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Or for that matter, a switchboard and a telex /telprinter machine (my first job I worked on a telex machine, a typewriter, mimeograph, switchboard, and the paper for the photo copier came in rolls.)
My dad came home from WWII, having served in the Navy. As soon as he left his ship and came ashore in NYC he called to let his aunt know he would be coming home on a train and when to expect him. His parents were dead and his younger siblings lived with his aunt and uncle.
Of course, the call had to placed through an operator (how many kids today would even know what a telephone operator was!).
The operator placed the call, which, of course went to the local operator, who was in a very small town in Georgia. When the NYC operator reached the local operator and told her who the call was for, the local gal said, "I don't think Mrs. M. is home. I saw her walk over to the jail. I'll connect you over there." The call was completed, my dad talked with his aunt, and the NYC operator was so amused by events she did not even charge him for the call.
The local operator was on the second floor of a building on the courthouse square and had looked out her window and had seen Mrs. M. cross the street from her house to the jail. Mrs. M. cooked meals to take to the prisoners there. She was a mighty fine cook, too, and I would wonder if someone down on his luck in that little town might get himself arrested just to get a good meal!
Mr. M. once saw a prisoner trying to climb out a window at the jail. He grabbed his shotgun and put a stop to it!
My choice would be 8 track tapes. I grew up with them because that's what my dad listened to, but I can imagine my daughter wouldn't know what they were.
My very frugal sister in law only has over-the-air TV. When she went to the big box electronics store to get new "rabbit ears" the kid who was helping her had no idea what she was looking for. A more "mature" person was able to find the antenna; they did carry it.
Lol. I love this post. To add to what you wrote, kids today act like our televisions in decades past were so strange. Haha.
My nephews used to tease me because I told them that growing up, we just had 13 channels. Well, actually less than 13 since not every number on the knob was a real channel.
Anyone ever have the dreaded times when the knob to turn channels broke or got lost so you could only change channels with pliers? Haha. Funny now but I hated that as a child.
Steve Harvey even brought up the fact that the darn pliers could only change channels going FORWARD so if you were turning too fast and missed your channel, you couldn't go backwards; instead you had to start all over again. Hated that! Lol.
Lol. I love this post. To add to what you wrote, kids today act like our televisions in decades past were so strange. Haha.
My nephews used to tease me because I told them that growing up, we just had 13 channels. Well, actually less than 13 since not every number on the knob was a real channel.
Anyone ever have the dreaded times when the knob to turn channels broke or got lost so you could only change channels with pliers? Haha. Funny now but I hated that as a child.
Steve Harvey even brought up the fact that the darn pliers could only change channels going FORWARD so if you were turning too fast and missed your channel, you couldn't go backwards; instead you had to start all over again. Hated that! Lol.
I remember black and white only TV and a time when there were only three channels, one for each network: ABC, NBC, and CBS. If you did not see something during the time it aired, you were out of luck until the summer "reruns", since there was no way to record programs. Commercials were limited to once every 15 minutes and were short - advertising only one product.
Most people had an antenna on the roof, since older "rabbit ears" did not work very well.
The "remote control" was the child who was instructed to turn the dial.
Each network went "off the air" at midnight, with the playing of the national anthem, followed by a picture of a "test pattern" (show a kid one of those and I'll bet he won't know what it was) after which all you saw was "snow" until the station "signed on" the next morning.
Televisions were large boxes and the innards contained numerous tubes that looked similar to light bulbs. If your set did not work right, a repairman came to your home to fix it.
Lol. I love this post. To add to what you wrote, kids today act like our televisions in decades past were so strange. Haha.
My nephews used to tease me because I told them that growing up, we just had 13 channels. Well, actually less than 13 since not every number on the knob was a real channel.
Anyone ever have the dreaded times when the knob to turn channels broke or got lost so you could only change channels with pliers? Haha. Funny now but I hated that as a child.
Steve Harvey even brought up the fact that the darn pliers could only change channels going FORWARD so if you were turning too fast and missed your channel, you couldn't go backwards; instead you had to start all over again. Hated that! Lol.
This is hilarious. I forgot about using pliers. I can see my father doing it.
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