Memories of Gas Stations as a kid!

[CarlLaFong]

The station in our neighborhood, White and Bloomfield 76 also had the chest style soda machine with the channels and the gate that opened when you dropped in a coin. My buddy and I went there one night when we were 8 or 9 years old with a bottle opener and straws. I don't need to go into detail regarding the criminal activity that ensued next. The following day, there was a hasp and padlock on it. I wonder if I would have passed background investigation for the Sheriffs department if I had revealed my nefarious past?

[Sweepspear]

the soda machine was a chest type one with a lid, and you reached in where the sodas were in their own channels. you picked the kind you wanted, then moved it to the end, put in your nickel, and the machine's latch would release.

Soda seemed to taste the best if it came out of one of those!

I worked at a full service Standard Oil station for a year. Would have been '76 to '77 because I remember in the beginning riding my bike there before I got my driver's license at age 16.

For every quart of oil we sold at the pumps we got a quarter commission on it.

After I worked there, I worked at another station for a very short period of time.

The owner was a shady crook.

A guy dropped off his Plymouth Fury for an oil change and to have the cooling system flushed.

I did the oil change, but then my boss (the owner) wouldn't let me do the cooling system flush. :confused: But he still charged for it on the invoice.

The guy came in at the end of the day to pick up his car and I told him what went on. I of course was fired on the spot for not lying to the customer.

I had seen so much of that sort of thing go on the few weeks I was there.

[R Walling]

As a kid of 16, The gas station where we hung out had a Coke machine that had a top that turned in a circle and you lifted the lid over a coke that came into view. When the lid came arould to the corner, we could reach in over the partition and get a "free" beer from the corner.

[jaxops]

I loved watching how the fin, tail-light, or back secret door would open to get the gas cap on the 50s cars.

When we were very young, our 1960 Cadillac Limo was at the Citgo or Sinclair Station for a repair and the station lent us an old blue Studebaker. To be funny, the gas station guy told the three of us kids to "make sure your Dad doesn't go over 35 mph, or it will blow up!" Living in Roxborough-Manyunk in Philadelphia with all of those hills- we were doomed! All the way down Shurs Lane we screamed and screamed as the speedometer edged on and over 35!:eek:

Dad was sure mad! We wouldn't ride in that car for the rest of the week. Every time I see a blue Studey- I think of that story!

[Bell1220]

I remember gas being 29¢ a gallon.!!!!

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

I remember gas being 29¢ a gallon.!!!!

You are telling your age!!

Ben

[R Walling]

Quote:

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by Debbelle

I remember gas being 29¢ a gallon.!!!!

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

"You are telling your age!!"

I remember paying 18 cents. How old am I?

[Paul Dobbin]

In 1957 my older brother bought his first car. The 1951 Oldsmobile 98 convertible was a back row car at a local car dealer in Princeton NJ. With a price of only $95.00, you can imagine it needed some TLC. The main flaw

was that the canvas top was totally deteriorated.

With nobody in our group old enough to have a drivers license, my father was

pressed into service to drive the car home. Not to look so shabby, we put

the deteriorated top down and headed for the closest gas station. With 3 young teenagers in the car, Dad pulled into a GULF station on the main street.

This particular station was a fancy art deco stone front station with lots of big trees surrounding the pump island.

The only non family member in the group was a kid with an Elvis Presley style hairdo with plenty of Brill Cream. Keep in mind, we all thought this was really cool to have a car, especially a convertible. We looked cool!

As we sat in the car at the pumps, a gigantic elephant bird let loose directly

onto the head of the well coiffured kid.

I know it's not nice to laugh at anothers misfortune, but all but one in the car

thought it was hilarious. So much for my earliest gas statons memories.

[Guest Tarheel]

The corner Esso station in our neighborhood also repaired truck tires - mostly putting hot patches on the tubes. The wheels were the split rim type with the locking rings. When I was about 8 years old, my dad explained a huge indented scar on the forehead of the huge man who did this work, and told me he narrowly escaped death when one of the rings blew off the tire hitting him in the head. Mr. Jake used a steel cage to put the tire in when inflating them. I always watched and cautiously passed the station if the cage was out and Mr. Jake was working on one of those tires.

Edited May 23, 2011 by Tarheel (see edit history)

[dship]

Right after the Korean War my dad was a DI at the Naval Training Center, San Diego, CA. We lived at the top of a small hill in La Mesa. At the bottom of the hill a new Flying A gas station had a grand opening. They did a promo that included introducing a new mexican western themed crime fighting tv show named "The Cisco Kid" with Poncho as his sidekick. My mom brought my brother and I to get their autographs!!