Vintage Things That Have Disappeared In Your Lifetime?

[dnjan]

Television stations going off the air around 2am with the Flag waving and the national anthem played.

Along with test patterns.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Mowing Lawns
I've noticed that nowadays I rarely see people mowing their own lawn. They usually hire someone to do it. On any given day in my neighborhood I'll see half a dozen or so gardeners working at different houses mowing the lawn, etc. Something that was a very rare sight when I was growing up.

We never heard of hired gardeners where I grew up -- but there were plenty of ten-to-twelve-year-old boys who would mow your lawn for a couple of dollars. I haven't seen a kid pushing a lawn mower in probably thirty years.

 

[jamespowers]

Mowing Lawns
I've noticed that nowadays I rarely see people mowing their own lawn. They usually hire someone to do it. On any given day in my neighborhood I'll see half a dozen or so gardeners working at different houses mowing the lawn, etc. Something that was a very rare sight when I was growing up.

That was before illegals took over that industry.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Like I said in my original post on the subject, it seems that people don't even mow their own lawns anymore. Though I still mow my own lawn.

 

[1961MJS]

We never heard of hired gardeners where I grew up -- but there were plenty of ten-to-twelve-year-old boys who would mow your lawn for a couple of dollars. I haven't seen a kid pushing a lawn mower in probably thirty years.

Hi Lizzie, that's because it's actually illegal to mow someone else's lawn unless you have several million Dollars in liability insurance, a business license, and hire the right people.

Back in the 1990's one of my old neighbor's was mad because his neighborhood kid was arrested for mowing without a license. He was turned in by a 40 year old who owned several trucks etc and who forced to pay $2000 a month (or a summer it's been a while) for say $10 million in liability insurance etc. After you get the license and insurance, you can charge quite a bit because you can get your competition arrested. Gotta love it.

Later

 

[LizzieMaine]

Another thing that's disappeared: any pretense by the insurance industry to be anything more than a vicious shakedown racket. Instead of an umbrella, their symbol ought to be a crowbar: "Play along wit' us, or kiss yer kneecaps goodbye..."

 

[Flicka]

When I grew up, we had two channels - TV1 and TV2. They had a little white arrow that blinked in a corner when a show started in the other channel so you wouldn't risk missing it. Everybody - and I do mean everybody - watched the same shows on the same days. Since they were both government funded, there were no commercials. When my friend and I went to the cinema, we actually made sure to get there early so we wouldn't miss the commercials.

My sister told my 4-year-old nephew about this and added: "There was only one hour a day of children's shows, and they only showed cartoons on Christmas Eve."** He just went: "So you had to watch those on the computer?"

He flatly refused to believe her when she said there were no computers. Children of today... They don't know how good they have it.


**Absolutely true. They showed a Disney Christmas show on Christmas Eve and that was basically it.

 

[John in Covina]

Another thing that's disappeared: any pretense by the insurance industry to be anything more than a vicious shakedown racket. Instead of an umbrella, their symbol ought to be a crowbar: "Play along wit' us, or kiss yer kneecaps goodbye..."

over regulation and insurance go hand in hand, Here in California in my area you have to get a licensed and certified play ground removal expert to remove the old equiptment before you can up greade to new. Which also has to be certified. Remarkably the local firms are relatives to members of the state legislature.

 

[John in Covina]

Another thing that's disappeared: any pretense by the insurance industry to be anything more than a vicious shakedown racket. Instead of an umbrella, their symbol ought to be a crowbar: "Play along wit' us, or kiss yer kneecaps goodbye..."

this is where the blood sucker bottom feeders usually chime in.

 

[sheeplady]

We never heard of hired gardeners where I grew up -- but there were plenty of ten-to-twelve-year-old boys who would mow your lawn for a couple of dollars. I haven't seen a kid pushing a lawn mower in probably thirty years.

The people who owned my parent's home from 1913 to 1978 used it as a summer home, they had a full time gardener who lived there year around. But the, they also traveled with at least a maid and a cook (if it was the wife and kids) and also a butler (if the husband came). I haven't seen anyone traveling with a maid or a nanny in a long, long time.

 

[jamespowers]

Like I said in my original post on the subject, it seems that people don't even mow their own lawns anymore. Though I still mow my own lawn.

:rofl:

 

[jamespowers]

The people who owned my parent's home from 1913 to 1978 used it as a summer home, they had a full time gardener who lived there year around. But the, they also traveled with at least a maid and a cook (if it was the wife and kids) and also a butler (if the husband came). I haven't seen anyone traveling with a maid or a nanny in a long, long time.

I do it all the time.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

When I grew up, we had two channels - TV1 and TV2. They had a little white arrow that blinked in a corner when a show started in the other channel so you wouldn't risk missing it. Everybody - and I do mean everybody - watched the same shows on the same days. Since they were both government funded, there were no commercials. When my friend and I went to the cinema, we actually made sure to get there early so we wouldn't miss the commercials.

My sister told my 4-year-old nephew about this and added: "There was only one hour a day of children's shows, and they only showed cartoons on Christmas Eve."** He just went: "So you had to watch those on the computer?"

He flatly refused to believe her when she said there were no computers. Children of today... They don't know how good they have it.


**Absolutely true. They showed a Disney Christmas show on Christmas Eve and that was basically it.

[video=youtube;gdSHeKfZG7c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gdSHeKfZG7c[/video]

 

[Hershy]

Since i am only 15
1) less intrusive internet
2)Asian Education (thank god)
3)French Cuffs worn by younger people
4) Old PC's
5) Ibook

 

[John in Covina]

Yikes!

 

[sheeplady]

I do it all the time.

Pics or it didn't happen.

Oh, and is she a french maid? I've heard the french maids are the best. (joking of course)

 

[jamespowers]

Pics or it didn't happen.

Oh, and is she a french maid? I've heard the french maids are the best. (joking of course)

:rofl:

I am married so I wouldn't know.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Coat and hat checks. Just discussed it at work today. I had told my friend that he should take his girlfriend somewhere nice for her birthday. He told me he took her to the Olive Garden and I said that I meant someplace fancy, with a dress code and a coat and hat check. He told me those places don't exist anymore.

 

[Gin&Tonics]

Coat and hat checks. Just discussed it at work today. I had told my friend that he should take his girlfriend somewhere nice for her birthday. He told me he took her to the Olive Garden and I said that I meant someplace fancy, with a dress code and a coat and hat check. He told me those places don't exist anymore.

Olive Garden is a pretty decent atmosphere and generally good service as far as today's places go. I think their menu is slightly overpriced for what they serve though. At least you get a nice free sample of wine!

And yeah, such places generally don't exist. Not ones that serve real food anyways. There's some restaurants where you'll pay through the nose for a little tiny tower of strange stuff that barely resembles food in an ultra-modern, sharp edges everywhere atmosphere. Not my kind of place, frankly. And they probably don't even have a coat and hat check.

 

[Flicka]

Coat and hat checks. Just discussed it at work today. I had told my friend that he should take his girlfriend somewhere nice for her birthday. He told me he took her to the Olive Garden and I said that I meant someplace fancy, with a dress code and a coat and hat check. He told me those places don't exist anymore.

Really? Here any restaurant with a bar has them. No way will they let you inside with a jacket on. Insist and you'll get introduced to Mr Bouncer. Snazzier places don't charge you, but quite a lot of restaurants have them.

ETA: we also don't have restaurant chains, except TGIF and Puzza Hut. 'Real' restaurants are individually owned. So no 'an Olive Garden' here, but 'your local Italian'. Most certainly have 'real food' - admittedly I'm a bit if a snob and tend to go to very upscale, Michelin-star places, but there's a huge selection of restaurants in the segment just below that.