10 Things you used to do in the 70's and 80's, but now can't

[BillyVance 35]

Interesting article. I was a child of the 70's up to mid 80's. Those really were the good old days in some ways.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/insurance/10-things-you-used-to-do-but-now-cant/ss-AA8ZbrA#image=1

1 - towns are banning sledding in the midwest to the northeast. Seriously? Shit, I went sledding every damn time we had snow on the ground. Had some of the best slopes right by my house. Oh yeah, I crashed my sled a couple times, once into a tree, and another going off a 3 foot high wall. Those were the good old days. Nowadays, I'd be scared to let my girls do it by themselves. I'll watch and/or sled with them.

2 - No seat belts or only lap belts. We've come a long way in seat belt technology and laws. It's good.

3 - Smoking in public. What we've done over the years with restrictions on smoking - outstanding. I fucking hated the smoke. I experienced breathing second hand smoke on airplanes (no escaping that, no matter where the fuck you sat), in the car with mom, and in public places, etc... Nowadays, I rarely get bothered with that crap. Awesome.

4 - Car insurance. I was surprised this didn't become required until the 70's and 80's. I had to have insurance when I started driving in '84 anyway.

5 - alcohol open containers in the car. Yeah I can remember dad enjoying a can of beer on the way back home from a boat ride on the lake or river back in the day. Can't do that anymore. Safer not to anyway.

6 - Dogs. Some places now require dogs to have insurance (that I didn't know). Back then there were virtually no dog laws. I was bitten in the face by my mom's friend's German Shepherd when I was 6. Today, this would likely incite a lawsuit against the dog's owner. Back then I just needed a trip to the family doctor and stitches and all was cool.

7 - Children walking outside alone. Yeah, I roamed all over the neighborhood as a kid alone, even as young as 8, going 10 blocks away to my best friend's house. We all thought nothing of it. Today, would I let my girls walk alone? Hell no. Not where we live, on a 40 mph small town road with no sidewalks. Times have changed. It just isn't safe anymore, and a child out alone now can get concerned neighbors calling police.

8 - kids playing without grown-ups/parents. Yeah I used to just go to the playground by myself all the time, go hiking up the mountain that we lived at the foot of, a 1000 ft vertical rise trek, walk alone to the local pool 3 blocks away, etc. Thought nothing of it. Now, I have a 3 acre property, plenty of room for my girls to play, but, I have to keep an eye on them, and they know what to do if they see someone they don't know or a wild animal confronts them. I usually stay out with them or set up on the deck with a chair to watch them.

9 - Kids home alone. I regularly got left at home alone by the time I was 10. Of course my folks made sure they trusted me and would ask if I wanted to go with them if they were going to the store, etc. But I usually liked to stay home, read or watch TV, or go down to my friend's house. Today, you can't do that for fear of somebody noticing kids home alone and calling police. I might still let my girls stay home when they reach 12 or 13 and know how to handle themselves, but I'd have to wait and see. I do have a house alarm though.

10 - Getting dirty. Fuck yeah, I got dirty all the fucking time. It was awesome. Wet too. Going down to the creek or just playing in the yard, it didn't matter. Maybe I could let my girls get dirty and not worry too much about it as I do sometimes. They're kids.

But I will say this. Those were the good old days.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[CanuckInUSA 0]

If a say "Lawn Darts" to a young person, their eyes gloss over dazed and confused and reply "Lawn What"?

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[wmw999 2,589]

Let them get dirty; it builds up immunity. Let them play without adults; it builds maturity. Let them go places without adults (but with friends and guidelines, and watch them walk there the first few times). Really.

We hear about kids being kidnapped etc. more because of 24-hour news. I really don't think it's more common.

My son grew up in the 80's and 90's, and I let him do all that stuff in our suburban neighborhood. The time when he was 6 and "ran away from home" was priceless. He walked in the street (strictly forbidden) about 3 inches from the sidewalk until he got to the neighbor's house. The neighbor told him to go home, so he did. Told me he was going to give me one more chance

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[billvon 3,120]

>Children walking outside alone. Yeah, I roamed all over the neighborhood as a
>kid alone, even as young as 8, going 10 blocks away to my best friend's house.
>We all thought nothing of it. Today, would I let my girls walk alone? Hell no. Not
>where we live, on a 40 mph small town road with no sidewalks. Times have
>changed. It just isn't safe anymore, and a child out alone now can get
>concerned neighbors calling police.

It's certainly safer than it was back in the 1980's. Child deaths are down across the board. In our neighborhood we have kids out walking alone all the time.

Part of it is how much people worry. The instant and pervasive reporting of crimes and child abductions make it seem like it's happening every 5 minutes. And of course when you are a kid you are unaware of your parent's worries.

[BillyVance 35]

billvon

>Children walking outside alone. Yeah, I roamed all over the neighborhood as a
>kid alone, even as young as 8, going 10 blocks away to my best friend's house.
>We all thought nothing of it. Today, would I let my girls walk alone? Hell no. Not
>where we live, on a 40 mph small town road with no sidewalks. Times have
>changed. It just isn't safe anymore, and a child out alone now can get
>concerned neighbors calling police.

It's certainly safer than it was back in the 1980's. Child deaths are down across the board. In our neighborhood we have kids out walking alone all the time.

Part of it is how much people worry. The instant and pervasive reporting of crimes and child abductions make it seem like it's happening every 5 minutes. And of course when you are a kid you are unaware of your parent's worries.

In my old neighborhood, I'd let them walk to the park just around the corner, and next to it, the community pool.

Where I live now, it's just not safe with cars careening around the curve over the speed limit, and houses are pretty far apart.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[Andy9o8 2]

11. Wear bell bottoms without getting laughed at.

12. Jump a cheapo without getting laughed at.

[kallend 2,150]

At age 16 in 1961, I and two friends cycled across the breadth of England and Wales (and back) taking ten days for the trip. No adults, just the three of us.

We used to ride our bikes to the London airports to watch the planes. They had viewing areas back then.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[ryoder 1,590]

CanuckInUSA

If a say "Lawn Darts" to a young person, their eyes gloss over dazed and confused and reply "Lawn What"?

They are still popular in Russia.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[jakee 1,596]

Quote

In my old neighborhood, I'd let them walk to the park just around the corner, and next to it, the community pool.

Where I live now, it's just not safe with cars careening around the curve over the speed limit, and houses are pretty far apart.

I think the point is that it's not "times have changed" it's that you live somewhere else.

But hey, everyone loves to look on the past with rose tinted glasses...

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[champu 1]

billvon

Part of it is how much people worry. The instant and pervasive reporting of crimes and child abductions make it seem like it's happening every 5 minutes. And of course when you are a kid you are unaware of your parent's worries.

There's a similar meta-worry when worrying that people will get worried and call the police and you'll end up facing charges of some sort. It's infrequent but also well-reported when it happens.

I think people are a lot more pearl-clutchy these days and the odds are higher that someone calls the police when they see unattended kids... being unattended. But I think the chances of anyone actually getting in trouble or the police making a stink out of it are pretty low.

[jimjumper 25]

Me and my family moved from the suburbs to a farm when I was about 10 (1969). Started driving the tractor almost immediately doing farm work and as transportation to friends houses. No restrictions on farm equipment on public roads. Also worked with cattle, horses, pigs that were all way bigger than me. Taught you be fearless but careful at the same time. Guns were tools but still a lot of fun at that age and most local kids my age had one or access to one. I grew up fast trying to catch up to kids that had lived on a farm all their lives.