$5.00 a gallon
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 5,420
Likes: 16
From: Ouray, CO
I was lucky in the gas lines though back in the 70s though. I had a friend who owned a Texaco and U-Haul. He would park large U-Haul trucks blocking the view of the pumps from the road and let all his friends fill up any time they desired. As a trustworthy deputy sheriff, he even gave me a key and let me fill up even if he was closed and had gone home. I never had to sit in the stupid lines, Thank God!
I was a volunteer on the town's ambulance squad.
We had a local gas station that opened up "late" @ night
for the volunteers & other emergency vehicles to fill-up to overcome
the odd/even issue and avoid long lines.
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Vista, CA
Man, that was very well put. I come from the same era and I too enjoy thinking about those days when we didn't have as much. I lived in So Cal in the 60's (and still do) and remember driving to the beach and parking wherever (free) and a lot less traffic. I remember 28 cents a gallon too WITH green stamps to get your business. I also remember the guy taking my money and saying "thank you". We could go on and on about these things all day long and then some.
The fact is we DO have more today than ever, for better or worse. We all drive Excursions because we love them. But it's a choice we made and I don't think most of us will give them up. Although we may have to make some adjustments to afford them. They are as unique as the people that drive them. My problem is looking at mine while I drive out of the driveway in the morning with my-go-to-work-good-mileage car, wishing I was driving it instead.
What you wrote is good perspective. We have to be thankful for what we have and not complain too much. After all we live in the greatest country in the world, but we may have to fight to keep it that way. A lot of us are seeing it slip away, little by little. I know if it get's really bad we will come together and make it right. A good example is the comeradery of this group.
Keep up the togetherness, I enjoy being a part of this. I hope I didn't ramble on too much.
The fact is we DO have more today than ever, for better or worse. We all drive Excursions because we love them. But it's a choice we made and I don't think most of us will give them up. Although we may have to make some adjustments to afford them. They are as unique as the people that drive them. My problem is looking at mine while I drive out of the driveway in the morning with my-go-to-work-good-mileage car, wishing I was driving it instead.
What you wrote is good perspective. We have to be thankful for what we have and not complain too much. After all we live in the greatest country in the world, but we may have to fight to keep it that way. A lot of us are seeing it slip away, little by little. I know if it get's really bad we will come together and make it right. A good example is the comeradery of this group.
Keep up the togetherness, I enjoy being a part of this. I hope I didn't ramble on too much.
Hotshot
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 15,014
Likes: 35
From: Semper Fi tell I die!
its all about the haves and have nots, most kids nowadays just live at home with their parents so they can have. i got 2 dead beat kids at my neighbors houses, ones 26 and the other is 22! still living at home with mommy and daddys so they can drive their new cars. how sad. them parents should be ashamed, they are enablers to them spoiled kids.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,407
Likes: 155
From: Milwaukee, WI
While I do agree with you on most things, I like my little perks that I and my family have earned. I am a firefighter/paramedic and work a 56 hour week. I work another 16 hours a week teaching at our local hospital. My 72 hour work-weeks have afforded us some of the "extras". My wife is a stay at home mother, raising our kids. Not day-care, not grandma.
Yep, I have an X and a 2009 30' Puma travel trailer. I "earned" those. I have a cell phone ($30 a month), as does my wife. My kids want a cell phone? They pay for it. One TV in the house, albeit, it is a 32" LCD. The kids do have an XBOX and a 27" tube TV to play it on. No Kindle or satellite radio. The kids have to go outside and play an hour or 2 each day. They still build tree forts and go down to the creek and catch frogs. Most kids today couldn't build a tree fort to save their ***.
We have no car payments, no credit card bills, nothing but a mortgage and the usual utilities and the regular cost of supporting a family.
I earned all of this. Nobody gave us anything. I learned a lot about the economy, debt to income ratio, etc. from those times in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. (I suspect we are about the same age - I am 51).
There are still some things we could do without. No doubt about it.
But if not, I earned it.
Bob
Yep, I have an X and a 2009 30' Puma travel trailer. I "earned" those. I have a cell phone ($30 a month), as does my wife. My kids want a cell phone? They pay for it. One TV in the house, albeit, it is a 32" LCD. The kids do have an XBOX and a 27" tube TV to play it on. No Kindle or satellite radio. The kids have to go outside and play an hour or 2 each day. They still build tree forts and go down to the creek and catch frogs. Most kids today couldn't build a tree fort to save their ***.
We have no car payments, no credit card bills, nothing but a mortgage and the usual utilities and the regular cost of supporting a family.
I earned all of this. Nobody gave us anything. I learned a lot about the economy, debt to income ratio, etc. from those times in the 60's, 70's, and 80's. (I suspect we are about the same age - I am 51).
There are still some things we could do without. No doubt about it.
But if not, I earned it.
Bob
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 647
Likes: 0
Well said Bob. I'm 37 and my we live close to alignment with what you're doing. We work for what we have and earned it. I listened to the lessons my Dad emparted to me and I live it. There are those in the generation behind you that get it too and if I do my job well, my kids will follow in the footsteps too.
Bob
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