What are some practices from our generation are no longer a thing?

Posted by Ok-Assistant-9213@reddit | GenX | View on Reddit | 882 comments

For me, it's that girls no longer keep a hope chest.

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882 Comments

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Routine_Breath_7137@reddit

Drive in movies

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stardustdriveinTN@reddit

I'm a Gen X'er who actually owns a drive-in movie theater. Late nights in my mid 30's was a lot easier than late nights in my late 50's is now! If you're ever in the Nashville area, come out to the drive-in..

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stuck_behind_a_truck@reddit

I will be in August. Now I just have to remember this.

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TolMera@reddit

Yo! u/stuck_behind_a_truck go see a drive in movie with u/stardustdriveinTN

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TolMera@reddit

!remindme 3 months 2 weeks

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stuck_behind_a_truck@reddit

Ah, thank you!

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silkywhitemarble@reddit

Talk about a dream job! Maybe not a drive-in, but I'd love to own a small walk-in theater and show old movies from our era.

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stardustdriveinTN@reddit

We do a "RETRO WEDNESDAY" Summer film series during the summer between Memorial day weekend and the first part of August. As our GenX demographic no longer goes to a double feature on a week night, our Retros have gotten "newer". While we do keep some of the classics like Grease / Dirty Dancing, this summer we're playing "American Pie" as a Retro! Shrek is now a Retro! If you own the building (or land in my case), once that is paid for, it can be financially feasible and rewarding. Our place will finally be completely paid for at the end of May. Only took 22 years and $6k a month to get there. Only drawback to today's cinema exhibition business is the equipment to show the movies is incredibly expensive. My current projectors were $65K each back in 2013. The new ones coming in at the end of this year are $$87,536 each, and that doesn't include the lens or servers. Some of the smaller mom and pop theaters can't pull that off. We've been very fortunate that we can.

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silkywhitemarble@reddit

Good to know! If I were closer, I'd stop by!

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

What is the name of your drive in? My sister lives in the area. She'd love to take her grandkids.

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stardustdriveinTN@reddit

We are the Stardust Drive-In Theatre - located in Watertown, TN - 35 miles east of Nashville. The closest drive-in to the Nashville area. www.stardustdrivein.com

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

I just told her about you but she apparently loves you. She is a regular of yours. I'm so jealous right now.

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stardustdriveinTN@reddit

You can find your closest local drive-in by going to www.driveinsnearme.com

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purplechunkymonkey@reddit

None near me. It would be a weekend trip to get to one.

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heffel77@reddit

They still have one in Memphis, too. They do theme nights like 80’s horror or Tim Burton or Hitchcock or whatever

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Those are coming back here and there.

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AtTheHardRockTonight@reddit

Here in Oklahoma, on Route 66, are still-operating drive ins.

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Ok_Engine_5036@reddit

I go to Gibson City, IL, to the drive-in. #Harvest Moon!

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babywhiz@reddit

Our local pool has 'Dive in Movies' in the summer. Our last drive in closed a few years ago. It was supposed to be revamped into the Alamo, but alas, that too has gone by the wayside.

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kandrc0@reddit

For Gen X, drive-ins we're already a novelty. Drive-ins being common was more of a Boomer thing. I really want to take my kid to one, for nostalgia's sake, but I'm hundreds of miles from the nearest.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Shankweiiler’s in Schnecksville, PA was just an incredible time.

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Able_Principle3075@reddit

Was there for Vanadu, great time!

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

We'd go every week in high school, early 80s. It was $5 per car, so really cheap fun for a group or couple. Now it's like $25 and I have to drive 50 miles to one of the few drive-ins around. Not quite the same.

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MegaCityNull@reddit

There is a drive-in in Newberg Oregon that packs up every weekend to this day.

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Proper-Tradition4010@reddit

Navigating our way to an unknown location without using our phone navigation. I kinda miss my old maps

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Separate-Project9167@reddit

Whenever I went on vacation, I’d buy the newest FODOR or similar guidebook and get maps.

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Randygilesforpres2@reddit

Thomas guides :)

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magerber1966@reddit

Thomas Guides were the best. I don’t know how people in different parts of the country without the Thomas Guide could function

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Cirrus-Stratus@reddit

What? No AAA TripTiks?

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

I was just trying to explain trip tiks to my son. He wasn't interested. Sounded like to much work to him.

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

I trekked all up and down the East coast using those maps! From Chicago to New York to Florida and all over. I used to follow my favorite bands around on tour (knew some of them so I’d get the itinerary of where they were staying etc) This was early 90’s

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jillsvag@reddit

Mapsco! I loved those!

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DartyFrank@reddit

as a pizza dude we had a big map on the wall and you’d just memorize where you needed to go until eventually you knew every street and complex in the county. best job, miss those days

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Rough-Marionberry991@reddit

A very useful life skill!

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Proper-Tradition4010@reddit

My husband and I drove through Europe (Switzerland, France and Germany) in 2001 using maps, guide books and ASKING DIRECTIONS!! My 3 yrs of high school French were insufficient so I used a lot of pointing and body language. I won’t say it was easy but it worked and it was just a funny part of the trip. Last year driving in Italy with phone navigation made things super easy.

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304libco@reddit

I mean, they still make maps nothing’s stopping you.

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Headwallrepeat@reddit

I was always the map reader, even as a kid. Would study the route ahead of time, knew what exits to take, how long it should take and all the other jazz. Then all it would take would be one missed sign and you were scrambling to figure out where in the hell you were and driving aimlessly to find a spot to figure it out or ask directions. Hopefully in a decent neighborhood. I LOVE maps, but give me gps.

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Practicality_Issue@reddit

I almost do, but yesterday I had to drive thru Dallas and if I had had to use a paper map, I would have been doomed. I literally had to exit I30 to I35E for less than half a mile to exit to I45 and drive less than a mile to get to the I75 exit. If you don’t grow up knowing that, how on earth are you going to know how to do that otherwise? Have a a laugh, but good gravy…it was 100% silly.

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youchooseforme@reddit

Sooooo good. Buying a new road atlas and highlighting the route before a road trip.

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kandrc0@reddit

Some of the places I've driven in the past 15 years make me wonder how we did it. I fuck it up with navigation there telling me what to do and add 10 minutes to my drive. Make the same mistake with paper maps, you end up pulling over, figuring out where you are, planning a new route... It's tedious and stressful, and I'm very glad I don't have to do it anymore.

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Erazzphoto@reddit

Not a chance, getting lost sucks big time haha, give me digital maps 😂

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Naive_Product_5916@reddit

Ripping out a map page in the phonebook.

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

I loved all the maps and guidebooks. It was so much fun plotting routes for road trips.

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raeadaler@reddit

Watching cartoons on tv before parents woke up on Saturdays. Pure joy. Immediately turned off once they were awake.

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supenguin@reddit

The way I remember it, there were cartoons up until Saved by the Bell came on (which I didn't care for) and then it was boring adult stuff after that. My parents would let us watch the shows we wanted then we had to help clean up a bit (do laundry, take out the trash) and then we'd have lunch.

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raeadaler@reddit

You may be too young but once the weird wrestling shows started after cartoons I was done before parents even woke up. Absolutely lots of chores like you mentioned.

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supenguin@reddit

I don’t think any channel we got had wrestling shows after cartoons. I was never into watching sports of any kind so I would have just turned it off.

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T-Doggie1@reddit

My parents let us have the TV all Saturday morning. Probably a good time for them to get some business in. I could hear them at night and they knew it, not that they always cared. They had the benefit of TV volume drowning some of it out on Saturday morning. Actually, I don’t know what they were really doing on Saturday mornings but they left us completely to it.

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adaminoregon@reddit

Smoking cloves

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MeanAnalyst2569@reddit

Never smoked them but they always smelled so good

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adaminoregon@reddit

I couldnt manage to smoke one all the way. Gave me a headache but tthought they were pretty tasty.

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Cirrus-Stratus@reddit

Rewinding video tapes before returning them to the rental store.

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jtslp@reddit

With the dedicated rewinding machine, so you wouldn’t wear out your VCR

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Cirrus-Stratus@reddit

We had one of those too!

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Carrots-1975@reddit

Writing and receiving letters- I can’t remember the last time I got something I was looking forward to in the mail. My cousin and I used to write each other all the time and waiting for her letters was so much fun! This was back when long distance phone calls cost extra so we couldn’t talk on the phone much.

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jtslp@reddit

I could have written this comment! My dear cousin lived in another country so we had to write to keep in touch. Getting her letters was the best thing!

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JustCurious8712@reddit

Passing notes on class. Doing donuts in the parking lot

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jtslp@reddit

Folding those notes into fancy shapes. It became an art form in my middle school

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NetRelative3930@reddit

Weekly / monthly magazines I still do purchase a magazine but I’ve noticed it’s limited stores that have them and so many of my favourites have simply disappeared Love to read a glossy and I don’t think any of my genZ daughters have ever read one

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sloaneranger23@reddit

this!!! i miss good magazines! I recently picked up a copy of People in the airport and the cashier was like, "that'll be $9." wut?!?!

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Come on, that was the airport. They price gouge at the airport.

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sloaneranger23@reddit

i wish that were the case. i checked the price of magazines at non airport locations and they were pretty close to that!

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

You know, menu items at Hollywood studio cafeterias were listed in cents in the 1940s. I found that thread somewhere on Reddit. We will be approaching the 2040s and if you take that menu where the items was listed in cents and read it as dollars, that menu might still be accurate today.

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NetRelative3930@reddit

Oh yes the price of magazines has almost tripled to but u do miss my magazines , was such a joy to buy and have a good read

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jseger9000@reddit

Getting up to watch Saturday morning cartoons.

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Msdamgoode@reddit

I never considered, but… this sorta makes me sad for “kids today” and I’m not usually a nostalgic type

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KtinaDoc@reddit

I'm really sad for them. They have no idea the fun you can have without being attached to a device. So glad that we couldn't be tracked. I would hate HATED that.

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Msdamgoode@reddit

To me it’s just the routine and timing out for something that’s “just for their enjoyment”. Hell, even online games feel like work sometimes these days, and just that common “time out” for every kid is something to really marvel at. So much more shared experiences then, even when people weren’t actually *together*

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

My kid can't grasp how great this was because he just pulls up whatever he wants to watch on one if the apps. He loses his shit if he can't skip a commercial. Dude, that's when you run to the bathroom and race back before your stupid brother steals your chair.

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KtinaDoc@reddit

Pause and fast forward have ruined me. I can't watch commercials anymore.

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

We're all a bit spoiled now. Stupid Netflix adding commercials and charging double for no ads is bullshit though.

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ConfidenceAlways64@reddit

Related, that netherworld at around noon when the kids programming switched over from national network to local/syndicated kids shows, or baseball. You knew you were pushing it if the TV was still on then.

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Ok-Assistant-9213@reddit (OP)

We weren't allowed to turn the TV on until our chores were done, so if we didn't want to miss our favorite cartoon, we got up early to do our housework. To this day, Saturday is still "housework" day for me.

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Zealousideal_Sign235@reddit

My parents let me watch TV at will

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tinlizzy2@reddit

Lucky duck! We would watch The Brady Bunch and just when the music started for The Partridge Family my mom would would walk in the room and turn the TV off! One show is enough, she'd say. It was about a year of whining before she relented and let us watch both shows.

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chamrockblarneystone@reddit

My parents were pretty loose with tv. When I was 12 they gave me a little b&w garage sale tv for my room. My question is loose or strict did it make any real difference at all? For reference I’m an English teacher today.

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tinlizzy2@reddit

I don't think it makes a difference. I would have abandoned the TV show if a neighbor kid showed up and wanted to play. I'm adopted, and imho your personality; introvert or extrovert, academic, artistic or athletic, is baked into you genetically.

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KtinaDoc@reddit

Same - If a friend was available, I'd have been out the door.

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chamrockblarneystone@reddit

Same- I did use the tv as sort of a nightlight to fall asleep by, but I was always sound asleep by the end of MASH.

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KtinaDoc@reddit

Me too. They had no reason to nitpick with the TV. I was a good student, got up for school everyday and didn't give them any trouble until I hit 17 :)

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--half--and--half--@reddit

My parents told me boys like you would end up in jail. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made you join a gang didn’t it? They said it would.

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304libco@reddit

That seems so crazy personally my parents would’ve killed me if I had like been up in doing things like washing dishes or vacuuming at 6 o’clock in the morning on a Saturday.

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Mandor75@reddit

Ha I got to watch cartoons till my parents "noticed" I was awake. Stealth mode cartoons every saterday!

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

We did our chores after the morning cartoons. Stayed out of our mother’s hair longer.

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amosmj@reddit

That’s not a thing anymore? I don’t have kids and just assumed it still happened.

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0ttr@reddit

This was a big deal to me as a kid. Also, catching some cartoons after elementary school... still a thing now, but just different cartoons.

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Rough-Marionberry991@reddit

If i got a green dot at school I was allowed to watch Spiderman when I got home

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ToddPundley@reddit

Soooo many math homeworks I did while watching Thundercats.

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chartreuse_avocado@reddit

Rocky and Bullwinkle!!!!

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STFUisright@reddit

Dungeons & Dragons!

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InevitableOk5017@reddit

Johnny Quest!

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PGHNeil@reddit

Scooby Doobie Doooooo! *snickers*

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Horn_Flyer@reddit

My little brother and I loved going to bed on Friday nights knowing cartoons with cereal in front of the TV was plan for the morning!

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Erazzphoto@reddit

My staples were the baseball bunch, at least some fishing show or the video game show where they had to beat a high score. Cartoons were in there of course, but those stick out in the memories. Another big memory, one that puts me square in that time and in-front of the tv, is the Once in a lifetime video by the talking heads. I just remember how odd it was, just probably my first connection with music (either that or Meatloaf). But hearing that song takes me way back

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redditwinchester@reddit

omg I forgot about the baseball bunch! One of my acting friends in college got all the way to final auditions for that show, so cool

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SummerBirdsong@reddit

Was that the one with Tommy Lasorda?

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redditwinchester@reddit

I think Johnny Bench, but going by memory here

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

I still do this!!!!!!

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redditwinchester@reddit

Me too! I started watching Saturday morning cartoons again in the early days of lockdown, when every day was the same. I wanted to gave 1 day that was a real day, 1 day that I enjoyed. Found things on streaming (man, i miss Boomerang), then youtube and the internet archive. Now every Saturday I've got cartoons, all the live-action Sat morning shows, and then a monster movie (remember local UHF channels? sigh)

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SummerBirdsong@reddit

>Now every Saturday I've got cartoons, all the live-action Sat morning shows, and then a monster movie (remember local UHF channels? sigh) The Million Dollar Movie!

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wayfarout@reddit

I still do this. There are a couple streamers on YouTube that do Saturday morning streams of cartoons from the 80's and 90's. Of course now it's a bunch of 50 year old degenerates all in one chat

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Zealousideal_Sign235@reddit

Watch Rick & Morty!

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DogzChix11@reddit

That was never Gen X. GTFO

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Team503@reddit

Yeah, great show, but it's not even Millennial.

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10yearsisenough@reddit

Such a charming little ritual.

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revchewie@reddit

We only had one tv, and that was in mom’s room. So Saturday morning my brother and I would sit on the floor at the foot of her bed, bowls of cereal in our laps, with the volume way down and straining to hear while making sure not to wake mom up.

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tragicsandwichblogs@reddit

Were hope chests common among our generation? I certainly had heard of them, but they seemed outdated at the time.

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Ok-Assistant-9213@reddit (OP)

They were in my area. In fact, the local furniture store gave all the girls a tiny Lane cedar chest when we graduated. I still have mine sitting on my bedroom dresser.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

Do you keep your weed in it? (I see those in thrift stores often and that always seems like the only likely use for them...)

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traveledhermit@reddit

I did, and still do!

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New_Camp4174@reddit

You, I like you, keep being awesome

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traveledhermit@reddit

I just commented that the same happened in my town. Mine was used to store weed.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Is it a catholic thing? Because the only girl I knew with one was catholic.

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Choc-o-holic1@reddit

I still have mine too.

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emma_kayte@reddit

Some of us has cedar chests and the furniture store have us the little mini ones but no one I knew used it as a true hope chest, saying things for the future. That seems more boomer generation.

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romulusnr@reddit

Is that a hope chest? My mom's hope chest was like the size of a tall chest freezer. Opened similar way, too. She had all kinds of old shit in there.

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bemenaker@reddit

I thought a hope chest was the big foot locker chest at the end of the bed.

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Missing_Persons_@reddit

I also got one of those when I graduated in 86.

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

I still have mine! I loved it and wanted a real one.

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Reillybug521@reddit

I have 2 of them. I have my mother's and my grandmother's- I just love them.

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selfcarebouquet@reddit

I still have mine as well and it’s also on my bedroom dresser! Other than some childhood photos and my yearbook, it’s the the only thing that I own from before I left home for college. I’m shocked that I still have it, that it survived multiple moves across the country, especially since I wasn’t very sentimental or nostalgic until fairly recently. But even though I lived in an area that we got the tiny cedar chests, I only had one friend who owned a hope chest and that was only because her mother passed hers down to her.

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untactfullyhonest@reddit

Mine is Lane!

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panaceaLiquidGrace@reddit

Me too!

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adube440@reddit

Reading this thread has revealed to me that Lane cedar boxes from the local furniture store is a normal high school rite of passage. My class got them, too.

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Klutzy_Row_2688@reddit

Same where I grew up and I still have mine too!

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XerTrekker@reddit

I got one of these too. It ended up holding wedding mementos and getting packed away after I divorced. Never had a traditional hope chest, my mom did though. It was where we stored blankets and off-season clothes.

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LuckyPepper22@reddit

Funny I have my mother’s little Lane cedar chest at my house. Not exactly sure why it ended up here. I never had one of my own though.

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Blue_Henri@reddit

Me too

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PlantMystic@reddit

True. I got a little cedar box from a store in my community.

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BayAreaPupMom@reddit

I don't think I know anyone who had/has a hope chest in our generation. That was more the silent generation era, I thought. I only saw them on TV, like Little House on the Prairie type shows.

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Bunnita@reddit

I have three, one was my great grandmother's and I got it when she passed, my grandmother bought me one for high school graduation. My grandfather made me one with my name on it. That is the only one in my house currently, the other two are at my mother's in storage. I keep my spare blankets in there, and it is a nice place to put stuff at the foot of my bed.

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TALieutenant@reddit

My mom keeps "special things" in hers. Stuff like a doll her dad got while he was serving in Korea, my old Girl Scout uniform, her and dad's wedding album, etc.

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Numerous_Teacher_392@reddit

Is a hope chest like a wish sandwich?

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Eve_In_Chains@reddit

A hope chest was supposed to be where you put your wedding dress and trousseau (the fancy nightie/underwear for wedding night) and other things for your new home after marriage, tea towels, bedsheets and afghans, I'm sure contents vary by tradition and location. My grandfather offered to make me one but I declined as I've only ever been witness to 3 successful marriages and I was jaded at 12 lol

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Oryx1300@reddit

Is this specifically an American thing?

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tragicsandwichblogs@reddit

One of my English friends said that there they say "bottom drawer."

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Eve_In_Chains@reddit

It was a tradition in European countries, specifically Italy (according to one site) and came to other places in the 1900s as people immigrated to other countries. I just remember it used to be a thing in any books about the roughly medieval and puritan eras, and there was always a line about someone embroidering linens for their hope chest.

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Msdamgoode@reddit

Yes, usually also included things passed down, but it was essentially a “future wedding shower” in a cedar chest.

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security-six@reddit

That's where Lorraine kept Marty's pants while he was knocked out

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tragicsandwichblogs@reddit

I remember.

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CheezyGoodness55@reddit

Ah, thank you, I was wondering the same. My mom had some sort of hope chest, I think, but this wasn't something that anyone in my GenX world had.

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

My wife got one from her grandma when she graduated high school. We still have it in the garage somewhere. My wife always called it her hopeless chest.

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romulusnr@reddit

My mother had one, but I didn't know many other people with one, it seemed a boomer thing.

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mylocker15@reddit

I saw ads for these in magazines but they looked like something my mom would want.

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JasonEAltMTG@reddit

Hope chests are some pioneer woman shit

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OzzyHTx@reddit

My parents had one! One of my grandfathers made it, along with several other pieces of furniture. Beautiful craftsmanship.

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OverMlMs@reddit

I have my mom's Lane hope chest and one that my uncle made in shop class. They are both really nice and well made. I think they will outlast any other furniture we own (with the exception of my great-grandparent's dresser and bureau set from the late 1800s)

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OverMlMs@reddit

I have my mom's Lane cedar hope chest, but she was most definitely a Boomer. Neither of my cousins (older GenX) had hope chests. I thought this was just a Boomer thing

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Activist_Mom06@reddit

Yes! My Grandpa was a Carpenter and built me a gorgeous, MCM style, mahogany hope chest for my 9th birthday. I still have and treasure it. He eventually made one for each of the granddaughters, but mine was the first. Each one was a style to fit the personality. He nailed it. Miss him. 💕

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1_21-gigawatts@reddit

1970 baby. My mom had one but it was always full of old sweaters and blankets and junk.

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Dan-68@reddit

My older sister had one. She called it her hopeless chest.

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missdawn1970@reddit

Wait, what? My older sister also called it a hopeless chest!

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madcatter10007@reddit

I did too; didn't get married until I was in my mid 30s 😅😅😅

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

😅🤣

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FierceBadRabbits@reddit

I called mine that. Am I your older sister???

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Genuine907@reddit

My eldest sister had one. I presume I never got one because it would have been a place to put more books, and not much else. I did get my dad’s old army footlocker when I decided to go to college. It was my main piece of furniture for a long time.

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10yearsisenough@reddit

A coffee table, a bench.

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Large-Client-6024@reddit

Sit on the floor and it became a desk...

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Ok_Cantaloupe7602@reddit

Yeah I always thought of that as my mom’s generation, not us. I never had a hope chest.

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Zetavu@reddit

Only time I ever heard the term was in Back to the Future, when they were in 1955.

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untactfullyhonest@reddit

I have one! My parents got me and both my sisters one for our high school graduation. We got the hope chest, made out of cedar (of course) one of my Moms rings and a few hundred dollars. My hope chest sits on the landing of my staircase filled with unbuilt Lego sets.

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makethebadpeoplestop@reddit

I got mine for my 21st birthday. I still have it. I even cross stitched some pillow cases for it, lol

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activelyresting@reddit

I got one, but AFAIK I'm the only girl in my cohort at school that did, and I was aware already that it was a bit old fashioned even when I was presented it at 12. It's a *gorgeous* box though, currently in storage at my parents' house, I keep meaning to bring it home, but I moved across the country and I can't justify a 4000km round trip just to pick up a clunky piece of furniture that I don't really have space for

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adazzle@reddit

I have my mom's, which her dad built for her. I keep fabric and patterns in it. :)

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

I didn’t have a hope chest, but I built up a stash of kitchenware, towels, and other household items for when I moved out after college. I used lay-away at Wal-Mart and K-Mart for most of it. Sadly lay-away is also lost to the years now.

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czerniana@reddit

My grandmother gave me one (elder millennial) that my uncle made in ship class. Too bad I don't have kids to pass it down to, it's mad useful though heavy AF to move.

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AMom2129@reddit

My mom gave me one.

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Creative_Energy533@reddit

My MIL's sister (who never got married) always said, "I don't have a hope chest, I have a despair trunk." 😂 My mom has a hope chest, that I guess she filled with linens, etc, before she got married, but now it's probably just filled with just junk. When I was a kid, I remember it being at the end of their bed. My MIL offered to give me some things that I guess is what you were supposed to put in a hope chest, but I never had one. I remember seeing advertising for them, but I don't know of anyone my age that got one.

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PaulasBoutique88@reddit

We called them dope chests...you putcher weed in there

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Designer_Praline@reddit

I know of one friend who had one, which I thought was odd. Who wants gifts of towels and doilies on your 14th birthday to be put away? I asked my mother about it (who was big on tradition), she explained why they had them and that she thought they were not needed any more due to changes with women working more and finances. She did put away old household items a she upgraded them, as she knew that we would move out well before marriage for study and work.

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redjessa@reddit

My mom had one but I never did. I don't know anyone my age that does or if they do, it was their mom's.

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MiReina1027@reddit

My dad built one for my mom. So I got her hope chest. But none of my friends ever had one. Idk anyone my age that has one. My ex mil is from the Midwest and cedar chests were more popular there than on the west coast where I’m from.

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xAlyKat@reddit

I have one. It acts as my night stand and holds all the clothes I’ll probably never fit into again

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0ttr@reddit

Yeah, that seems like earlier times than what I grew up in. We had a chest called a "hope chest" in our house but it was not used as such.

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FabAmy@reddit

I still have the one my grandfather made my mom in the 60s.

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Cheddarbaybiskits@reddit

We each got one (including my Y sis) although I also considered it outdated. Still got it…

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traveledhermit@reddit

We had a hope chest company that gave all our high school graduates mini versions. It's been my weed box ever since.

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MorningBrewNumberTwo@reddit

Waiting by the radio with your cassette deck queued, waiting to record your favorite song. Bonus points if the DJ doesn’t talk over the intro/ending.

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Dorothy_Zbornak789@reddit

They ALWAYS talked over the intro to the songs I wanted to record.

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icedragon71@reddit

They probably knew what we were trying to do, and did it deliberately.

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cathy80s@reddit

As a former radio DJ, I can assure you this practice was not to deliberately mess up your cassette

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Prestigious_Rain_842@reddit

As another former radio DJ, I second this. It was the "time pigs" (AKA sales department) wanting us to promote something always.

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cathy80s@reddit

In my experience it wasn't about promotion but rather the energy and flow of the show.

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Prestigious_Rain_842@reddit

I agree. The personality, the show has that presence. Unfortunately as a small station with competition, we had a lot of advertising obligations too.

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cathy80s@reddit

Oh yes, we had a lot of advertising, and I did ads and promos. I'm just saying the promotions department didn't care whether we talked on the ramp or not. That was a programming decision. Any ramp 10 seconds or longer coming out of a spot or talk break, we needed go to the post. I usually just intro'd the song or teased something coming up.

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Prestigious_Rain_842@reddit

We had little index cards of spoken promo's to read "at appropriate times." :)

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cathy80s@reddit

We had some of those too. Good times. 😄

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Bigstar976@reddit

It’s called hitting the post. It’s an industry standard. Same thing as avoiding dead air.

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

Bastards

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romulusnr@reddit

Can't help but wonder if that was on purpose, deliberately to foul up home tapers. (After all home taping killed music, amirite)

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UnivScvm@reddit

We lived for / through those catalogs and spent so much time imagining having some of the stuff even though we never were going to get that level of stuff. Oh, how I wanted one of those little ride-on electric trucks. Definitely never was going to happen for me. But, when Dad had two kids with his second wife, the older one (born my freshman year in high school) got one of those trucks as soon as he was big enough to ride one. He also got a hand-me-down truck from Dad, and the second child got all the toys and a first car from Dad, too. (Jealous? Yeah, maybe a little.) I think that, in a lot of cases, the most recent family gets treated the best, if not just by default because of the passage of time and the likelihood that parents’ income increased as they aged.

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elsolonumber1@reddit

I remember doing this waiting to hear The Final Countdown by Europe. To this day every time I hear that song I hear Rick Dees come in at the end and say, "Yumpin' yimminy it's the Nordic godssss!" Sometimes I just say it out loud and people look at me like I've lost my mind 😁

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Bach7210@reddit

DJ’s got to hit the post. Annoying practice, I agree.

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revchewie@reddit

And the outro!

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

They did!!

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Johnnyhellhole@reddit

Waiting by the radio to win concert tickets and speed-dialing before there was a redial button. Bonus: learning how to hear the unique sound differences between a busy signal and a ring before either tone actually sounded so you could hang up early and redial.

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BoursinAndBrioche@reddit

Yes! I dated a guy who taught me how to dial for prizes at the radio station we listened to. I got pretty good at it. Listening to the radio used to be fun with the crazy djs, the remotes and prizes.

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MorningBrewNumberTwo@reddit

Rotary phones sucked when it came to trying to get through to a radio station!

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Johnnyhellhole@reddit

But we got pretty fast at that, too, didn’t we?

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MorningBrewNumberTwo@reddit

For sure! 👍

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Hopeful-Seesaw-7852@reddit

A friend's mom won a lot, all with a rotary phone. It was the great mystery of our high school years.

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merford28@reddit

My grandmother had a metal rotary dial and it would cut your finger after so many dials!

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Melubrot@reddit

There was a guy in my high school in Atlanta class ahead of me in the mid-80s that figured out a way to game the radio station promotions. He was able to do so because he had a bank of like five phones in his bedroom, all on separate lines, that he would use to autodial whenever a promotion was announced. I remember him bragging about all the prizes he won ranging from concert tickets, free meals and hotel stays.

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WellGreenToffee@reddit

I won so much with that method!

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ToddPundley@reddit

Now the AI bots just get the tickets for scalpers

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SnooEpiphanies157@reddit

Standing in line to buy them too 😃

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youchooseforme@reddit

Yeeeeees. My mom called me ‘Ma Belle’ because I could tell by the tone. Same with a busy tone.. you could tell if they were ‘on the other line’. Ha! Would also call the operator to see what the time was.

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ohsochelley@reddit

I actually won some tickets. Color me badd.

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Senegal47@reddit

Two words: station identification 😅

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Rillion25@reddit

I had so many cassette tapes of the annual kroq year end countdown of the 100 top songs of the year.

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jabrown0101@reddit

If you still have them you should upload them to youtube!

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djutopia@reddit

Definitely

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10yearsisenough@reddit

Even when I was a grown person, there was a radio station that would do these special marathons for niche music, or maybe 72 straight hours for the birthday of some famous jazz guy. I'd keep those tapes rollin', collect all that good music nerd stuff.

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jabantik@reddit

Top 106.7

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UnivScvm@reddit

Ugh, the frustration…”shut up, shut up, shut up…” A friend’s brother worked at a radio station and gave us some of the CD singles they received (don’t remember why he was allowed to give them away.) The liner notes in the cases gave the exact seconds at which the vocals would begin and when they would end. “So that’s how they always knew exactly how long they could talk over the intro and outro!” I hated that the only version released (back then) of Billy Vera and the Beaters “At this Moment” (as made viral by “Family Ties”) was a live version in which you can hear the audience over parts of the end of the song. I read that he released it that way on purpose because that was the crowd that always showed up to support him before he had this massive hit and he wanted an homage to them.

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mimtma@reddit

Oh Alex and Ellen!!! ❤️❤️❤️ And even sweeter irl.

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bizzybaker2@reddit

And then listening to said cassette tape numerous times, and have the need for a lead pencil to rewind it when the ribbon got ate up. Today's kids would not comprehend that, hell they might even ask what a cassette tape is lol!

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OwlFlirt@reddit

I want to get this teeshirt I’ve been seeing with VCR tape, cassette, floppy disc that says “I’m this old”

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bizzybaker2@reddit

😂😂😂

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lmstarbuck@reddit

Here in Canada they are Making a comeback

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Tasterspoon@reddit

You actually made me realize that hexagonal pencils are few and far between now. Now they’re all round and wrapped in decorative plastic that gums up the sharpener.

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babywhiz@reddit

To this day, I can't finish 'Coward of the County' by Kenny Rogers without saying "KTTS and that's Coward of the County".

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grayson7219@reddit

And she’s buying a stairway KRAP95! to heaven

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

When did they ever not talk? Don't they know we're trying to make an epic mix tape? So rude.

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reddit_user_me8@reddit

There are still times I hear a certain song and expect the next song to be whatever I frantically pressed play and record to capture off the radio in 1980-whatever.

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Solomon33AD@reddit

oh my gosh, yes. How many tapes do I have with a few seconds of the front end of the song missing, or the DJ talking....!

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

Yes!!!!!!! REO speedwagon and Brian Adam's were some of my faves

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T-Doggie1@reddit

Take it on the Run and Cuts Like a Knife was a good foundation for a radio tape.

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10yearsisenough@reddit

Take It On the Run is probably the #1 reason I stopped listening to commercial radio and became a left of the dial cool kid. The worst.

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T-Doggie1@reddit

Haha. I saw the Replacements 3 times. Do you know what the Left of the Dial song is referring to on a micro-level?

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10yearsisenough@reddit

I know about the girl.

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luckyjack@reddit

I called in to the local radio station to dedicate “Everything I do I do it for you” to my girlfriend in middle school. And so did I shit you not a good 15 or 20 other people, and the DJ was a stand-up guy and he read all 15 or 20 of us out on air

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Mandor75@reddit

The very first song I called to dedicate was "breaking up is hard to do". Her knees and elbows are poking into me as I type this. And I wouldn't change a thing, except maybe the flavor of the water from the garden hose.

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

That was my song with my first love/boyfriend!!!

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No_oN2389@reddit

Omg I used to melt down when one of my brothers "accidently" tape over my songs. We had ONE radio and I have to wait forever to hear my song come back one. I also hated when I didn't rewind correctly and accidently tape over a part of the last song. 🤦🏻‍♀️

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ech01@reddit

Huey Lewis

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Regalita@reddit

Core memory unlocked 🔓

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ScreenTricky4257@reddit

I would just record a full tape's worth, then take whatever songs I want and dub them onto a second tape.

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Bitchface-Deluxe@reddit

Oh yeah, spent lots of time chasing songs on the radio.

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Satans_colon@reddit

Kids collecting coins, stamps, baseball cards, etc.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

Baseball cards got replaced by Pokémon and the like, but yeah I haven't met a person under 60 who collects coins or stamps. I did see a bunch of people waiting in line this year for the release of a new set of football cards, but they were all middle aged and looking for a Bo Nix rookie card. There were maybe 2 kids out of 50 or so people.

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icecrusherbug@reddit

The stamp and coin collectors are just more quiet about it now. The homeschool groups have some young people still not zoned out continually on electronics. But I agree, the numbers are lower now.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

I'm really glad to hear that collecting is still a thing. My grandfather collected both stamps and coins, so I have some pretty awesome pieces of history that I know exactly zero about.

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icecrusherbug@reddit

I love my stamp collection. It is a way to learn about art, geography, organization, and history. You are never too old or too young to learn more about the collections you now own. It can be a great way to meet some smart friends. How lucky to have a head start.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

Honestly the history and geography are what I'm most interested in, especially with the coins. There are some valuable ones I'm sure, but the ones from countries I'm not super familiar with or don't exist anymore are fascinating to me.

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icecrusherbug@reddit

I don't think I own stamps that have any real value, but the images and history behind the stamps are fascinating. I also like the idea that each item has traveled from that country and time and landed right here and now on my table. Happy collecting.

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JediRebel79@reddit

Not getting offended at anything. Laughing at ourselves

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ProjectedSpirit@reddit

The Boomers said the same thing about Gen X

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JediRebel79@reddit

Sorry i offended you 😅

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ProjectedSpirit@reddit

Not offended at all. Just pointing it out.

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fallfol@reddit

Due process.

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ApresMoiLuhDeluge@reddit

pen pals

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Satans_colon@reddit

Shoveling snow, raking leaves, cutting lawns for money. Ding Dong Ditch. I;'d laugh my ass off if I answered the door and saw the backs of laughing kids running away!

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thecardshark555@reddit

They do ding dong ditch in my neighborhood and then the horrified "victims" get on our local Facebook moms group to complain about it. Ridiculous. We didn't really "ring and run" by us because we lived in a small neighborhood where everyone knew each other. However, we would go out after dinner for giant games of flashlight tag and the like with all of the neighborhood kids. We rode our bikes from house to house "pool hopping" in the summertime. And go and pick wild raspberries and blueberries. Man, we had a wonderful childhood. My 2 best friends, whom I met when I was 3, are still my 2 best friends 50-something years later.

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heffel77@reddit

What ever happened to lighting bugs? Did we catch them all in the 80’s?

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thecardshark555@reddit

Oh we have those here!! I still catch them. They make me happy.

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heffel77@reddit

I’m in Memphis and they used to be everywhere. They would always be around in the summer and I haven’t seen one since the 90’s. I moved to SF for almost 20yrs and most people didn’t know what I was talking about,lol

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Satans_colon@reddit

Awesome stuff! Thx for the nostalgia. We did most of those things in the Chicago suburbs, too.Also loved lighting snakes, smoke bombs and firecrackers/witch whistlers, etc when we could get them! Great times!

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MegaCityNull@reddit

The kiddos in my neighborhood still do it. Makes me smile everytime I hear the "knock knock" and see the little backsides running away... They're still feral here, and I'm a fan. I keep hoping Trick 'r' Treating would come back....maybe someday...

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Remarkable-Daikon-42@reddit

I get over 200 kids trick or treating at my house. I go all out. Try to be the fun house. I notice things are changing more kids outside, encouraging.

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tonna33@reddit

I bought my house 7 years ago. Closed right before Halloween. I was so excited for trick or treaters! We had maybe 5 kids show up. Now we've had more families move in. There still aren't a lot of houses lit up for halloween, but there's a few on our street. Now we are getting more like 25. They neighborhood is getting younger now. I absolutely LOVE hearing the kids playing outside.

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MegaCityNull@reddit

We had one last year and the year before. The big thing where we are is “trunk ‘r’ treat” which is worthless, in my opinion.

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heffel77@reddit

Here they all go to a parking lot and park and the kids all walk around to different cars and get candy. I know it’s safe to only have trick or treating w/kids there but when did Halloween become safe!! The closest it got for me was don’t take open candy or fruit!! And my mom wanted to “inspect the candy” and the cops would say you could bring it by and they would X-ray it but all they would do is take it in the back, look through it, take a few pieces and give it back,lol. But, Halloween was fun and dangerous, older kids on bikes would come by and try to grab your pillow case and then you would egg and tp houses.

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T-Doggie1@reddit

I am still waiting for the day when I get paid back for tying about 20 cherry bombs together and blowing up a ceremonial mailbox every year. I have accepted that I can’t really let it make me mad. It will just be karma.

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Satans_colon@reddit

That's awesome!

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1_21-gigawatts@reddit

Damn lazy kids today, back in my day… To be fair, my folks said this about me, I say this about my kids, and I’m sure they will be saying it about their kids. Circle of life.

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H011yG01ightly@reddit

We called it Knock Knock Zoom in my neighborhood...

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toebeantuesday@reddit

No they still shovel snow in the last 3 towns/neighborhoods I lived in. Professional lawn services are too dominant now for kids to stand a chance with yard maintenance though.

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LavenderGwendolyn@reddit

My kid loves to shovel snow. He genuinely loves winter. I know. He’s weird. But he now goes to college several hours away, so we had to do it our damned selves the last few years.

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

Just have another kid! Problem solved 🤣

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LavenderGwendolyn@reddit

That ship has sailed. Plus it would be another 8-10 years or so before I maybe had another shoveler.

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

Oh I was just thinking of how much more effort it is to raise a kid to shovel snow than it is to just shovel the snow yourselves 😁

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Settler52@reddit

I think this depends on where you live. Kids my area very much do this but not to the extent once common as we all have professional services that handle these things. Harder for them to get in the game.

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GenXer76@reddit

The kids in my neighborhood are serious entrepreneurs!

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T-Doggie1@reddit

I have had a few solicitations from a kid pushing a lawnmower around over the years. I’m always tempted bc I love seeing that old time initiative, but the guy that takes care of my yard is such a good guy and uber dependable. Gotta be loyal to him.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

Kids did it to my 80+ year old mom last fall-- a few times --until one dropped an expensive glove, which she kept. Then she put up a sign saying "Glove for sale, $20, left hand only!"

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TheSwedishEagle@reddit

Kids here are earning money washing cars

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

I made a lot of money raking yards and cutting grass!

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0ttr@reddit

where I live, kids do earn money that way, but it's not prevalent.

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Satans_colon@reddit

That's uplifting to see.

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LifeguardNo9762@reddit

I purposely became one of the last houses in my neighborhood to get doorbell cameras because I wanted them to ddd me! They finally did and it was everything I had hoped it would be! 🤣

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ClassicDefiant2659@reddit

Not knowing where your kids are at all times. There was a ton of time my parents didn't know where I was. I can tell you where my kids are at any time you ask me. They are 12 and 8.

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Alloyrocks@reddit

Listening to albums on the record player and setting the needle in the right spot to listen to the song you wanted to hear.

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Local871@reddit

Being a beginning guitar player and putting the needle where the guitar solo starts. You could tell because the grooves looked different.

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Telecommie@reddit

Having a friend bring over another record player so we could play endless breaks between the two turntables. I guess some kids do that now, but it’s what turntable sets are meant to do now.

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Soliloquy_Duet@reddit

Camping out in line for concert tickets

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adksundazer@reddit

Ha! I camped out one year with a friend of mine to buy tickets to some lame ass show for her parents. It was season opening sales for a ton of shows a a local performing arts venue. We laughed about their dumb show: we just wanted the camping in line fun.

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Soliloquy_Duet@reddit

I would get paid to do it as a student

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Junkman3@reddit

Calling time and temperature phone line in the morning to get the days forecast

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PercentageNonGrata@reddit

And also movie showtimes.

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Team503@reddit

Hello, and welcome to *Movie Phone!* If you know the name of the movie you'd like to see, press one now!

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woozleuwuzzle@reddit

You’ve selected…Agent Zero. If that’s correct press one. Uhh…You’ve selected Brown Eyes Girl. If that’s correct press one. …… Why don’t you juts tell me the name of the movie you’d like to see?

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SolomonGrumpy@reddit

Welcome to Movie phone!

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woozleuwuzzle@reddit

Why don’t you just tell me the name of the movie you’d like to see?

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oldtinman15@reddit

Out library had a story line we could call. Late 70s early 80s. It would update like every 2 weeks. They were only like 10 minute stories but my brother and I had to call for every one

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Arch27@reddit

Calling the weather phone in the middle of the night so that I could answer an expected call via call waiting so it didn't wake up my father.

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1_21-gigawatts@reddit

And then your dad yelling at you for spending $3.75 — “THREE DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS!!! MONEY DOESN’T GROW ON TREES YAKNOW!!” for calling them a dozen times when you were waiting for the temperature to get warm enough to go to the beach the other weekend

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lassiemav3n@reddit

In the UK, you could even phone a number to have a bedtime story read to you!

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

And information. 1-4-1-1. Kids today say “what’s the 4-1-1” and don’t even know why!

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hullaballoser@reddit

We used to call up the surf report. The dude on the outgoing message always sounded so stoked or bummed depending on the conditions. You could tell if there was a good swell before he even said how the waves are.

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TankApprehensive3053@reddit

I remember when working at a Wyoming fire dept in the '90s, we would calibrate all the clocks to the Atomic Clock in Ft Collins, CO. We had to call the number every few days to verify. When I told my boomer dad that he didn't believe me. Then he got an atomic wall clock that did it automatically and thought he was better than everyone else.

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IHAYFL25@reddit

It was actually in Boulder, 303-499-7111

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TankApprehensive3053@reddit

That was a different one. I remember the number we called was 762-3006. I remember thinking it was funny it was two rifle calibers. They were probably several numbers, that's just the one we had. It was to the radio service for the atomic clock and based in Ft Collins. The actual timekeeper is probably in Boulder though.

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IHAYFL25@reddit

Oh interesting! Found this from AI:

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TankApprehensive3053@reddit

![gif](giphy|26gsvAm8UPaczzXz2) Your day is complete, you have learned something. Now get ready for tomorrow, we're going over the nuclear bomb proof desk. You can also sit on the floor with your head between your knees. (comment is made sticking with the post theme).

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Cirrus-Stratus@reddit

Or to get the exact time to set your clocks.

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MrsDottieParker@reddit

POPCORN!

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1InvisibleStranger@reddit

Hanging out at the roller rink! Man, i really miss that. Kids don't know what they're missing!

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Dutch7422@reddit

Smoking in the airplane

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IHAYFL25@reddit

When I go into a restaurant, I still think of “smoking or non?”

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calmikazee@reddit

With a 6-inch high piece of glass separating the booths…

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Dutch7422@reddit

I still even smell the stench of smoking in the bowling alleys

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calmikazee@reddit

Play-Record-Pause… … Unpause DAMMIT Pause…

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xxshilar@reddit

Waking up to women wearing sexy leotards doing aerobics.

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missdawn1970@reddit

20 Minute Workout!

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xxshilar@reddit

If I have my VCR, I can go for an hour!

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

Lol

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beane16@reddit

Ordering pizza from the phone book

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katiekat214@reddit

There were always coupons in the back!

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beane16@reddit

I forgot about that!!

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

Phone books in general!

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Mortimer452@reddit

Driving around aimlessly on a Friday night looking for cars you recognize in all the normal hangout places

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Ok-Assistant-9213@reddit (OP)

Cruising! Kids today don't know what they're missing!

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Lbeantree@reddit

Oh yes! I loved cruising!

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Fragrant-Reading-409@reddit

Cruising the Pike. Especially w a CB in your friend's T Top..

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bemenaker@reddit

Part of the excitement was not knowing where they were, finding them, and not knowing who was there when you did.

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heffel77@reddit

Yeah, because gas used to be less than a dollar a gallon and now it’s crazy high. Plus, social media makes it easier to find people and meet up. What they’re missing is the driving around was the point!!

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Revolutionary-Base-4@reddit

Gas has gone not gone up comparatively with the average wage and on average cars get must better gas mileage.

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Aglet_Dart@reddit

In minutes worked per gallon… 5.3 in 1992 to 12.4 in 2008 to 5.8 in 2019 and finally 7.2 last year. This is for the average worker. I’m not going to post the numbers for minimum wage earners because they make me sad. The overall cost of cars ownership has increased approximately 1% per year from 1993 to present. These are US numbers so worldwide numbers may be different.

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Revolutionary-Base-4@reddit

When gas was $1 a gallon I made $3.35 an hour. Now I make approximately $42 an hour. I was speaking about my personal experience and the OP did not post anything about the average cost of owning a vehicle.

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oldtinman15@reddit

Lots of weekends spent on the Avenue. City stopped that with ordinances and tickets in the early 90s

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Dioscouri@reddit

They did this in my area too. But they almost immediately regretted it. There were 5 sheriffs policing every kid in the entire county at the cruise. Once they shut it down they realized they couldn't do the same thing with 200 sheriffs. So they made several unsuccessful attempts to reopen it before they just gave up. What's funny is that the local businesses on the cruise were the driving force in both. They thought we were driving business away, but as soon as we left, they found out they didn't have any customers. All of them closed down.

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oldtinman15@reddit

Pretty similar here. Minus the sheriff's. A lot of the smaller businesses went under. Mostly food joints that made a ton of money on the people cruising. When they stopped that, nobody was hanging out up there

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

I grew up in Colorado, and the cruising route went around my neighborhood 30 years ago. It was craziness every Friday and Saturday night, people came from Wyoming to cruise there. Loved it when I was in high school. But, same thing here, they started with ordinances and tickets, and then just shut down the loop at certain intersections for a few years until it fizzled out. Somewhere in my boxes of crap at my mom's house, I have one of the city signs that was posted all along the route saying "NO CRUISING! 5PM TO 7AM" Some of the best times of my youth were there.

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Motor_Expression_487@reddit

Oh man! We did this on 8th (yeah small town 80k) in the early 2000s. Never tickets! The true hangout was the Baken Park parking lot 😅

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Meng_Fei@reddit

You had to watch out for the girls though. They'd try to get you in. Strolling by with their rosebud smiles

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cmparkerson@reddit

its still done in small towns

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chaznolan1117@reddit

Deer Park Avenue AKA 231 (state rd designation )Long Island, NY I cannot begin to describe how many miles I have driven/passenger looping from August Rd North Babylon to where the fun ended in Deer Park. So many groups Cheap Johns crew Rockbottom Cheers Sunset City The 70's thru early 90's were an amazing time to be alive on Long Island for me. We just all wanted to chill with our friends and exist. Life was good

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Zetavu@reddit

Or going to the drive in restaurant, and parking with your engine hood open, showing off your goods. By drive in I mean the old fashioned one where you pull up and the servers come to your car (sometimes on roller skates).

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TSisold@reddit

Kids today can't afford to cruise. They're usually inside watching TV or playing online games

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mortar_n_pestilence@reddit

I still have memories of my 18 year old sister taking 8 year old me cruising with her when she got stuck babysitting on a Friday night. Of course, I had to sit in the floorboard so she could seem cool. I should have bribed her for more....

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TheSpatulaOfLove@reddit

There are kids in my area do it. Problem is a lot of them have some high end cars and you hear roaring engines and squealing tires all night.

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doc_witt@reddit

Damn kids need to get off my street!

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notabadkid92@reddit

Cruising was banned in my city but I was lucky to engage while it was still THE thing to do. Fast forward to early 2020's, they had to ban racing. Lol. Bet they wish kids would cruise instead.

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KtinaDoc@reddit

So much fun!

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romulusnr@reddit

Denny's. It was usually Denny's.

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MoparMedusa@reddit

That is how I met my husband 35 years ago! Ah, such good memories!

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formosk@reddit

Or, while in an unfamiliar city, you have no idea where to go or eat, so you just get in a taxi and ask the driver for recommendations.

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AJ_in_SF_Bay@reddit

Cruising was banned in my hometown when I was a young teen. We all did it anyway. Cops set up sting type operations where if they saw the same car or truck twice in a given time period, they would pull them over and hassle them. Everyone got CB radios and wove around the sting points. Some brave kids would drive by just to taunt them. I have long since moved away. I happened to see that my hometown was advertising "Classic Cruisin' Nights" over the weekends in the summer as a car show and tourist attraction. SMH.

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Practicality_Issue@reddit

It’s illegal in some places here in Texas. I can’t remember what the laws are called, but kids can’t be out like that anymore. It’s really stupid. Most of my best high school memories involve all of that aimless driving and sitting.

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Able_Buffalo@reddit

Lloyd Dobbler: "**If you guys know so much about women, how come you're here at like the Gas 'n' Sip on a Saturday night completely alone drinking beers with no women anywhere?**"

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doomladen@reddit

This seems very US-specific! I’ve never heard of such a thing. Very few of my friends could afford cars as teenagers, and by the time they could drive they were old enough to go into bars and pubs and drink instead. It’s interesting how different our teenage years probably were, depending on where you come from.

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DueConversation5269@reddit

Smokin

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No_Reserve_2846@reddit

Small town gen X here. Our version of cruising involved getting chased out of every place by the local cops whenever we stopped.

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SomeCar@reddit

OMG the memories. I can still hear Night Moves playing... close to midnight, windows down, 75 degrees outside, the smell of the air, just vibing and enjoying life.

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Erazzphoto@reddit

Not advisable of course, but me and a buddy would drive around the city, completely stoned, and just look at the nice homes, the city lights. Then we’d go to all our friends who had apartments and steal their lighters 😂

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Msdamgoode@reddit

Good lord yes… in our mid-sized city, the city parks were sorta associated with different high schools, so you’d go intermingle every now and then, or everyone would decide to stick to “home base”.

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10yearsisenough@reddit

We're headed to the movie theater parking lot, or maybe THE Wendy's, met some guys who said there's a kegger by the old boat ramp, see you there.

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Msdamgoode@reddit

Yep… or someone said there’s a bonfire at the overlook. Or maybe a band at the blue hole

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10yearsisenough@reddit

Drink or Drown out at The Clam

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

When I started teaching, I read so many essays about this, lol.

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PlantMystic@reddit

Oh yes. That brings back memories lol.

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robo_cock@reddit

Making mix tapes.

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PercentageNonGrata@reddit

Calling the radio station to play a song so you could add it to your mixtape.

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

Calling in to be the "18th" caller and wine a prize!!! I won a trip to Los angeles to see new kids on the block!!!!!!!!!

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susiemay01@reddit

12 year old me just got soooooooo jealous. Best I got was a cassette of the soundtrack to young guns 2. Blaze of Glory, mofos!

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

Oh wow! I got my NKOTB tickets by sleeping on a dirty sidewalk overnight, lol. My mom promised I could go if they came within a two-hour drive of us, and they did, finally, on the Step-by-Step tour. I made her take me at 3pm the day before tickets went in sale and we were 8th in line. That was a great experience for a 13-year-old, lol.

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

Wow that must have been super exciting! I couldn’t even imagine winning a trip to a big city to see a band I wanted to see back then! I grew up outside of a small/mid city in the Midwest, so that would have been ridiculously cool!

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

I remember calling in a request one night with friends and the DJ said he didn't have that in the studio, but he *might* have it in his car. So he played a long song, went outside, and a while later we got our extended live version of Neil Young's "Tonight's The Night." Great memory.

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heffel77@reddit

Great song and great album!! I love the story about how he was touring the album and everyone wanted to hear the “old stuff” so after he played the album he’d say “ok, you wanna hear some old stuff now?” Cue the huge roar and then he’d play the second version of Tonight’s the Night!! I love his “Ditch Trilogy” era, with that and On the Beach, and Time Fades Away..

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UnivScvm@reddit

[This song](https://youtu.be/p9SKy87uVb8?si=4zkovBEQeCMVnXbc) captures it so well.

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UnivScvm@reddit

[This song](https://youtu.be/p9SKy87uVb8?si=4zkovBEQeCMVnXbc) captures it so well.

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babywhiz@reddit

Naw, these just changed to TikToks, Reels, and Shorts.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

That was one if my favorite things about Guardians of the Galaxy. The mixed tape. I could so relate to that.

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GenXer76@reddit

Buying airplane tickets from a travel agents

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Naive_Product_5916@reddit

I miss this. Last time I was able to do this was about 2002.

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katiekat214@reddit

You can still use a travel agent

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ScreenTricky4257@reddit

Smoking or non-smoking?

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skeetwooly@reddit

Buying 12 Albums for 1 penny

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katiekat214@reddit

I wonder how much GenX collectively owes Columbia House.

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D05wtt@reddit

And forgetting to read the fine print which was you had to buy 6(?) more at full price.

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UnivScvm@reddit

And the shitty ‘selection of the month’ you’d get stuck with for $15 because you forgot to send back the card that said you didn’t want it.

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Practicality_Issue@reddit

One of these days I’m going to start a reddit account called “ColumbiaHouseCollections” and terrorize this group.

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ech01@reddit

Mr. Howie Felterbottom owes Columbia house a lot of money

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adksundazer@reddit

Keeping a dime, and later a quarter, in your shoe so you could call for a ride home. Otherwise you’d have to call collect

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Flaky-Debate-833@reddit

Being in front of the TV at a specific time on a specific night to watch your shows. If you missed it, you'd have to wait until summertime reruns.

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Naive_Product_5916@reddit

And running home to watch the yearly Wizard of Oz or whatever amazing show was on that summer.

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katiekat214@reddit

And The Sound of Music in the winter.

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Current-Spray9478@reddit

Oh wow, this unlocked a memory for me. Watching the annual broadcast of the Wizard of Oz was a big deal in my house!

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SnooPickles55@reddit

It was usually around Easter, so this is timely

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romulusnr@reddit

Pretty sure I have whole movies taped off of HBO / Movie Channel / etc.

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Kilkegard@reddit

Then waiting for a commercial break to refill your snack or drink.

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bemenaker@reddit

And run to the bathroom

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Roddy_Piper2000@reddit

Democratic elections

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blueboatmich66@reddit

Crushing long distance phone bills. Even 60 miles away was considered long distance to the phone company.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Ah yes. At one time "local tolls" were more costly than long distance, because there was a separate plan for long distance which would discount it.

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jimb575@reddit

60 miles?!? You got off light. I live in Rhode Island (48 miles long, 37 miles wide). I’m also smack dab in the middle of the state. I would call my friends and family that were two towns over, less than 10 miles, and get charged long distance. The phone company made a killing from all the kids that went to URI (which is in the southern part of the state) and had to call home. It was legitimately cheaper to just drive home and talk to your parents than it was to call.

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blueboatmich66@reddit

I didn’t h

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photoguy423@reddit

If you were the first person to get in the car, you unlocked the other doors for everyone else. Now there’s a remote for that. Also, manually cranking windows.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Or having to pull the front seat down so people could get in the back because two door cars were way more common.

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Satans_colon@reddit

Spin The Bottle and 7 Minutes In Heaven. I have no idea how the young ones navigate early sexuality under the current rules of engagement.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

Seven minutes is a long time...wasn't it just two minutes c. 1980? Now you'd need to sign some sort of release first. Maybe it will catch on again as Gen X hits retirement homes?

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

It was five minutes of awkwardness and maybe two of kissing and groping.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

In retrospect, I’m glad I was never invited to play seven minutes in heaven. I would have a problem with being forced in a dark closet with a crush for seven minutes while “friends” were standing in front and looking at their watches.

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MissAutoShow1969@reddit

Riding bikes without helmets or lights after dark as a form of independence and parent-approved transport since they didn’t have to drive you around.

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PlantMystic@reddit

Does anyone hang-out and talk on the phone for hours? I did this when I was a teen when I could get away with it.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

No. Because my mother was allowed to do it but not us, because we couldn't hold up the line for her calls. Her gossip was much more important than ours. Plus, even if we could, she had a habit of eavesdropping on the other phone extension.

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NaturalEnthusiasm368@reddit

My kid does the same thing - but they FaceTime. In fact, they seem to always be FaceTiming and not necessarily even talking much…just connected

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witchbrew7@reddit

I hate talking on the phone. It’s almost a joke with my fam who still enjoys it. But if I call a friend they know shits going down because I never call.

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Rough-Marionberry991@reddit

I was gonna say talking on the phone! Seems like nobody does it anymore

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

My kids are on the phone with their friends for hours while doing stuff like homework or playing a game and only say a few words every ten minutes or so. It’s weird.

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doorbell2021@reddit

Kids still do this, but they do it while gaming with their friends.

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SunshineandH2O@reddit

No, my parents would use a 10 minute timer for my phone calls. I recall stretching that 10 foot cord so I could sit under the dining room table for "privacy."

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Daxos157@reddit

My mom pulled the biggest big brain move of all time and got me a different line in my bedroom. I was the envy of all my friend group for months.

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JennCrosby3@reddit

I wanted my own phone line for my bedroom when I was in high school, in the early 90's. But my mom said she would never see me again if I got my own line. She was probably right.

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ConchFritter33040@reddit

I always begged for my own line, but my parents said no because if there ever was an emergency my friends would call my line and not my parent’s (they wouldn’t know my parents’ number ).

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RichLather@reddit

I got a dedicated land line when I was in high school because I had a modem and called local BBS systems often. Too many instances where picking up another phone in the house resulted in ear assault from the data screeching.

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larissaorlarissa024@reddit

I of course remember hone books and some of the rich kid families had a entry indented below their parents line that said 'children's line'. Anybody remember that?

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heffel77@reddit

I wanted that but they got ringmaster instead. It was still one line but two numbers and my number rang twice so you’d know who the call was for

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

Dear lord, in high school (early 80s) we'd sometimes literally talk all night. I bought a 25 foot coiled cord for our wall phone-- which was outside my bedroom door --so I could take the handset in my room to talk. More than once I called a GF late at night and we literally talked until morning. Seemed like we were getting away with something!

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BeneGezzeret@reddit

We would have competitions with our friends to see who could talk the most hours (all night and then some). I would also sneak into my parents room and unplug their phone so that I could get calls late without them hearing the phone ring. I also had to climb under the desk back then to plug the phone cable into the modem every time I wanted to "dial up" AOL.

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PlantMystic@reddit

Lol. I did not have a cord like that but yes I remember talking a long time with friends. I usually got yelled at to get the hell off the phone too.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

I could only get away with it after my parents were asleep, "in case an important call comes" you know.

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PlantMystic@reddit

Ugh. What could be more important than our social life??!!! (sarcasm)

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Momofcats74@reddit

My best friend and I still hang out. The talking on the phone thing... meh. I don't enjoy it that much anymore.

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

I actively dodge phone calls. The only person I would answer was my mom. Now that she's gone there's no point in keeping my phone on me.

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PlantMystic@reddit

I still see friends in person, but not hang on the phone anymore. I do remember that was a thing.

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Rocklobsterbot@reddit

people seem to walk around/drive around talking about absolutely nothing. it's not the same and it's annoying to everyone else.

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Keyeuh@reddit

My daughter does. She & her friends are 8th graders. They are on the phone from after school until time to go to bed. We have to break in for dinner & family time, so uncool 🙄 & I'm the cool mom lol Last night she apologized if she was too loud while talking to her friends & I told her to keep the cackling down. I could hear her laughing down the hall. That made her laugh more.

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thecardshark555@reddit

Yes. The main phone was in the kitchen, near the basement door. I would sit on the basement stairs with the door closed so no one would bother me.

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selfcarebouquet@reddit

In my childhood home there was a little alcove near the door to the basement, just large enough for a telephone table with a seat. And there was a shelf under the “table” part large enough to hold both the white pages and yellow pages of that year’s phone book.

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WalnutTree80@reddit

That's all I did in the evenings and on weekends until my friends and I were old enough to drive. Adults trying to call my house used to complain that they could never get through to my mom and dad. I don't think my parents minded much because after a long workday on their feet they just wanted to relax in the evenings. Or at least they never complained and told me to get off the phone.

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Carrots-1975@reddit

Yes except now they do it with FaceTime and just sit on the phone with each other for hours not talking. My daughter and her friends do this all the time- they’re each just living their separate lives, completing whatever tasks, while being present with each other on the phone. They rarely talk but they’ll stay on the line for 4 hours.

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Zetavu@reddit

No, they text for hours.

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heffel77@reddit

I did when I was a teen too. I even had the ringmaster, so I had my own number and double ring, now if I talk on the phone too long my neck starts to cramp,lol

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Oh yes. I remember my toes curled up in the cord just laughing away. Once the internet came around then we had to get off.

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Your_Auntie_Viv@reddit

I still talk with friends on the phone , sometimes for hours. There’s something about a phone call that can’t be recreated in text.

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PlantMystic@reddit

I agree.

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

Was it the number for time we would call and could shout out to other people on the line for a brief moment right after the announcement? My memory is a bit fuzzy, but it's how people would share info where all the parties are.

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JakkSplatt@reddit

Remembering phone numbers

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ancientastronaut2@reddit

And to be fair, everyone usually had the same area code then so it was easier.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

I can’t remember yesterday but I remember all my friend’s phone #s.

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JakkSplatt@reddit

Wife and I were out for a drive Saturday and I rattled off all of my landlines until I was 18 and 2 previous cell phone numbers 🤣

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ToddPundley@reddit

Could be worse I’m still riding my Hotmail account

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UnivScvm@reddit

Rockin’ on with my bad self and 5 @aol.com email accounts. I have email accounts older than some of my co-workers. What a realization that was.

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ToddPundley@reddit

I suspect I do too I’m afraid to find out

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UnivScvm@reddit

I remember my first job out of grad school. One of my co-workers commented that he had underwear older than me. I didn’t ask him to prove it.

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UnivScvm@reddit

When I submitted the character and fitness information required to pass the background check to sit for the bar exam, I had to run an Internet background check on myself to capture some of the exact address numbers of places I had lived and various phone numbers. I was 30, and it wanted every address and phone number in the last 10 years or since 18. (My thought at the time, “Damn, y’all; are you serious? I’ve had 25 different addresses in my life.” Note: now 27…but the same one for the last 18 years, thankfully.) It also wanted all my drivers’ license numbers, when I had changed states several times. Luckily, I had received a ticket and a warning on the only ones I hadn’t been able to keep when I got a new one. I’m a pack rat and had the ticket and warning, so I was able to pull the DL numbers from them.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

We are dinosaur roladexes, my friend. 😁

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Large-Client-6024@reddit

Rolodex? We had a notepad beside the phone with a pen on a string tied to the phone. (The string was to make sure the pen didn't walk away)

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

Haha I remember that pen. I wrote that weird because I just woke up, I was trying to throw in 2 references to me being old as hell, although I think my dad actually did have a roladex still. I never wrote down phone numbers, as my only skills were being able to remember any phone number I hear (I still remember them all) and tell you who was singing a song on the radio immediately. Both of these things have now been rendered useless by cell phones. I am a dinosaur and a roladex of useless information. 😁

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heffel77@reddit

Yeah, I can remember all my old home phone numbers, work numbers my parents used to have, my first gf’s phone number but anything past say, 96-97, I got nothing

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TakeTheThirdStep@reddit

Hello Mr Jones, can Amy come to the phone?

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

I remember my phone number that we had until we moved in 1987. The area code has changed…

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madEthelFlint@reddit

I can still recite my childhood home phone number🤣

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ToddPundley@reddit

If I ever get senile I fully expect to keep repeating my parents phone number.

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selfcarebouquet@reddit

I am impressed. I do not remember any old phone numbers.

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rddt6154@reddit

I have a lot of trouble with phone numbers. I actually have trouble remembering my parent's address sometimes even though it's been the same for the past 48 years. In my defense, I haven't lived there for 30 of them now.

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selfcarebouquet@reddit

Yeah, in my defense, I left home 40 years ago and for the last 5 or so years that I lived at home, I recall my stepmom changing our number a few times in response to crank or creepy calls. Which reminds me of something else that is no longer a thing, paying extra for an unlisted number.

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Practicality_Issue@reddit

I was helping my 21 year old with taxes yesterday. I didn’t know his phone number, and he didn’t know us social security number. So maybe that’s a thing now too.

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SarahF327@reddit

Pushing our stick shift cars down the road until we were far enough away to pop the clutch and start the engine so our parents wouldn’t hear us leaving.

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PNWBlonde4eyes@reddit

Cruising after dark, going to a 24/7 diner with a group & ordering sodas & staying til curfew, signing yearbooks, typing a letter/resume, spreadsheet accounts with pencils,

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whatizitman@reddit

Making a pay phone ring, and waiting to see if anyone tries to answer it.

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efflexor@reddit

I have both made and answered random payphone calls

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TheBoldManLaughsOnce@reddit

I would answer the pay phone at McSorley's Ale House in NYC. No. It's not there any more. The pay phone, I mean. That place will never die. The urinals alone will keep the place standing up.

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babywhiz@reddit

2600 would like to have a word with you!

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

I saw Miracle Mile as a kid, and in it, a dude answers a ringing payphone on a whim, and hears a guy in a missile silo who thinks he's called his dad. He called to tell his dad goodbye, because he just launched his nukes along with the rest of the silos in the US, in response to USSR launching them at us. Then there's a gunshot and the phone hangs up. Andrew McCarthy then spends the movie trying to decide if it was real or not. So yeah, I learned the payphone numbers to all of the stores and areas around my house, memorized the phone call from the movie, and tried this one out on people. Thay was the most fun I've had prank calling people until 3 way calling came out.

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heffel77@reddit

I used to know the numbers for certain pay phones and no, it had nothing to do with being around the corner from my drug dealer’s house 🙄

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

What is a pay phone ring??

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

When you call a pay phone (from another phone) to make it ring hoping someone will pick up.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Omg. I read this last night and did NOT read it correctly. I was thinking ring 💍 not ring ☎️. Derp.

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

Ha!! I remember driving by a bookstore and it had a huge sign out front that said Auto graphing here! For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what auto graphing was. I thought it had something to do with a car? Duh! Though I do think it’s a stupid way to promote a book signing.

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oldtinman15@reddit

Use to be able to do that on the house phone. Always pissed my dad off

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nrith@reddit

Neighbors across the street got egged a couple weeks ago, and all I could think of was: 1) People still egg houses? 2) Eggs? In _this_ economy?

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TheBoldManLaughsOnce@reddit

Tell me the were quail eggs. Or maybe duck eggs? Damn, chicken eggs? Might as well toilet paper their place with $250 bills!

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

When I read that first line, I thought, wow! That's an expensive night.

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NamelessIowaNative@reddit

I’m sure you meant “eggs-pensive”.

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maineCharacterEMC2@reddit

🥁

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Sensitive_Note1139@reddit

China. Stores can get rid of that stuff. I don't know what the younger generations serve food on at their gatherings but it isn't china.

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ganshon@reddit

Paying bills by check; having to find stamps to mail them out; actually using the mailbox to send outgoing mail

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phillymjs@reddit

Online bill pay is an amazing time saver, but I still write and mail two checks every year, for my property tax and school tax. The only other payment options I'm offered for those are to give the city my checking account info so they could withdraw it, or pay by CC and cough up an extra 3% for the privilege. Both of those options suck.

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ganshon@reddit

Yes... I am the same way... I still have to order checks from time to time because it costs more to pay by cc, or I don't feel like giving up my banking info...

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Recondite_Potato@reddit

Rolling up jeans (at least I never see it anymore)

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phillymjs@reddit

What is this? What? It's an automatic jean tight-roller. Ain't nobody tight-rollin' their jeans no more, fool! But, baby, this one's automatic. I don't care if it's automatic, systematic, Veg-O-Matic. I don't give a shit-o-matic. Ain't nobody tight-rollin' their jeans no more.

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DCoulthardsJawline@reddit

Keeping a couple of quarters in that bendable rubber vag thing you got at the banks in case you needed top make a phone call. I apologize as I do not know the technical name of the bendable rubber thing.

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phillymjs@reddit

"Squeeze coin purse"-- I guessed that was what it was and googling confirmed it.

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Kyauphie@reddit

🤭 But we all know exactly what it is based on your description.

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TwirlyGirl313@reddit

I really miss slamming a phone down.

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Sukenis@reddit

Going to see a band while wearing a shirt for that band….you can now be “that guy.”

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phillymjs@reddit

Buying [this](https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/4771336-the-bands-shirt) specifically to wear to concerts.

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PondoSinatra9Beltan6@reddit

Playing outside, waiting for the bus without any parents nearby, hanging out at the arcade In high school we would have to walk through a courtyard to enter the building. That area was also the designated smoking area for students.

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My0wnThoughts@reddit

Wearing a house key as a necklace.

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Kyauphie@reddit

I wear a safety whistle in its stead on a sterling silver chain beneath everything informal, and I refuse to stop.

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Kyauphie@reddit

Calling the time lady to make sure that my clock or watch was right at the tone. It was way more accurate than waiting on servers to replicate across the internet.

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matthewamerica@reddit

Slamming down the phone to emphasize a point. I really do miss that.

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Kyauphie@reddit

That sound of the bell echoing from the slam. 🥰

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phillymjs@reddit

It wasn't quite as satisfying, but for a few years we had snapping shut a clamshell mobile phone.

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RudyRusso@reddit

↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A

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Here_now_2364@reddit

Select/start

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Cool_Dark_Place@reddit

Staying up late enough to hear your TV station play the national anthem and sign off for the night. Whenever I watch the movie Poltergeist... that first scene makes me instantly nostalgic.

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heffel77@reddit

I would always get weirdly depressed when they went off the air because I had to go to bed. Once the anthem started and then the pattern or later color bars, made it just feel weird. So, I’d lay in bed. I’ve always been a night person

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No-Diet-4797@reddit

I always thought I was a night person. Turns out my brain is just broken and I'm an insomniac.

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heffel77@reddit

Same for me. I just say night person.. I don’t always stay up all night been when I do, I’m generally not sleeping until the sun comes up. My sleep schedule has always been crazy because when I lay down that’s when the carnival starts!! Shout out to Doug Stanhope

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KtinaDoc@reddit

I would too.

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SnooPickles55@reddit

Same, our local channel 5 played movies all night but only on Friday and Saturday nights, the rest of the time I just lay there, stressing about whatever a 9 year old stresses over. Because it was on late, I got into the Tonight Show with Johnhy and AM talk radio at a very young age.

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hardhatgirl@reddit

"This concludes our broadcast day . . . . . "

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lboogaloo@reddit

I was just talking about this at work. My one colleague is 12 years younger her than me and the other is 4 years younger than me - I’m 47 - and the one in her 40’s doesn’t remember this at all. They thought it was weird that the national anthem played and then there was just zero programming on until the early morning news. Not even a rerun! 😆

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Naive_Product_5916@reddit

And waking up in the middle of the night to the snow on the screen. Also calling it snow

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Designer_Praline@reddit

Randomly doing things. Going for a walk, bump into someone you barely know, invited to a party later that day. Make new friends, even for just the night. Meet a potential partner whilst out for a drink. Just so much more spontanious. Even if a show was on that you really wanted to watch, you would record it. Now, they refuse to go out as they planned to watch Netflix (which they can watch at anytime)

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Kennikend@reddit

This is such a good point. Unlocked a memory of a random day full of small surprises.

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Mister_Macphisto@reddit

Waiting at the end of every summer as a kid for the Montgomery Ward, JC Penny and Sears catalogs to come out to look at all the new toys and try to think of clever ways to let anyone and everyone know what toys I hoped to get for Christmas.

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DragonZeku@reddit

You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.

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UnivScvm@reddit

We lived for / through those catalogs and spent so much time imagining having some of the stuff even though we never were going to get that level of stuff. Oh, how I wanted one of those little ride-on electric trucks. Definitely never was going to happen for me. But, when Dad had two kids with his second wife, the older one (born my freshman year in high school) got one of those trucks as soon as he was big enough to ride one. He also got a hand-me-down truck from Dad, and the second child got all the toys and a first car from Dad, too. (Jealous? Yeah, maybe a little.) I think that, in a lot of cases, the most recent family gets treated the best, if not just by default because of the passage of time and the likelihood that parents’ income increased as they aged.

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StitchGrl@reddit

When I got my drivers license in 1982 I inherited my grandma's 1974 Ford. It only had an AM radio. When my best friend and I cruised around town in my car we brought my dual cassette boom box. She would hold it in her lap in the passenger seat and changed cassettes or FM radio channels for us. 🤣Eventually I got my brother to install a am/fm cassette player in the car for when I was alone.

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pdm2002@reddit

Pre internet and online shopping, having to go to the store to buy things. We didn’t have Amazon or online shipping to fall back on, so if you went to multiple store and couldn’t find something, you were SOL. If you did order something by mail, you had to call to place an order, or fill out a form, and then wait 6-8 weeks for delivery. No tracking number either, you just had to wait.

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phillymjs@reddit

Also ordering things C.O.D., and forking over cash to the UPS guy before he'd hand you your package.

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AtTheHardRockTonight@reddit

Enjoying the smoking section in a restaurant.

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aaapril261992@reddit

"I have a collect call from 'You can come pick me up'. Will you accept the charges?"

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Upper-Affect5971@reddit

Reading the paper.

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AtTheHardRockTonight@reddit

I just learned that there's a whole holiday themed around calling them "Snailpapers," like snail mail.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Dear Abby was scandalous sometimes!

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412_15101@reddit

Dear Abby is online! Not the same but can get the fix! [Dear Abby](https://www.uexpress.com/life/dearabby)

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originalbL1X@reddit

I still get my local weekly newspaper.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

I miss the daily papers. Started reading them almost as soon as I could read, so early 1970s. Kept it up until c. 2010 when I moved and finally decided the local paper wasn't worth paying for anymore. Even in college I got the local and the NYT, and read both of them every day. I miss the comics especially.

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RogerMurdockCo-Pilot@reddit

Staying at home because you were expecting a call

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efflexor@reddit

Or calling to check your answering machine. 2 rings meant someone left a message.

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AtTheHardRockTonight@reddit

Oh hell, I completely forgot about that detail!!

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Zetavu@reddit

They do that now, just for the cable or internet installation.

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NamelessIowaNative@reddit

Counting back change. It isn’t hard.

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412_15101@reddit

I just went to Wendy’s and gave cash with exact change. I was hoping that the person at the window knew how to count money. Luckily for me it was

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Grilled_Cheese10@reddit

Or even just using cash.

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C-romero80@reddit

Taught my daughter to do that during girl scout cookie season, I'm convinced it's a reason some people bought the extra box or donated part of their change.

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Techchick_Somewhere@reddit

Sewing our own clothes. My mom made all the clothes for my sister and I. As a kid I hated being the one with the homemade clothes, but once I hit highschool I made a group of friends and we all made our own clothes. My mom would never have dreamed of buying me a prom dress - mainly we couldn’t afford it so she would whip up a taffeta number for me. lol. As an adult I appreciate this so much now. When I was pre- highschool - not so much.

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412_15101@reddit

Mom made my sister’s and I prom dresses along with homecoming. Joann’s going under is a horrible day for us crafters and sewers. I also have Michael’s but it’s not the same. Where am I going to go Black Friday shopping now?? I also can’t come to the point of deleting the app just yet.

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czerniana@reddit

This was still happening, but unless some new chain replaced Joanns it is a good as dead now. I don't have a store within five hours of me too but garment fabric now. I'm an average sewer and still need to feel fabrics to really get a sense of them. New people wanting to learn are absolutely screwed.

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Grilled_Cheese10@reddit

My crafty Millennial daughter is extremely disappointed over losing JoAnn's. There is literally no place else to buy fabric or yarn. Maybe very expensive specialty shops. Some of the box stores have yarn, but it's very limited.

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czerniana@reddit

I'm lucky enough to still have a Michael's for yarn. And if I absolutely had to, Hobby Lobby. Most yarn I need anymore has to come from specialty sites anyway, for weaving, but yeah. It's disappointing as hell for a lot of us.

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bizzybaker2@reddit

Many memories of kneeling on the floor with my mom cutting out Butterick and Simplicity patterns! She even made all my bridesmaid dresses too (this was in 1994).

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Edith_Keelers_Shoes@reddit

Faking a stomach-ache so I could skip riding lessons because Star Trek came on at 5pm on Channel 11 and it was my ONLY CHANCE to see it.

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randomquirk@reddit

Walking around the mall, not spending a dime, ending up in the food court (Sbarro was my favorite) and calling that an awesome day.

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Dirty_Wookie1971@reddit

Eating meals together sure seems to be a thing of the past. My wife and I always sit at the table and eat our meals with eachother.

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SunBusiness8291@reddit

Everybody planning and looking forward to watching a popular or rarely aired show in sync and talking about it the next day (All in the Family, Gone With the Wind, Wizard of Oz).

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witchbrew7@reddit

Oddly enough some things have looped around. I had a vcr, then TiV, then dvr with cable but it got too expensive so I have a fire stick and little antenna. No vice. Now when I want to watch a show I have to watch it real time, racing to get stuff during commercials.

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Papacreole@reddit

Using a rotary phone. Watching Saturday morning cartoons while eating a whole box of fruity pebbles. Riding in the back of pick up trucks. Eating lead paint chips and playing with asbestos floor tiles. Eating pencils

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

Going to a roller rink.

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Big-Beat-1443@reddit

Wang Chunging

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thecat0250@reddit

Sneaking out. Everyone tracked by their parents now.

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

Now we track our parents…

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Theyearwas1985@reddit

During dinner if the phone rang we had to let the answering machine pick it up!

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

I remember our first answering machine. It had the faux wood trim and was huge!

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

We had one too. I googled for this search result but this is what it looked like. https://preview.redd.it/l44ijv9bbzue1.jpeg?width=3500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=85167d1f4061f5d76b042e073f979def085b45a4 It was either a weird dream or this really happened when I was three. I was really jarred by this I remember, but my mom was listening to the answering machine and I swear all I heard were instantaneous repetition of the numbers fifty and fifty five. Maybe they were saying an address and my three year old brain just freaked out over the way the voice on the answering machine said “fifty fifty five”

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

Ours was actually wider. This ine looksmore upscale! You could see the cassette through a little plexiglass door. I guess in case you needed to change the cassette? It didn't have push buttons, but it had a knob for playback.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

People paid up the ass for an answering machine. Phone service was different. The reason cellphone service costs so much is because landlines sold those feature *seperately*! Call waiting, using any services that begin with the star key, eventually voicemail became a landline add on until inflation got the best of us. I think the only reason anyone has a landline phone now is because they have a family member who won’t adapt to modern times…which is fine.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

Actually, landlines have home up to 90/ea. I wish I had landlines for times like 911, where the systems were all jammed. Cell phones were useless. However, unless you have an e using landlines going into the house, they are all just basically VOIP. My mother in law just now gave hers up. That's how I know the pricing. Sge said all she ever hot were spam calls because we all call her cell phone. Back when I was little, phone plans used to charge you for local calls, too. I remember my dad telling at my sister. Long distance calls were per minute. The phone bills all listed the phone numbers of each number called, similar to what cell phone bills used to do for text messages and calls.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

It’s been so long. Mom embraced technology. She loves her iPad and Microsoft Excel and her iPhone.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

Isn't it wild? My dad did well until dementia started advancing. My mother in law just let's us handle it for technology, but she is on top of repairs and other things. I hope I have as much energy as she does!

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larissaorlarissa024@reddit

With little cassette tapes!

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heffel77@reddit

With the full size cassette tape in it?!?!?

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Theyearwas1985@reddit

Omg yessss!

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Appropriatelylazy@reddit

During dinner at my house, the phone was taken off the hook! (I don't think answering machines had been invented yet, lol)

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Academic_Ad_8229@reddit

Yep, phone came off the hook during dinner and any time my mom didn't feel like talking to people in general.

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missdawn1970@reddit

We did that too!

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Wonderful_Pay_2074@reddit

Our kitchen phone was on the wall right over our Dad's head. One night, as we ate, the phone rang. Dad, with no hesitation, picked up the phone, and announced, quite loudly "We're all eating!" and hung up. The look of shock and horror on all our (4kids) faces, I'll never forget. My Dad was a character. RIP pop.

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Practicality_Issue@reddit

Yall must have been rich with that fancy answering machine and all.

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Rox-a-Box@reddit

Wait for the beep... you gotta leave your name, you gotta leave your number... https://youtu.be/IeffKUWZIng?si=AK3xKT1PaoYu-E_p

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

We never had an answering machine until I was in college...at home there was just the single wall phone in the hallway between the bedrooms. If it rang, someone would run to get it.

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sutter333@reddit

Winning tickets to a show off the radio station when you were caller number one hundred and seven.

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Disastrous_Wave_6128@reddit

This is still a thing, though...

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ihaveafunnyname71@reddit

Won 4 tickets to see Louis Anderson (comedian) at a local comedy club in Mpls. Had to bring my parents and sister.

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ku_78@reddit

Won in the past: trip to Vegas. Tickets to see Korn. Tickets to see Linkin Park.

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Centauri1000@reddit

Talking on the CB. (80s and 90s) Party lines (a number in an exchange used as a test line by the phone company) where u could talk to other kids and find out what was going on (80s). Going to Blockbuster and Tower Records. Last two generations of kids never had this.

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Disastrous_Wave_6128@reddit

The Tower in my hometown was open until midnight on Friday/Saturday nights. Going down there to look through records and CDs was an excellent way to spend an evening -- or start an evening.

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RTIQL8@reddit

Knowing how to properly answer the phone and take messages. Also, younger generations will never know the horror of your mom or dad picking up the phone while you are talking and overhearing your conversation with that boy or girl you have a crush on.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

The worst was when the parent answered and you had to ask if your crush was home. Ugh. Awful!!

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LemonSlicesOnSushi@reddit

My now wife of 27 years, vowed to never call my house again after my mom answered.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

Especially if they were the kind of parent who asked a bunch of questions. My dad was that guy. Eeeeesh. 🤣🤣

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RTIQL8@reddit

Or worse yet, your brother or sister picked up the phone and talked to your crush and shared EMBARASSING info!!

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

I was the oldest. And gone before this happened with my siblings. That’s another thing we did. We got the hell out of the house SO fast! We were not sticking around.

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LimeGreenTangerine97@reddit

MOM!! IM ON THE PHONE!

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1_21-gigawatts@reddit

> MooOOOooooOOOooommmm-uuhhhhhh !!! > ohmygawdddd-uh she does that ALL THE TIME-uh

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RTIQL8@reddit

😂

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Prettierthanu@reddit

Calling the movie line.

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txwoman67@reddit

All cars came with ashtrays, they were either filled with cigarette butts or change. All Moms had douche bags hanging from the shower curtains. Gathering around the TV on Tuesday nights to watch Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley.

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NotSurer@reddit

Working harder when things get tough.

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stargarnet79@reddit

I would have loved a hope chest. Plastic bins from Walmart was good enough for me I guess.

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HawthorneMama@reddit

Untangling the phone cord while having a long phone conversation 😁

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SV650rider@reddit

BS'ing at Tower Records.

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Uncle_Piesteak@reddit

Walking / riding a bike home from school. When I was in elementary school, you were allowed to ride a bike to school once you hit 4th grade. I rode my bike to and from school every day. When I got home, I pulled my house key out of my Kangaroo shoes and watched He Man and Transformers until my parents got home at six. Those were important moments for me…

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D05wtt@reddit

You had age restrictions? I was taking the subway to and from school in the 1st grade.

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missdawn1970@reddit

As a fellow latchkey kid, this comment brings back good memories.

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heffel77@reddit

Yep! Today, could you imagine the pearl clutching? However, it was our generation who raised the “participation trophy” kids and their kids can’t ride bikes to school or it’s considered child abuse or something. I remember complaining about the ac so my stepdad made me walk to school when it was balls hot outside and he’d follow behind telling me how nice it felt in the car. Also, just walking to school in general. When I lived in SF, I’d see kids on the MUNI buses at all times and I was truly confused about when school hours were,lol. But I had to ride the yellow guy, there were no city buses in to take to school in Memphis

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Mr-Thuun@reddit

That's still a thing around most of the globe. My oldest cycles to school every day and her sister walks to school every day . They'll both cycle next school year.

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Ksqd_Squid_103@reddit

Paper Route, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and shoveling snow for money for pizza and arcade!

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Academic_Ad_8229@reddit

Mailing out party invitations and sending thank you cards.

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romulusnr@reddit

Star 69

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mimtma@reddit

Waiting overnight at the campus ticket kiosk to be at the front of the line to get the best concert tickets. Inxs, Springsteen, etc… and the relatively affordable prices!!!

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Dense-Sail1008@reddit

Memorizing every phone number you ever call routinely.

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Which_Preference_883@reddit

Answering the phone without knowing who was calling

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baudtothebone@reddit

Going to the arcade to play video games.

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Flannelcat-99@reddit

Going out and being ‘out’ - no way for anyone to reach you, until you got home.

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PaddlesOwnCanoe@reddit

Dialing Time of Day

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Overall_Crab1589@reddit

What's a hope chest?

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

It was a woman’s collection of things for her future married home. Traditionally, she kept these things in a nice cedar chest. I didn’t have an official one, but I collected all kinds of things like towels, kitchenware, small appliances, and other little household things while I was in college, and then I had most of what I needed to set up house when I moved out.

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Overall_Crab1589@reddit

Wow. That is such a great custom. We don't have that where I am from as most people get their start from wedding gifts but it's a great way to plan for your future. I like it.

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Overall_Crab1589@reddit

Wow. That is such a great custom. We don't have that where I am from as most people get their start from wedding gifts but it's a great way to plan for your future. I like it.

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Per99999@reddit

King Biscuit Flower Hour

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housevil@reddit

Using the card catalog at the library.

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OkArmy7059@reddit

And microfiche/microfilm

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babywhiz@reddit

Hey, now you can just google to find microfiche/microfilm items.

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LyingInPonds@reddit

I still use microfiche and card catalogs! I frequently research in the state archives, and most of their records haven't been digitized yet. I do not have nostalgia for this technology, lol.

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Vast-Rip-4288@reddit

One must understand the Dewey Decimal System.

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ZingWanderlust@reddit

Shout out to Parker Posey — Party Girl

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Vast-Rip-4288@reddit

AIR RAID!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I-Am-Not-Creative2@reddit

Riding down the street in the back of your friend’s pick up truck!

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No_Detective_But_304@reddit

Rotary phones.

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Drillerfan@reddit

FidoNET, BBS, Compuserve etc

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No_Detective_But_304@reddit

Dissenting/unpopular opinion but you’ve traded cozy with charm for ubiquitous hotel bathroom for $13,000. Everyone seems to love it though, and the heated floors should be an amazing creature comfort so, cheers!

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sunningmybuns@reddit

I don’t see people going to church anymore.

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discussatron@reddit

Republicans hating Russia.

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Insomniakk72@reddit

Driving over to a friend's house, not knowing if they were home or not, knocking on the door and asking.

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happycj@reddit

Using the Thomas Brothers Guide to plot your route for vacation travel, or whatever.

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DukeOfWestborough@reddit

DIALING a phone

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Theyearwas1985@reddit

Oh man I remembered another one. If you were home sick from school it was custom for your friends to call you from the one pay phone during lunch to say hi, give gossip updates, and see what you were doing later that night! 😂

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wanderingdev@reddit

Making plans in advance and actually sticking to them. Back when there wasn't a phone in every pocket, people were much better about not canceling at the last second.

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Numerous_Teacher_392@reddit

Watching Saturday Night Live. Rocky Horror midnight movies. Lots of stuff at midnight, I guess.

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RazorRadick@reddit

Watching SNL *on Saturday night*. Now they just watch the best bits on YouTube the next day. We used to stay up, then run into bed when we saw our headlights coming up the driveway from wherever parents went out to on Saturdays.

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Grilled_Cheese10@reddit

I tape it and watch it later. But my kids are not interested in it at all. My son used to watch it with me when he was younger. Same with late night talk shows. I guess they're an older people thing.

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Periwinklie@reddit

The Midnight Special or Don Kirshner's Rock Concert TV shows!

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Kaa_The_Snake@reddit

I was maybe 13 when we moved into my grandparents place for a bit rule we were between houses. They had a bedroom in the basement that I got to stay in. It had a small black and white tv and I used to stay up LATE and watch Twilight Zone and Elvira and all sorts of scary and sci fi movies! To this day I love basement bedrooms and scary movies!

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Yes Rocky Horror!!

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_ism_@reddit

Calling the number of the house you want to prank to make sure no one's home before you go stick a pack of 500 plastic forks in their lawn yes i was a terrible kid

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_ism_@reddit

I know a lady who still keeps a hope chest. She puts non traditional things in it though. It's her pesonal tradition and it's cute.

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vagabondoer@reddit

Making plans and sticking to them.

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blaspheminCapn@reddit

1800collect from... Mompracticeisoverneedaride Will you accept a collect call from Mompracticeisoverneedaride? No

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Ok-Assistant-9213@reddit (OP)

I remember when funerals (not that I attended that many as a kid) were very formal. Everyone wore black, the widow would wear a hat with a veil. Some of the older ladies would put a wreath on their front door. Everyone made food and took it to the family. My parents were very reverent about it. You had one baby shower. Didn't matter if you had 1 kid or 10, you only had one shower. I feel like an old fart, but i still silently balk when I am invited to a baby shower for the same women. I'm like "didn't you just have a kid?" Lol. And finally, nobody puts wedding cake toppers on anymore. Remember the little plastic bride and groom perched on top?

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TheGoodSouls@reddit

Buying a ton of magazines to go hang out with your friends and sit around and read them - by the pool, at the cottage, in someone's room. Cosmo, Seventeen, Glamour, Elle, etc.

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ConchFritter33040@reddit

Crank calling people because there was no caller ID.

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AtsaNoif@reddit

Paying attention to the constitution, apparently

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InterestingFeeling35@reddit

Slapping the side of the TV to stop the picture from rolling.

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NyxPetalSpike@reddit

Memory unlocked lol

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pchandler45@reddit

Tact, couth & decorum. Also, respect

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Daisyhead_Maizy@reddit

“Hello [Surname Residence.] [Given name] speaking” — landline culture and the phone etiquette drilled into us as kids is completely foreign in today’s society

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Raynet11@reddit

Knowing how to type

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oldtinman15@reddit

Pretty similar here. Minus the sheriff's. A lot of the smaller businesses went under. Mostly food joints that made a ton of money on the people cruising. When they stopped that, nobody was hanging out up there

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The26thtime@reddit

Using the payphone for free talking really fast to your mom to come pick you up before it disconnects.

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Eye_Of_Charon@reddit

And how about answering pay phones that randomly rang?

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Eye_Of_Charon@reddit

Consequences.

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Titania_2016@reddit

Sunday afternoon drives. We would just get in the car on a Sunday and drive around and go wherever we wanted.Look at the houses. Usually in the more upper class neighborhoods , But sometimes farther into other neighborhoods we weren't familiar with.Check everything out. Price of gas brought that to a stop and then it just wasn't a thing anymore. But as a kid I really enjoyed it.

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MopeyMcMoperson@reddit

I remember my Dad doing this with us in the late 70s. We were too young to leave at home, so when Dad wanted to go for a ride, we all piled into the car together. Sometimes I was into it. Many times I wasnt. On those occasions, I really appreciated getting back to my own room when we finally got home (he could drive for hours sometimes). If nothing else, it made me appreciate the pleasure of getting home after spending an afternoon in the car. In hindsight (and because it was in the 70s), I kind of sorta remember that my Dad may have been drinking a beer or two during such forays. I do remember him stopping to get gas, putting his half drank Budweiser 16 oz can on the hood of his truck, and waving to the sheriff driving by as he filled his gas tank. Twas a different world, the 70s . . .

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Apprehensive_Row_807@reddit

Plus our car had a/c. The house didn’t! It was an hour of not sweating or living in the basement.

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in-a-microbus@reddit

Watching the morning news on a snow day to see if your county was dismissed!

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ScreenTricky4257@reddit

Radio for me. And I was in a district that had the same three starting letters as a lot of other districts in the area, so it took a while.

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Aurochbull@reddit

Always pissed me off that they didn't put the "main" schools at the top of the list. If you were looking for anything after "S", you had to listen through what felt like 1000 tiny Catholic schools with elaborate names like "Sacred lady of the most divine suffering" or "Saint Aloysius academy for girls". Torture...

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higglesworth@reddit

2 spaces after a period.

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ZingWanderlust@reddit

I still do it. One space just looks wrong.

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higglesworth@reddit

Same

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TsabistCorpus@reddit

Hope chests had fallen out of fashion by the time Gen X arrived on the scene.

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WinterAd8352@reddit

Taking a girl out on the weekend to a bonfire and not worrying about being cock blocked, because we didn't have cell phones to interrupt her full attention to the moment.

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Western-Bad-667@reddit

Bragging about driving drunk.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

This still happens, it just depends where you live.

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Buckeyebornandbred@reddit

Wehadababyitsaboy

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Enough-Bumblebee-422@reddit

Making someone special a mix tape.Finger hovering over the dual tape deck Play and Pause buttons, timing the transitions between songs just right... making sure it fit exactly into 30 or 45 minutes for each side of the tape.

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Current-Spray9478@reddit

Going in to the bank with my passbook and having the deposit or withdrawal recorded by typewriter. Getting traveler’s checks before a trip, also at the bank.

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sharkycharming@reddit

I loved my savings passbook. Of course, when I was a kid I wasn't allowed to spend money, so I only watched it grow as every birthday and Christmas and grade-promotion passed. If I had one today, it would just be depressing.

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PresidentSuperDog@reddit

Making the first move

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CeilingUnlimited@reddit

Boy Scouts.

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headhurt21@reddit

I still have a hope chest. I will probably give it to my daughter when she is older, but I don't know about continuing the filling it with future house-wares tradition. Seems like taking her shopping for that stuff would be more fun.

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socalefty@reddit

Sarcasm

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Reader47b@reddit

I didn't keep a hope chest. I remember my mother-in-law-to-be asking me about my hope chest and seeming irritated that I did not have one.

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InternationalBand494@reddit

Writing a letter. Using cursive. Using payphones. Partying. Getting laid. Leaving the house and no one is able to contact you or know where you are until you get back home

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Ok-Limit-9726@reddit

(Australian list) Riding a BMX dawn to dusk Reading a physical newspaper( stopped around 2005) Getting cash for groceries(stopped around 2005) Throwing lemons at mates (now just insults) Shooting mates with slug guns salt shot (now 10 years jail) Doing stupid shit with fireworks, having biggest bon fire competition (queens birthday , fireworks now need lagal permit, nobody has big fires or community gatherings now i know of, and called kings birthday 🤬)

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CeilingUnlimited@reddit

Boy Scouts

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CeilingUnlimited@reddit

Texas here. Same. Though it was dirt clods, not lemons.

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CeilingUnlimited@reddit

Boy Scouts

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Maganda_@reddit

1, Writing down phone numbers on people's hands or arms . 2. Carrying quarters for a pay phone , or an arcade game . 3 . Dressing nicely , like tucking in your shirts . 4. Calling a video game hotline to help beat a game . 5. Calling 1-900 numbers like 1-900 Fresh Prince of Bel Air , and hearing where the party is at . 6. Riding on the bed of a pickup truck or even standing up while holding on to the roll bars , while the pickup truck drives along the freeway . 7. Luxury vans . I remember when there was actually a van scene , and they even made a movie out of this . Now , vans are usually associated with kidnappers , and abduction type of people . 8. Ordering from a Sears catalog .

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

Yeaaaa I know what 1-900 numbers you were really calling. The ones on late night TV so you could talk to a female friend looking for companionship. lol.

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Maganda_@reddit

My friends and I did actually call one of those 1-900 numbers that appeared on the back of an adult magazines at my friend's house . It was actually a pre recorded machine that answered . We called a few more , and they were all the same , pre recorded . Since this act was done at my friend's house , he got in trouble from his father due to a hefty phone bill .

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

You’re totally right. Vans used to be a cool thing, Like Jeff Fisher from American Dad, having a customized van decked out with a bed, though his Van was a little bare bones (yes I got that from Oregon Trail) but he had a sweet paint job on his van.

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Fluid_Anywhere_7015@reddit

Watching the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I remember the reunion between Martin and Lewis that happened on one of the last few national broadcasts. I was home sick that week with strep throat.

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304libco@reddit

Did people in our generation keep Hope chests? I never actually heard of them except through literature.

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Perpetuuuum@reddit

Dialing out on a rotary phone that had been made incoming only by your landlord by tapping each number out on the buttons on the cradle

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Otherwise-Toe-5380@reddit

School groups touring places that would absolutely be off limits today. The other day I was telling one of the kids at work the way I discovered I don’t like heights was when I was in the 6th grade we toured a big power plant. They took us up 16 stories in an elevator and when I stepped out not only was it an open air level with the most basic railing at the edge, but the floors were steel grate all the way down. I got right back on that elevator. The guy I told this story to thought it was bizarre, but he also finished high school during Covid. We had a disconnect with his generation before, now it’s a chasm.

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kiffiekat@reddit

We toured the Pabst Brewery and attended a classical music performance at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee every year through 8th grade.

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ZingWanderlust@reddit

Hello fellow Milwaukeean!

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peach_dragon@reddit

Yep, I had a hope chest growing up. But listen to this, I JUST started one for my 14 year old daughter!

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chartographics@reddit

Get up off the couch to change the channel.

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InterestingFeeling35@reddit

On command from Dad.

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parker9832@reddit

I bought a hands free wired headset so I could play on my Commodore 64 while I was on the phone. I would also take notes on things girls would say so I remember birthdays and things they would want for said birthday.

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OhSassafrass@reddit

Wet T-shirt contests. My classmate got kicked off the cheerleading squad for winning one at a bar. Inside edition came and did a story on her and the school (private) expelled her for the bad publicity.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Awww. Probably thought she’d never get caught in a bar because she was a student.

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OhSassafrass@reddit

It was sponsored by a radio station and was a 18+ event. She was 18. The school just didn’t think the event was in line with their values.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Oh I get it now. Dude seriously, Did Inside Edition need to do a story on Wet T shirt contests?

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CelestialRavenBear@reddit

Making mixed cassette tapes! The OG playlist.

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Mobile_Aioli_6252@reddit

Having the boom box loaded with a blank cassette waiting for that song to come on the radio to record! Usually the first few seconds were cut off either because a slow reaction or rambling by the DJ

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Apprehensive_Row_807@reddit

Used to piss me off so much when they would talk, it was like, you know everyone loves this song, shut up!!!!

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Generally_Tso_Tso@reddit

Dialing the phone numbers for time and weather.

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Apprehensive_Row_807@reddit

GR2-1212, if I remember for the time and simply WEATHER for the weather.

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Koumadin@reddit

Listening to the Long Distance Dedications on Casey Kasem’s radio show.

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Koumadin@reddit

Calling the local radio station to request a specific song of the DJ

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Solomon33AD@reddit

Putting Jeans on "lay-away" at KMart

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Koumadin@reddit

Going to lunch at a restaurant in a department store

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Ok_Mango_6887@reddit

The hope chest was never a thing for our generation, do you mean the generations before us?

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Keyeuh@reddit

I remember taking a cooking class with my mom when we first bought a microwave. It taught us how to make things like baked potatoes & chicken & stuff like that. I don't think we ever really cooked anything more than baked potatoes. My mom didn't cook much. We ate out a lot or microwave dinners. Nothing like some Lean Cuisine French bread pizza. I think at some point my mom used the oven as extra storage for towels or something. I ate a lot of cereal, spaghetti & Kraft Mac & Cheese. If I didn't have a child that needed a good, balanced diet I'd still eat cereal for dinner every night.

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makeup1508@reddit

We called it the Loop here and you can't even cruise it anymore due to changes in the streets. :(

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newyork2E@reddit

Buying beers for underage kids in front of the distributor. Now you’d be on the news and getting arrested.

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Weird-Ninja8827@reddit

Crank calls.

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BeerWench13TheOrig@reddit

Roaming free. Our parents had no idea where we were or what we were doing. Now parents can track their kid’s phone and know where they are at all times.

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Business_Simple_2459@reddit

Waiting in line overnight at Ticketron to buy concert tickets.

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mandoaz1971@reddit

A stick of butter on the table.

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ONROSREPUS@reddit

This is a unique one. I was thinking more of people actually sitting at the table for supper/dinner.

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Specific_Ad_97@reddit

"Are you going to the show?" "Yes!" "Alright, I'll see you there on Friday!"

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seymour5000@reddit

This might have been said as I didn’t read all: shifting gears, rotary roll down windows, press done locks, and key in cylinder to open and lock car door.

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imbetterthanu@reddit

Minding your own fucking business. People don't need to interact with everyone who confronts or annoys them. Just keep moving and STFU.

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Sitcom_kid@reddit

Answering the phone every time it rings

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forested_morning43@reddit

Loading a camera, developing and printing film

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REALtumbisturdler@reddit

Answering a phone on the kitchen wall

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0ttr@reddit

being able to afford concert tickets (getting them inline--in person, or via phone)

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JelloButtWiggle@reddit

Being able to actually GET concert tickets and not get beat out by aftermarket seller bots in thirty seconds.

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0ttr@reddit

exactly! And if you wanted good seats, you could wait in line for them and usually get them.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

Camping out in line to be sure you would be able to get good seats.

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beckybooboo1978@reddit

Stubbing someone up to the front row too!

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Onthemaptovisit@reddit

Writing thank you notes as a sign of appreciation for kindness granted or nice gesture.

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argenman@reddit

Talking to members of the opposite sex for the purpose of harmless intercourse…

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MentallyDivergent123@reddit

Intercourse? Was the choice of word an intentional double entendre?

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MentallyDivergent123@reddit

Dialup internet. Watching reruns during the summer. Going to blockbuster or family video or even Redbox to rent a movie. Leaving the house on my bike and being gone all day.

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Peeettttaaaa@reddit

Calling friends or your parents friends or the neighbours ‘Mrs Cooper’ ‘Mrs Zunde’ ‘Mr Fisher’

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SnooPickles55@reddit

We didn't know some kids' last names, so their parents became their their name. "HI, Ms. Timmy, can he come outside?" Lol

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sloaneranger23@reddit

yes! I saw one of my mom's friends (who i hasn't seen since i was in college) and she said, "oh, please call me Jane" I was like, "ummm, no I can't do that. you're an adult." 😜

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Mom did not impose that Mr and Mrs stuff. Mom had us know her friends by their first names.

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silentAl1@reddit

Making a collect call as ‘Mr. Canyoupickmeupfromthemall’.

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missdawn1970@reddit

Collect call from Bob Wehadababyitsaboy."

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youchooseforme@reddit

Anarchist Cookbook.. free long distance! (And other best practices).

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RiverWhole4388@reddit

Covering text books, roller skating, parties in parking lots

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Gem_4501@reddit

Loved reading through all these. I'm in the UK and more or less, seems like our experiences were the same back in the 70s/80s :-D

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IdyllwildGal@reddit

My mom passed away last year. In her things I found something called a "Him Book," which was a photo album for pictures of boys you met, with a space for writing their names, school, age, and other info. It has a wooden cover inscribed with a poem that says: In this album I shall keep Photos of the boys I meet Because among them there might be The one who will mean the world to me My mother was clearly unimpressed with the boys she met in her small Iowa hometown. Her notes were hilarious. "Bob is pretty swell, but likes himself a little to well." "Cute, but soon loses his gentlemanly ways." It made me wish I could travel back in time and know her as a teenager. My mom was a badass and a rebel who took zero crap from anyone right from the start.

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Revolutionary-Yam910@reddit

Thank you cards

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VladSuarezShark@reddit

Don't waste 20 cents ringing, it's free to just go knock on the door

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austinoracle@reddit

Staying up late enough to hear the M.A.S.H. theme song play. That’s when I knew it was time for bed!

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Telecommie@reddit

As an adult, MASH has become a favorite. I own the box set and digitally so I can go to sleep with it on. When the theme song plays, I get my cue to start bedding down.

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austinoracle@reddit

As a kid, I can honestly say that I tried (really) to watch the show. But I guess the subject matter was so far from anything I’d have considered interesting at the time. Funny to hear it’s one of the best television shows (arguably) ever.

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MsbsM@reddit

Putting on gobs of eyeliner and blue eyeshadow with teased out bangs….

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sutter333@reddit

Racing to get a snack or pee during a commercial break and having someone yell it’s oooonnnnn when your time was up.

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Outside-Dependent-90@reddit

Keggers at the river.

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Outside-Dependent-90@reddit

Hanging out in the park on a Saturday. Some of us BBQ'd, others cruised around the park to see who was there.

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seigezunt@reddit

Staring into space

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from_one_redhead@reddit

Democracy

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IFLYBFJ@reddit

Talking to your GF/BF on a corded phone 30 feet from the base hiding in a closet.

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SnowblindAlbino@reddit

The cordless phones in the early 80s were on a frequency band some scanners could receive...my brother and his friends would tune in calls around the neighborhood and listen in. Zero privacy before phone tech got a bit more sophisticated!

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Winter-Fondant7875@reddit

Thank goodness you weren't rural. We shared a party line with three other houses in middle school.

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freerangetacos@reddit

We didn't have a party line, but I could pick up the line at night when it was quiet and click the arm once to stop the dial tone. Once the line was silent, I could hear various conversations faintly from around the neighborhood. Barely loud enough to understand what they were saying, but I could.

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Ok_Habit6837@reddit

Mix tape as courting ritual

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QueenMumof4@reddit

Now it's a spotify playlist

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Idaniels06@reddit

Being honest.

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GiantMags@reddit

Monogamy

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Cirrus-Stratus@reddit

Recording movies on the VCR off of HBO on the free preview weekend.

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Telecommie@reddit

This is how I started my standup comedy collection. That, and kids in the hall made my humor what it is today.

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GeekyMom42@reddit

I had sooo many.

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the_blacksmythe@reddit

Gas was 75¢ when I learned to drive by the time I started and $1 when I finished high school. 😞 minimum wage was $3.80 an hour. I still drive aim less. I still read parks in a park.

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Any-Government3191@reddit

Watching test match cricket on terrestrial, and slobbing around with the test card in the background. Boy, I now feel old!

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timothypjr@reddit

Leaving the phone off the hook.

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REDDITSHITLORD@reddit

Sticking rolls of pennies up your ass to get the "upper hand".

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RCA2CE@reddit

I use to have a comb in my pocket all the time - I don’t even remember when I stopped carrying one

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Gibder16@reddit

Riding bikes and skateboards without helmets or pads.

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notsicktoday@reddit

The wealthier kids had their own phone line in their room back in the day.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

I was lucky on this one. My parents got an opportunity to try out the new phone company in town, and they offered 4 lines for the price of one. Plus we got all kinds of free accessories and phones. It was the first caller ID I had ever seen! It was the size of a paving stone. 🤣🤣

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gotchafaint@reddit

Hanging out without someone somehow monetizing it.

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Global-Jury8810@reddit

Dude seriously fuck the present day economy for this.

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IanRastall@reddit

Shaking hands, I think. I'm not sure, but I think that's the way it is now. Writing in cursive as well.

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Reasonable-Coconut15@reddit

I'm actually fine with this one going away. I have a great handshake because of my dad and grandpa, but lord I hate touching people.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

Yes! I taught my kids how to properly shake hands. NOTHING is worse than a dead fish. NO dead fish.

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thecardshark555@reddit

100%. I don't trust a man (or woman) with a weak handshake.

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H3lls_B3ll3@reddit

I shook hands today with a gen xer that had a limp, weak handshake. Yuck!

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EthanDMatthews@reddit

In college, I shook hands with a student from Hong Kong. Dead fish handshake. I offered to teach him a proper handshake. He was embarrassed and tried to wave me off, but I assured him it would be fun and only take a minute. A minute later and he had it down. Some time later he said he received compliments on his (new and improved) handshake. Anyway, we became good friends. I visited him a few times in HK. Last year he visited with his wife and son. His son had a great handshake and I told him so. His son replied “I know” (then paused for effect) “it’s your handshake.” His father taught him, and apparently told him where he got it. (I mean, it’s hardly a guild secret, yet plenty of people never seem to figure it out) Moral of the story: if you meet someone with a weak handshake, and can pull them aside so as not to embarrass them, just give them a quick lesson.

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

People seem to want to hug now and I don't remember that lol or maybe I grew up in an emotionless household lol

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IanRastall@reddit

I do that. I only hug people I know fairly well, though. And I think it's polite to lean a bit forward, to be chaste about it.

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aogamerdude@reddit

Covid-19 might have did that in.

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T-Doggie1@reddit

Not in the South. It did kinda go away but it’s back like it never left here.

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InfectedSteve@reddit

Chilton manuals Have a 1980s datsun? Go out, grab that bad boy and that was your go to for nearly everything on the car.

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Chemistry11@reddit

I used to live in a country that fought against terrorists. Now my country is run by terrorists.

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Classic_Engine7285@reddit

Varsity jackets. I remember what a big deal and honor it was to earn your first varsity letter. They handed it to you at a banquet, and you went and got your jacket, like some right of passage into badassery. Plus, they were like the warmest jackets ever. Some guy at my work and I randomly decided to wear our college varsity jackets to work one day, and someone took a pic and hung it on the fridge. 😂 It started a tradition of hanging things like it’s a family fridge, like a certification for training, the congratulatory screen for passing the boat licensing test, a headshot that didn’t turn out great, etc. Bringin’ it back, baby!

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nadandocomgolfinhos@reddit

That’s adorable

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Broke_Pigeon_Sales@reddit

Phoning in requests to radio stations.

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PublicCraft3114@reddit

Having to swear to live or die for apartheid south Africa

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take_me_2_tuvalu@reddit

Not wearing your stupid baseball hat inside!!! Now I work with people who wear a baseball hat in their office 🙄

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the_47th_painter@reddit

Disappearing for an entire Sat with no one really knowing where you are and no way to get a hold of you. Miss leaving the house after Sat morning cereal and cartoons and not coming home until it started getting dark out.

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Emotional_Oil6160@reddit

Not wearing hats in buildings, especially school

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common_sense_canada@reddit

Scrolling through the TV Guide wondering what good shows were going to be broadcasted later that evening.

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bcb1200@reddit

Showering after sports or gym. Being naked is now “weird”. Being sweaty / smelly / dirty is now not.

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Less-Cap6996@reddit

Relentlessly making fun of poseurs. We should do that again.

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BayAreaPupMom@reddit

Hanging out at the mall. Never any money to buy anything, but for those who couldn't drive, it was the place to go. Also most malls had movie theaters back then. Bonus!

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Three4Anonimity@reddit

“Hello Mrs. Smith, this is Little Bobby. May I please speak to Little Johnny?”

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dbrmn73@reddit

Common sense and common courtesy. Neither are comm9n any more.

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LarryBirdsBrother@reddit

The younger generation don’t know about the joys of channel surfing.

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Bladefanatic@reddit

Playing "smear the queer" at recess. A game involving tackling the person who has the football. You definitely can't call it that anymore lol

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bobthenob1989@reddit

The 25ft handset cord on the kitchen phone so you could still get things done while taking or take it into another room and close the door to talk to your girlfriend.

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chngster@reddit

Fax machines

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sfdsquid@reddit

TV Guide

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TheHandofDoge@reddit

Hope chest - omg that brings back memories! As a teenager, whenever I had a birthday or there was an occasion for a gift, my grandmothers would give me a piece of china for my “hope chest”, with the intent that I was supposed to start collecting additional pieces myself. I honestly couldn’t have cared less! No teenager wants a cup and saucer for her birthday!! I ended up with a bunch of mismatched tea cups and cake plates that have sat in a cupboard and never been used 40 years later. Who the hell uses a porcelain tea set these days???!!!! My mother is in her 80s and has all this china that she’s trying to pawn off on me and my sisters. Every time she mentions it, we just change the subject! Not to mention the silverware - no one wants that either. Who has the time to polish it?? Polishing silver used to be one of our weekend chores! That’s definitely gone the way of the dodo, too!! When all the boomers finally pass, we’re going to stuck with all of their “precious treasures”. Lord help us all!

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MuttonDressedAsGoose@reddit

I inherited a bunch of sterling flatware and never used it. I sold it during Covid. If there's ever a time to sell the family silver, it's during a pandemic lol. I had a bunch of cheap ugly dishe, the kind you get in a box from places like Target/Argos. I decided to replace it all with pretty china from thrift shops. None of it matches and it's a lot more fun to use. Just use the china and don't worry about it breaking.

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J_Symtrc@reddit

Much like the title of your post, grammar.

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MuttonDressedAsGoose@reddit

The Sears and JC Penney catalogues, which we called "wish books."

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Minimum-Car5712@reddit

School to home was long distance so the operator would audibly roll their eyes while asking whoever answered your house phone ”will you accept a collect call from *dadimsickpickmeup?”* If there was a pay phone, using a paper clip to get a free call. In a true emergency, phone operator could “break in” to a busy connection. My dad could be on a call for hours, like when I got bit by a brown recluse!

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HighBiased@reddit

Riding bikes around randomly with friends and just checking out different spots. No plan. No maps. No way to be reached. Just free to get into all kinds of good trouble

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iambarrelrider@reddit

Calling collect

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Lucky_Guess4079@reddit

Mix tapes, making out, cash, hair gel, talking/flirting on the phone, prank phone calls, PEZ, hashing out talking, fistfights, writing notes, house parties, cruzin, pizza slices, politicians that behaved like civilized people.

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TonyWilliams03@reddit

Feeling shame.

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Naive_Product_5916@reddit

UK’s Frank[Frank Turner](https://youtu.be/mnKy3D5Bp1k?si=08ZTqtmXwIyAfvPM) Turner did a great song about making America great again by making “racists ashamed again”. If only.

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MishtotheMitt@reddit

*69

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MishtotheMitt@reddit

Scouring the entertainment section of the paper in a Sunday and then dialing the Ticketmaster line like a maniac at 9am. Either that or going to tower records or Robinsons to queue up for tickets.

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haileyskydiamonds@reddit

Rollerskating or bowling on Friday nights. It doesn’t seem like people do that much anymore.

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Slitheytove1031@reddit

I grew up in a small town in WA. On the weekends by buddies and I would skate from our houses to the end of the next town. Grab something to eat from the A & W with our allowance money and skate back. This probably took up most of our day. I remember having my Walkman on with one headphone over an ear. That way, I could listen to License To Ill and still talk with my friends

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brassmagifyingglass@reddit

I had a hope chest, and it was full of china! lol. So I was destined to get married...and have fancy dinner parties with my fine china dining set? That never happened in my adult life. lol. As a matter of fact I sold that china set as soon as everyone passed away that might of took issue with it. lol.

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BatLarge5604@reddit

Going to the post office for forms, taxing the car, etc.

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Cornelius_jaggerbot@reddit

Everything on free to air channels (olympics sports, etc) - the pay TV cancer didn’t exist here until 1994

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skywalkerbeth@reddit

I think now that would be called a mood board.

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mountainoftea@reddit

Airhitch

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NetRelative3930@reddit

Using a typewriter that is gone , learning to type at school then leaving and slowly all computer based lol wasted skills

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Simply_Jeff@reddit

Carrying around dedicated portable music devices, Walkman cassette players, Boomboxes, MP3 Players...lol

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dirtdiggler67@reddit

Having real consequences for our actions and decisions (or lack of either). Seemed shitty at the time but made me a responsible human being. So sad to see less and less of us around these days.

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SoCalAttorney@reddit

Mix tapes

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Obvious_Round_5065@reddit

Staying up late and seeing the channels signing off, usually with a recorded message from the station, the national anthem played, and then either a test pattern or white noise. Old TVs with separate VHF and UHF knobs. Phone books. I remember my little sister and I cracking up by finding a guy named Barney Rubble listed.

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CelestialRavenBear@reddit

Talking on the phone for hours…trying the stretch the cord as far as I could for privacy.

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ElleEmEss@reddit

Buying magazines. Having job / car / house sections in the newspaper. Having a map in the car glove box. Waiting 30 mins to meet people and giving up if they didn’t show. Paying with cash (I haven’t touched any since 2020). Carrying plastic cards (all my cards are on my phone wallet / app) - credit, licence, library etc Having a handbag. I just carry my phone.

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Slow-Painting-8112@reddit

Boys parting their hair down the middle.

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EastAd7676@reddit

Keggers gets out in the middle-of-nowhere when the legal age was still 18, but with good reason. But damn, they were fun!

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IHAYFL25@reddit

Respecting parents, adults, teachers.

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Sumeriandawn@reddit

This was before the 80s? I remember a lot of rebellious youth in the 80s and 90s.

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IHAYFL25@reddit

Probably depends on where you grow up. But the little disrespect back then is nothing like it is today.

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Sumeriandawn@reddit

Grew up in LA county in the 90s. When I was in school, a cop car drove by the school and a student flipped off the cops. In junior high, I heard about a student punching my science teacher. In high school, I heard about a student punching the principal back in the 70s or 80s. Also, I heard a lot of students openly cussing in front of the teachers.

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MisterCakes1112@reddit

Critical thinking

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ZestyMordant@reddit

Mix tapes. Or at least the significance of them. It used to be so much more difficult editing a mix tape, plus you had to record stuff off of the radio, and edit out the d-bag DJs for the songs you didn’t own. I know people still share music, but it’s not the same without the pain of putting it together for someone, and if you got a mixtape from someone, you just knew they were into you; like, more than a friend. And then the mixtape would end up being, the soundtrack of you falling in love with someone. You would sit, and think intimate thoughts about them as the songs they chose played, and then you would start thinking of what songs to put on the mixtape you would create for them.

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msaxe114@reddit

Being scared of being kidnapped, my kids don’t believe me that was fear. If a van pulled up to me now and said get in, I just might LOL. s\

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Alantennisplayer@reddit

Mixtape 📼 I made them for friends

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KickstandSF@reddit

“Good china” for Sunday dinner. Hell, even calling it china is probably considered racist now.

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robotawata@reddit

Evidently sending sympathy cards (and most other kinds). Just had the only relative I was close to die and of my friends and colleagues who all know, I got one card. I send out sympathy cards and other cards all the time. Hallmark seems to still be in business but it's mostly the most aged of us gen X ers along with the boomers holding down the practice I think.

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ClockSpiritual6596@reddit

Mixtapes

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Spiritual_Oil_7411@reddit

Planning your week around the tv schedule so you could be home for must-see tv on Thursday nights.

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DryFoundation2323@reddit

Common sense.

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jeffnorris@reddit

This!!

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titianqt@reddit

Calling people on the phone.

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Periwinklie@reddit

Calling the operator to request an "Emergency Breakthrough" when the phone number you're calling has been busy for a long time (pre-call waiting).

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5um-n3m0@reddit

Thomas Guide Newspaper for movie times Flyers for shows Phone book Library for research and using card catalog Writing by hand or by typewriter Sending letters to friends Going to the video store or the music store.

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stillfather@reddit

Circle jerks.

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in-a-microbus@reddit

Like... the band, the mosh pit, or the sex act?

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stillfather@reddit

Yes.

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JelloButtWiggle@reddit

Thank you notes. Personal, handwritten thank you notes. When my son got married in 2023, there were cards at each table thanking everyone for their love and support and for coming to the wedding. I told my mother and aunt that this would be their thank you for the wedding gifts and to just accept the fact that no further acknowledgment was coming. They took it better than I thought they would. Really, it’s not a big deal, but the prissy part of me still cringes.

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Jonas_VentureJr@reddit

Working more than 8 hours a day

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Glittering_Quit_7382@reddit

Getting "the strap" from the school Principal

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No-Estimate999@reddit

Party lines

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SaintMichael415@reddit

Walking up to a girl and sincerely asking for her number.

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BooBoo_Kitty@reddit

Kids being held accountable for their shit behavior.

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CoolHandMike@reddit

Going out to play in the woods all day, building tree forts with my friends from up the road. There were game paths through the woods that we would follow to get to each other's houses. Eventually we widened these up enough to allow go karts and UTV's through. I didn't acquire a go kart until I was 15, but my friends' dad routinely bought used leisure equipment on auction, so they had all manner of snowmobiles, quads, trikes, and dirt bikes to ride. He was also in the construction business, so there was always plenty of scrap lumber and plywood to play with. We even built a three-tier tree house with a platform large enough to accommodate a 10'x12' tent. THAT was awesome. Maybe this is still a thing in more rural parts, but not now, where I grew up at least. But hey, we'd all be out there until the sun was going down and my mom would belt out from the back deck "DIIIIIIINER TIIIIIIME!!!" I think she even used one of those old-fashioned, cast iron triangle dinner bell things at the time. Oh, and our dogs would also just roam free from dusk till dawn, as would our neighbors'. That was always a fun phone call to make, letting the neighbor up the road know that their golden retriever was in our pool again and to please come get him. Fun times.

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jghaines@reddit

Casual homophobia. Some things have gotten better over time.

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endlesssearch482@reddit

I no longer play with the cord on my phone.

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WHYohWhy___MEohMY@reddit

LOL. Someone should make a cord for our iPhones. I posted earlier that I use to have a good toe curl game.

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some_one_234@reddit

Roaming the streets until the street lights came on

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OldSailor742@reddit

Watching cartoons and then dad comes in at 9:58 and turns on NFL game.

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boner79@reddit

Appointment television. Video and videogame rental. Playing real games in the arcade. Mallratting.

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Gizlby22@reddit

Afternoon cartoons!! Go Joe!!! And Saturday morning cartoons. I miss those. Cartoons are so different now!

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mike___mc@reddit

Teenage pregnancy

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purplishfluffyclouds@reddit

Oh that is so totally still a thing.

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Fluffy-Future-4674@reddit

☠️

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SumGoodMtnJuju@reddit

Teens hanging out and actually engaging in whatever conversation or naughty activity without all staring at their phones, and without the fear of it being broadcasted to the world on social media. I allow my son’s friends to come over and do what I can to have them put their phones away.

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Traditional_Fan_2655@reddit

Waiting a month for the next Richie Rich, Hot Stuff, or Archie comic to come out.

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cornerzcan@reddit

Answering the phone when it rings.

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Memo_Fantasma@reddit

Saving change - from cash purchases which are now getting rare - and carrying it to use in payphones, vending machines or parking meters. I don’t do any of the above now.

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nidena@reddit

Calling, letting it ring twice before hanging up, and then calling back so they'd know it was you.

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elitistjerk@reddit

Believing in God.

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aogamerdude@reddit

Upvote for truth, properly being religious was overrun by government & improper use of science it seems like.

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stephenforbes@reddit

Integrity

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stephenforbes@reddit

Staying up late to watch Benny Hill and flashing boobies.

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stephenforbes@reddit

Playing house with some girl in a cardboard box in the street.

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quarkjet@reddit

smoking

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Kittles4Eva@reddit

Believing women can have it all

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SonnyCalzone@reddit

Using a VCR to tape episodes of the Remote Control game show on MTV

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Medicine-Illustrious@reddit

Piercing each others ears at sleep overs.

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Big_Azz_Jazz@reddit

Asking out women in real life.

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meat_sack@reddit

I'm gonna go with "date rape" for $200 Alex!

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Boredwitch13@reddit

I had a hope chest. Not many in my area had them up north. My mom was from Alabama. Some back home still do.

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PlantMystic@reddit

I remember those. I did not have one though. We did "inherit" my mother-in-laws though.

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Separate-Swordfish40@reddit

Getting married. It’s getting much less common

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