Most of this was how it was : http://hipspics.freewebspace.com/gas/gas.html And yet , people still ask me why I chose The Motor Trade for a career .
Awesome Nate! When I started pumping gas at my grandfather's service station, gas was 29.9 cents per gallon. People bitched about the price back then too!. Thanks for the memories!
Great pictures sad thing, modern gas stations pretty much all share the same boring box design and service is an unknown word there. Most folks there don?t have a clue, what they are selling and automotive parts are no longer on their shelfs. I guess, in the good old days, people were more laid back and not so much rushing around, enjoying a bit of small talk. Bitching about gas prices is probably something, that is never out of fashion, but compared to the income, then and nowadays and value of money, it still is "cheaper" now, than it used to be back then. Right now, gas here is 6,12$ a gallon.
Gas stations Nate I could not open the link but understand its about the city life and older gas stations.There keeping them gas stations a live as far as its posseble.Even the gouverment involves to support some of its buildings. Funky , neo romantic , swiss , modernism all archicture styles are represented. Martinius.
great pictures.. really enjoyed em.. i turned 62 today.. so i have a few memories of the old stations..as a teenager i worked at several "service stations" in south jersey back in the mid-60's when you still pumped the gas, checked the oil, radiator, windshield wipers and tire pressure, before you cleaned all the windows.. all done with a smile.. then maybe the little old lady driving would flip you a nickle.... ahh those were the days.. thats where i got my love of hot rods..most gas stations had a drag or stock car parked out front, that they raced at the local tracks
Happy birthday ! I too was a Pump Jockey for Atlantic Richfield (now 'ARCO') at a 1920's glass office three pump island . I also ran the lube rack and did Mechanical Works . No one else care but I was quite happy there and cleaned up all the old things , opened the oil displays on the pump island and filled then with empty cans neatly and in the correct order.... I never got a tip but I got roundly cursed occasionally by ignorant customers who couldn't figure out that our 1940's vintage pumps only went to .50 CENTS the gallon so we had to set then to .25 and sell fuel by the half gallon and you paid twice the reading on the pump... . I have a whole lotta gas station stories , many prolly not suitable for this Family oriented site . Anyway , here's another one : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._W._Lindholm_Service_Station . Martinus : when faced with non hyper links like these , use your right mouse button to highlight them then click " open in new tab " ~ I really think you'll like the photos , those were very fun dayze for me and I miss them greatly . I used to dream of retiring to a small vintage gas station with one service bay but times have changed so much I doubt I will .
As Carol Burnett would say, "Thanks~ for the memories..." My first real job was doing just that. Pump jockey and tire changer. I hear you about the stories, Nate! Many many stories...
Stories , Huh ? 1975 , mid day , lunch time , I was sitting on the stack of core cylinder heads in the office eating lunch with Rosie (ah , red hot Rosie , Wild Man's G.F.) the rest of the crew was out by the curb looking at some new car the drug dealer had brought by . Rosie noticed Nigel's leather jacket hanging on the back of the chair , had chains with alligator clips on each end and asked me why " Those are Nigel's Tit Clamps , he's working up on lifting weights at the Gay Bar he and his hubby hang out in " I replied and stuffed my face with another huge bite of a Whopper ~ Rosie unhooked the chain and began playing with it and before I could swallow my food & warn her , she clamped the alligator clip on her nipple (bra less days , dig) and she began to scream bloody murder as I fell over backwards laughing , scattering VW Cylinder heads all over the primary service bay ~ Wild Man , H. , Nigel and Greg all came running in expecting to find me trying to kill Rosie , even after she got the clamp off she was howling like a banshee . O.K. , there's a shop story you'll not soon hear anywhere else .
Great looking photos! Sometimes when I drive my truck, I dream of what it was like back in the day when my truck was first made and I get a grin from ear to ear when people stop and tell me of adventures they had their "farm truck" when they were younger.
Farm Trucks When I were a Lad in the 1960's pulling t*ts & shoveling sh*t in New Hampshire (Milking Short Horns & alfalfa) , we knew who the " rich " Farmers were by the rigs they drove ~ newer than 1955 meant you had serious piles of cash to our eyes .
Just wondering how many of us old pump jockeys still hit the "perfect pump"? I do remember how much more fun being a pump jockey was in the summertime, as opposed to wintertime... On certain cars, the windshields were *spotless beyond belief*! Ahhhh summertime pump jockey work~~~
Pump Jockey It was always fun as some Women knew you were young and , ah , ' excitable' so they'd put on quite the show whilst I was cleaning the windshield . I was much less excitable as @ 14 Y.O. I already had my own apartment and live in girlfriend.... I remember one guy nearly having sex in the front seat of his '63 Impala Low Rider as I was checking the oil , he commented " nice eh ? I'll get you her sister " . Always something going on on the pump island . Plus we had numerous service bays and a full crew of teenaged mechanics so rarely a dull moment . Sadly , no one seems to think giving kids a hard , dirty job is a good thing any more .
