Wizard
LMichaels
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I learned stick when I was 9 or 10. On a 53 Ford with flathead V8. Never forgot how. Wish I could find mor mainstream vehicles with manual. We were also required to learn them in driver's ed. And on one summer working for Commonwealth Edison as a meter reader. Every car in the fleet was a manual 3 on the tree
Ed P
TVWBB Platinum Member
Just as well those are obsolete.
A couple of stories...our Plant Manager was a smoker and whenever he would use the company truck he would leave his stinky smelly cigarette butts in the ashtray. He was the only smoker and never thought to empty the ashtray and it was gross to have to use the truck on a hot day. I finally got tired of it and soldered a cap over it.
A different company but I was riding shotgun with an older guy who was smoking as he was driving the van. The ashtray was overflowing, as always, and he hadn't noticed that the ashtray had caught fire and smoke was starting to roll out of it. I waited until I couldn't stand the smell any more and I asked him: "Wally, are you cold?" It was a hot day and we had the AC on, so of course he said, "No, why?" "Well, you've got a nice fire going on in the ashtray." He had large, hamburger hands and weenie fingers, and he used his fingers to snub out the fire in the ashtray as we're driving down the road at 60 mph. I about died laughing.
This same guy, same day...we had a couple of motorcyclists riding behind us when he rolled down the window and hawked a big ol' loogy out the window. I hope those guys had helmets with face shields.
Ed P
TVWBB Platinum Member
This same guy, a wonderful man and a dear friend, was a traditional Italian. Daughter had to have a chaperone when she started dating, he had to meet the guy first, and Heaven Forbid if you show up in a van or honk your horn for her to come out to the car when you took her out on a date. She moved out in her early-20s to an apartment nearby and he didn't speak to her for over a year. We had a lot of fun joking around with him.
I'll add that he had the biggest hands of any man I have ever met. If he were to ever hit you in anger with a closed fist...
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Over the last 25 years, I've been in Ireland twice, rented a car both time. The first time, at the rental counter, the young American couple in front of me had never driven a manual, and were in quite a tizzy. The clerk finally got them wrapped up, sent on their way, and said to me, "What can I do for you, sir?" "Hi, my name is thus & so, you have a reservation for me, and a stickshift will be just fine." "OH, THANK YOU, SIR!!!!!"