Things that surprise you about the past

Page 2 of 3 [ 38 posts ] Go to page Previous 1, 2, 3 Next

Previous topic | Next topic

equestriatola
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 13 Aug 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 154,132
Location: Wherever my mind wants it to be

20 Nov 2013, 7:48 pm

That cars were once worth $2,000 40 years ago. Damn inflation.....

_________________
Hey, all. I'm just Johnny. Go ahead and talk to me if ya wish.

redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

20 Nov 2013, 7:57 pm

When I was growing up a parent could beat their kids towards inches of their lives and nothing would happen. Different story today with CPS around.

I was allowed to buy beer at a tavern as a freshman in college. In the U.S. it's all 21 now, but in Europe it's 18. Some countries in the middle east it's forbidden.

I wonder what the age was for drinking back in the olden days?

_________________
One Day At A Time.
His first book: http://www.amazon.com/Wetland-Other-Sto ... B00E0NVTL2
His second book: https://www.amazon.com/COMMONER-VAGABON ... oks&sr=1-2
His blog: http://seattlewordsmith.wordpress.com/

Max000
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Apr 2012
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,547

20 Nov 2013, 9:30 pm

redrobin62 wrote:

I think it's been 18 to 21 since 1933 with a couple of exceptions (Colorado until 1945 and Ohio until 1935). A lot of states lowered it from 21 to 18 in the 1970s. Then of course it was raised to 21 in all states in the mid-1980s. I don't think it has ever been socially acceptable for minors to drink in the US.

redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

20 Nov 2013, 10:24 pm

I wonder how old people had to be to legally drink in the 1800's or 1700's?

GregCav
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 16 Apr 2013
Age: 60
Gender: Male
Posts: 679
Location: Australia

20 Nov 2013, 10:33 pm

equestriatola wrote:

So smoking being socially acceptable is older than we think.

I don't know how old you are, but smoking was perfectly acceptable everywhere in the community and in every building (except the hospitals) in Australia until approximaly 1995 (plus or minus).

The history and genisis of smoking is far more interesting.

Cigarets were simply advertised just like any other product. Do a youtube search for Marlbro Man, or cigeret adds. I was smoking at 16.

Max000
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Apr 2012
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,547

20 Nov 2013, 11:36 pm

redrobin62 wrote:

I wonder how old people had to be to legally drink in the 1800's or 1700's?

I don't think there were any age restrictions at that time. Though, prohibition was becoming popular in the late 1800s. Some states had total bans on the sale of alcohol.

redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 64
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

21 Nov 2013, 12:17 am

Thanks, Max000.

CobaltBlew
Deinonychus

Joined: 11 Jun 2009
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 357
Location: Sydney, Australia

21 Nov 2013, 6:59 am

They used to sell guns and ammo at K-Mart in Australia.

Now even slingshots and fireworks are banned.

Everything fun and cool is banned here.

Max000
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 6 Apr 2012
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,547

21 Nov 2013, 12:52 pm

CobaltBlew wrote:

They used to sell guns and ammo at K-Mart in Australia.

They still do here. Any sporting goods store here has AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifles displayed.

I'd like to buy this basket ball hoop, these tennis racquets, and one of those assault rifles up there.

And then people wonder why this country is so f****d up.

CobaltBlew
Deinonychus

Joined: 11 Jun 2009
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 357
Location: Sydney, Australia

21 Nov 2013, 8:32 pm

Max000 wrote:

CobaltBlew wrote:

They used to sell guns and ammo at K-Mart in Australia.

Those aren't assault rifles. Those are semi-automatic sporting rifles. I think they account for less than 1% of gun deaths in the US. I believe the majority are with handguns IIRC. Don't quote me though, I don't know what govt body carries out the studies on those statistics. Australia wasn't f*** up when we were able to buy guns at K-Mart this was only 30 yrs ago.

I think US has other major issues that contribute to their f***d upness.

equestriatola
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 13 Aug 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 154,132
Location: Wherever my mind wants it to be

23 Nov 2013, 7:38 am

That the U.S. government ACTUALLY worked for the betterment of the populace, like in the 1950s.

_________________
Hey, all. I'm just Johnny. Go ahead and talk to me if ya wish.

equestriatola
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 13 Aug 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 154,132
Location: Wherever my mind wants it to be

11 Dec 2013, 8:27 pm

That, and computers were very slow by today's standards, and displayed very few colors.

_________________
Hey, all. I'm just Johnny. Go ahead and talk to me if ya wish.

naturalplastic
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 26 Aug 2010
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,189
Location: temperate zone

11 Dec 2013, 8:52 pm

equestriatola wrote:

OliveOilMom wrote:

I remember when smoking was allowed everywhere almost. When I was a kid in the hospital with pneumonia, my mother and the doctor smoked in my room and the other hospital rooms, except for the times I was in an oxygen tent. At the time, they didn't believe smoking was as bad for you as it is, and the main thing about it to most people was that it relaxes you. When the info about cancer and lung damage came out, lots of people didn't believe it, so people continued to smoke. It's normal to me now to not be able to smoke inside in most places in the city, although here in town you can smoke in the smoking areas of the bbq places, etc. I am kind of surprised that the nonsmokers who were bothered by it didn't speak up more, but it was really considered rude and just asking too much to complain about someone's smoking. I guess because it was such a huge part of the culture.

What surprises me about the past is something I read several years back. During the Middle Ages many peasants and working class people would go to bed at dark to save candles and oil for lighting but it was a custom for everyone to wake up at some point around midnight and do certain chores by candle light, and to even eat a meal and get together with friends for an hour or so before going back to bed to sleep until dawn or shortly before. I think that would bother me to have to have two shorter sleeps instead of one longer one, but if that's what I was used to I don't guess I'd think it was too bad. I didn't like being around smoking but that's what I was used to, so it was normal and I didn't think it was all that bad. So, I guess it's all in what you are used to, but that sleeping thing blew my mind.

So smoking being socially acceptable is older than we think.

What are you talking about?

The stigma against smoking is what's recent. Not the toleration of it.

It was always acceptable, atleast for men, to smoke since tobacco was first introduced to the Old World from the New.

Okay- women werent supposed to smoke in public until the early 20th Centurey.

But Sir Walter Raleigh introduced nicotine to the world and the world tolerated smoking for next four Centuries.

OliveOilMom
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 11 Nov 2011
Age: 62
Gender: Female
Posts: 11,447
Location: About 50 miles past the middle of nowhere

13 Dec 2013, 6:39 am

CobaltBlew wrote:

They used to sell guns and ammo at K-Mart in Australia.

Now even slingshots and fireworks are banned.

Everything fun and cool is banned here.

They sell them at Walmart here.

They also sell shotguns, ammo for hunting, gas, beer and wine, cigarettes, hot coffee, snacks, and freshly made pizza by the slice at our one 24 hour convenience store here in town. I'm unsure if they sell rifles though, since my husband hates guns that means I don't have one so I have no reason to check them out when I go in there.

richardbenson
Xfractor Card #351
$Xfractor Card #351$