Does Anyone Remember?

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Do you remember driving into a Service Station? As you pulled in you ran over a rubber tube and there was a loud "ding-ding." A man in a uniform ran out and asked "may I help you sir?" You said give me five dollars worth. The attendant put the pump nozzle in the tank filler (usually hidden in a different place with each model year). As the 20 gallons were pumping into the tank the attendant washed your windshield, checked the air in your tires and checked the oil lever. You strolled inside and picked up a printed, folded paper map so you could continue on your journey. You get back in your car and the attendant says "it only took 18 gallons sir, so that will be $4.50."

 

Then I woke up. Was it only a dream?

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

That was a long, long, long time ago, in another galaxy far,far,far away!

 

'Bout sixty some odd years ago!

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Yes, I remember. Not quite sixty years ago. I remember it from fifty years ago.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Yes, I remember. Not quite sixty years ago. I remember it from fifty years ago.

Allie, that's half a CENTURY!!!!!! Certainly a lass like you can't remember that FAR back.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Ah yes, a sweeter, kinder time. What happened?

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I remember cause when I was in HS I worked at one! It was in the late 50's and I worked on weekends and some evenings during the week, seemed like I was making maybe .50 cents an hour. Didn't matter as I used to spend most of it on gas, oil, tires and insurance for the old hot rod I drove. Had enough to go to the drive-in with my girl friend too.

 

Gas was about .15 to .18 cents a gallon.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Allie, that's half a CENTURY!!!!!! Certainly a lass like you can't remember that FAR back.

Thanks!

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

I recall coasting in to the Shell station on the corner in my '68 VW with five bucks in my pocket... filling the tank, and having enough change for lunch at Munchy Burgers. San Francisco, no less!

 

Dang, that makes me feel old!

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Do you remember driving into a Service Station? As you pulled in you ran over a rubber tube and there was a loud "ding-ding." A man in a uniform ran out and asked "may I help you sir?" You said give me five dollars worth. The attendant put the pump nozzle in the tank filler (usually hidden in a different place with each model year). As the 20 gallons were pumping into the tank the attendant washed your windshield, checked the air in your tires and checked the oil lever. You strolled inside and picked up a printed, folded paper map so you could continue on your journey. You get back in your car and the attendant says "it only took 18 gallons sir, so that will be $4.50."

 

Then I woke up. Was it only a dream?

Yes, it was a dream. Gas was never 25.0 cents a gallon. Almost always xx.9

[Springfield Slim SASS #24733]

It wasn't THAT long ago. In 1975 my brother worked in a filling station and they still offered Full Service.

[Blackcat James SASS# 29509]

I remember that as well, but gas was 50-60 cent a gallon by then.

[McCandless]

Then during certain promotions, they'd give out free glassware and stuff. I think it was a Shell station that gave out those large round Coke glasses?

... and Service Stations actually had working garages where mechanics actually fixed cars!

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Yup-remember well the hose, and 37 cent @ gallon for premium gas that I put in my Honda 305 Scrambler.

OLG

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Then during certain promotions, they'd give out free glassware and stuff. I think it was a Shell station that gave out those large round Coke glasses?

... and Service Stations actually had working garages where mechanics actually fixed cars!

Used to give out Blue Chip and Green stamps with purchase.

[McCandless]

I had a Fiat 600. With only the 50 cents in my pocket, I could drive for a couple of days til I got paid.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

Allie, that's half a CENTURY!!!!!! Certainly a lass like you can't remember that FAR back.

+1

[Tyrel Cody]

Yes, we still have a place like that. Mr Goodall and his son keep it going. Gas is about 50 cents higher than everywhere else in town, but NO ethanol. They get a lot of business because they will come to the various offices around town and pick up cars for oil changes/general service.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I used to get a buck or two and they still washed my windshield and asked if I wanted the oil checked. I usually said. "No thanks I'll check it myself". Simpler times back then!

[Reuben McCoy Rankin # 34239]

I remember gas wars .18 cents a gallon.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

Yeah, I remember that...in Back to the Future.

[Blastmaster]

Everybody here remembers it. Neatly dressed and groomed too. By and large, an adult.

 

I believe Oregon still has (required by law) full service at every station. Someone will correct this if it isn't that way anymore.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Oregon and New Jersey

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

It wasn't THAT long ago. In 1975 my brother worked in a filling station and they still offered Full Service.

1975 WAS that long ago. I was there! I was a 21 year old kid, trying to figure what I wanted to be when I grow up. I STILL don't know.

[Paladin Gun For Hire]

Yup, I was the guy pumping the gas and washing yur windshield. Bout 25 cents a gallon as I remember. I was just a kid then, worked in a Standard Station, they had full auto repair too. Worked there part time and part time for my dad at his Auto Parts store while in High School. Needed money to take the girls out, don't ya know.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

1975 WAS that long ago. I was there! I was a 21 year old kid, trying to figure what I wanted to be when I grow up. I STILL don't know.

Sheesh! Another kid bragging about how young he is to us geezer/geezerettes.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

That man in the uniform that ran out and did all that... and more... was me during my last year of junior high, two out of three years in high school and a year in college. We also did hand washes; changed and charged batteries; changed and cleaned and gapped plugs; put in new condensers; replaced mufflers and tail pipes; and a host of other things, all for seventy cents an hour.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

I don't remember none of that stuff.

I don't remember lunch either.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I still remember the smell of my clothes I took off after each shift....my Mom always complained how they smelled of gasoline when she washed them for me. I also remember the guy who used to come in each week with a 1939 Packard. The rods really were "knocking" and he would have me pump in a pound of gear grease into the crankcase and as if by magic the knocking stopped. He would drive off smiling. One day he came in with a new 1958 Chevy Impala conv. I asked him if he wanted some gear grease for it and I thought he was going to have a heart attack.

 

Those were the days of car culture for sure. We just couldn't wait for September to get here so we could get a look at the next years new models!

[BLACKFOOT SASS #11947]

I remember going to the country store near my home. I would get 5 gallons of gasoline and a Coke for $1. Gasoline 19 cents and Coke 5 cents. I also remember working all day for $2.

 

Blackfoot

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

I worked in my step-father's Gulf station in 1969. Did all the services and we fixed flats, sold tires, minor repairs and had snacks and ice.

 

Then this song came out: Harold's Super Service

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2lIMLgB_Sg

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Larsen,

 

YES, I remember ALL of that. And here in E. TN., we also had the gas wars where gas could be as low as .15 or .18 cents per gal.

 

AND, in our local neighborhood station, we had 'credit'. The attendant (and sometimes owner) would just pull out his receipt type booklet, write down the number of gals and total price and just give you the 'yellow' copy.

 

At about every couple weeks when dad got paid, we would drop in the station, fill up with gas, and pay the attendant our bill in full.

 

This worked great for us kids in the summer time who mowed grass and needed gas.

 

P.S..... and the COKE machine in front of the station contained the small bottles of coke for .06 cents (yep, 1 nickel and 1 penny).

Then you would push downward on the crank and a little bottle of COLD coke would pop out the bottom.

 

OH YEA, one more thing: the oil was kept at the pump site in GLASS jars with a spout attached to the top of the jar. They would use those 'pre-filled' jars to put oil in your car, if needed.

 

Loved those days!

 

 

..........Widder

[JD Trampas, SASS # 55781]

Yes I remember those days, just wish I could go back to those days, everything so peaceful, not as many shootings, I grew up in a small town, didn't have to lock the doors at all, now a days you had better lock the doors, so much crime now compared to those days, not as much drugs either, at least where I was.

 

Gas was 35 cents a gallon, I could put in $2.00 of gas in my 57 chev on a saturday night after getting paid and it would almost run me the whole week, wish they would build a time machine, I would go back to the 60's or early 70's without giving it a thought, just do it.

 

I'm glad I can still remember those days, getting harder each day to remember, is that a sign of old age, LOL

 

 

All for now JD Trampas

[8 Bits]

I can remember driving away from a gas station angry because the price was $.65/gallon. Outrageous, I wasn't going to pay that price for gas!

[Cofachique Dick]

I sure remember. My Grandfather and two Uncles ran the Sinclair station at 73rd and Prospect in Kansas City.

In order to stand out from the crowd and drum up business they all learned to ride unicycles and would ride out and service their customers cars while riding them!

[JudgeBagodonuts]

I remember riding in the family VW to the gas station with $3 in my hand and the fuel tank needle reading Empty. When we left the station, gauge now reading Full, there was enough change left over from the $3 to buy a plain hamburger from Burger King. This was in the early 70's.