Growing Up in the '50's

My girlfriend, now my wife, lived in Oxford, NY and I lived in Norwich. It was about an 8 mile trip, on route 12, one way. Now the roads, in the 50s, were not as wide as they are today, or as smooth. At the time, I had a 49 Ford, dual exhaust, with glass packed mufflers. These babies could roar when I really got on the gas.

I also had a cut-out gadget that I could bypass the mufflers and engine sound came directly from engine. In other words, no mufflers.
One night coming back from Oxford, I was running that Ford about as fast as she would go, with the cutout open.😳 That baby was really blasting.

About halfway back, a bright red light come up behind me. Troopers didn’t have all those lights they have today. Usually one big bulb on top. Anyway, I pulled over, knowing I was going to get a speeding ticket, and turn the car off. Trooper walks up and ask me, going a little fast, aren’t you son? He asked for drivers license, checked it out and gave it back to me.

Then he asked me to start my car. Oh boy, cutout was still open. 😬 I did and I let it idle. Son, he says, I want you to really hit it. Here we go....after I damn near floored it, he gave me the biggest smile. I couldn’t believe it but he told me that he had something similar but he only used it at drag races and such. He did suggest that I take it off because it was illegal to have it. Wrote the speeding ticket, gave me a break on that I was doing 80, 30 mph over the speed limit.

A couple weeks later, I took off the cutout and put in a Bermuda bell. Back then, we could buy all these things for your car from a company called JC Whitney. Still in business.

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911 said:
I can't tell you how many times I've said to hubby, "where are the neighbourhood kids". Seems kids just don't run around and play like we did, and while I understand the differences of today compared to yesteryear, I'm still taken aback by the silence in the neighbourhood. Playing outside doesn't stand for much anymore I guess.

Kids playing outside? They don't have video games outside and besides, today's kids don't know of any games to play or things to do. If we were to put 10 kids outside and tell them to find something to do, all you would see is 10 kids walking around aimlessly. They would be like lost and confused.
Click to expand...

If you absolutely couldn't find anything to do, there was always hitting each other with sticks.....LOL....although that was mainly a "boy thing". We girls could always play housekeeping or dress-up.

The worst thing you could do was to say "I'm bored" to your mother. If you did, you'd shortly find yourself cleaning out the garage or beating a rug on the line or washing woodwork in the house.
 
jujube said:
If you absolutely couldn't find anything to do, there was always hitting each other with sticks.....LOL....although that was mainly a "boy thing". We girls could always play housekeeping or dress-up.

The worst thing you could do was to say "I'm bored" to your mother. If you did, you'd shortly find yourself cleaning out the garage or beating a rug on the line or washing woodwork in the house.
Click to expand...
You got that right!
 

jujube said:
If you absolutely couldn't find anything to do, there was always hitting each other with sticks.....LOL....although that was mainly a "boy thing". We girls could always play housekeeping or dress-up.

The worst thing you could do was to say "I'm bored" to your mother. If you did, you'd shortly find yourself cleaning out the garage or beating a rug on the line or washing woodwork in the house.
Click to expand...
Did your kids or grandkids ever ask "What did you do for fun when you were young?" and you needed to reply "We hit each other with sticks." :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
iu
 
I never gave one thought of the quality of life until I got out of high school.
8 year old: "Mom & Dad, life sucks".
Mom & Dad: "Shut up and go to your room."
 

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