Things No Longer Found at Gas Stations

ReDiscover your past by digitizing your family's memories with Legacy box watch until the end of this video to find out more about preserving your legacy and then visit legacybox.com recollection [Music] gas stations today resemble more of a convenience store than the service station Persona they once typified once a One-Stop shop for all things Automotive old school gas stations hold a special place in our hearts and many of the amenities that we remember are dearly missed for those who grew up during this era gas stations were more than just a place to fill up there were social hubs where people would gather and catch up too gas stations were known by their brands the large signs that set atop the buildings distinguished Gulf from Shell and mobile from Sinclair everyone had their favorite and the various stations around town would even fight for your business by dropping prices to lure you in as you pulled up to a Corner Gas Station the first thing you would notice after the large sign that Drew you in were the mechanic space that were attached to just about every station gas stations used to be more commonly called service stations and that's because many of them had at least one service Bay equipped with the tools necessary to do everything from oil changes to brake Replacements and some even did complete engine overhauls service stations would often post a mechanic on duty sign out front to alert motorists with car trouble that assistance was available once you decided to pull in the car's tires would cross a black rubber hose that snaked across the pavement and led to a little bell inside the building the ding ding signaled for a gas station attendant to dash out to the driver's window and ask filler up these attendants were sometimes called pump jockeys and they used to be as well-dressed as police officers or firefighters right down to the snappy hat and bow tie the uniform shirt usually had the company logo stitched on one pocket and the employee's name embroidered on the other the attendant usually had a roll of fives and singles in his shirt pocket so that he could easily make change just seeing that wad of cash made just about every kid at some point aspire to work at a gas station one day not only did attendance pump gas but part of their regular routine was to also automatically check under the hood things like checking the water in the radiator battery terminals tire pressure and oil levels were common every attendant had a rag hanging out of his back pocket that he used to wipe down the oil dipstick then he'd present the dipstick to the driver for his inspection he would then pull out a squeegee and carefully clean those panoramic windshields of the era with just a few extra swipes all of this was done whether the customer had purchased just 50 cents worth or a full tank of gas speaking of gasoline the pumps were designed to never reach the unbelievable price of one dollar per gallon so when this happened station owners had to retrofit their pumps and some made it easy on themselves just by doubling the price pumps at the time only had space for three digits in the price per gallon slot and one of those digits was reserved for nine tenths of a cent prior to 1971 Automotive engines were equipped with soft valve seats and leaded gasoline acted as a lubricant to prevent excessive wear beginning in 1973 however the Environmental Protection Agency began imposing limits on the lead content and gas so newer model cars were equipped with catalytic converters which required unleaded fuel by the mid-1970s instead of asking regular or ethyl attendants were asking leaded or unleaded even before self-service and pay at the pump card swipers customers could still use credit cards to purchase gasoline at some gas stations the attendant would take your card inside to process the payment on a manual credit card and printer and then bring the slip back to your car on a small tray along with a pin for you to sign it eventually stations got more high tech and had portable credit and printing machines that the attendant could use Carside back before gas station employees were simply cashiers tucked away behind bulletproof glass motorists could pull into any service station and get detailed in accurate directions the attendant would often mark on a road map as a visual aid and then let the driver take it with them free of charge in fact it was expected that gas stations in any given area had a rack full of complementary road maps for drivers to pick up anytime while inside the station customers could often find the familiar stacks of the round cans of automotive oil that would be on display the oil companies that opened these gas stations would conveniently Place their oil in between the pumps and also inside the store with signage that also decorated the station both vintage oil cans from this era and the signage advertising the oil are highly collectible today and many people use the tin signage especially to dress up their garage gas stations during this time were a place that had kids smiling not only did they have their favorite snacks like Wrigley's gum rolls of peanut butter crackers or ice cold sodas but they also offered many Collectibles that kids went crazy for keychains bumper stickers and even Automotive inspired trading cards were handed out and some gas stations even participated in loyalty programs like s h Green Stamps that could be redeemed for products from a catalog foreign ly gas stations were a popular spot to stop and use the restroom these restrooms could be found on the outside of the station usually on the side they were always kept clean stocked with toilet paper and even had hand soap which was not very common in other public restrooms at the time [Music] gas stations were more than just a place to get gas these places offered personalized service that made stopping by a memorable part of growing up during that time let me know in the comments if I missed anything and maybe even consider supporting the channel over on patreon recollection Road has partnered with Legacy box because we're both all about preserving the past why not do the same with your own family home movies and photos Legacy box is the simple safe they've thought of everything solution for converting your home movies and photos to thumb drive or the cloud just send in your legacy box filled with old VHS and camcorder tapes film reels and pictures and get back digital copies that can be easily enjoyed shared and kept organized it's that easy not only is Legacy box trusted by over 1 million people but it's professionally digitized right here in the USA get started preserving your past today go to legacybox.com recollection to get an incredible 55 off buy today to take advantage of this exclusive offer and send in your memories when you're ready go to legacybox.com recollection to save 55 while supplies last if you enjoyed this video consider watching this playlist and then visit the channel to search the recollection Road Library as always thank you so much for watching

Channel: Recollection Road

Views: 301,002

Keywords: Recollection Road, nostalgia, memories, photos, history, closed, forgotten, business, past, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, memory, yesteryear, golden age, photo album, oldies, fifties, sixties, abandoned, 20th century, retro, vintage, usa, america, gas stations, service stations

Id: righuwKyIBc

Length: 8min 1sec (481 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 30 2023