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I used to work occasionally at the US consulate in Berlin, and to get away from the idiots and the bureaucrats (same thing) I'd go eat lunch at Karl Marx Platz. So I'm walking back to the Consulate and there's a throng of people lining up at one of the stores. An elderly woman is yelling out of the 3rd floor window of an apartment at people standing in line. Next think I know, she comes busting out the front of the apartment building and damn near knocked me to the ground running across the park to get in line.
It was like the last of the bread for the month or something like that.
I remember 1984 was a banner year in the Eastern Territory, because for the first time ever, you could choose the color of your car.
In "communist" countries they didn't have car lots. You couldn't test drive a car. You couldn't even see a "floor model" in most cases. You went to a small office, filled out some forms, and then you started making car payments.
After you finished making all of your car payments, you'd get a post-card telling you where to go to get your car. Imagine making car payments for 72 months and never even getting to drive the car. Anyway, you just crossed your fingers and hoped it was a color you liked.
In the Eastern Territory, the Trabis came in 5 colors: black -- for party officials only; a weird red; a tan (more like a beige); a medium green color and then a light blue color.
Can't have white, because at that time it required titanium which was very, very expensive. So starting in 1984, the Germans could actually choose between 4 colors. I don't know how that actually worked out. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted beige and got saddled with green.
In Romania, they had two shades of blue, but I can't remember if that was because Dacia had one shade and then Otet made another shade for their car models or not. I think the Mayars had maroon, or a dark brown. I remember seeing those when I was in Miskolc during Druzba '86
I used to work occasionally at the US consulate in Berlin, and to get away from the idiots and the bureaucrats (same thing) I'd go eat lunch at Karl Marx Platz. So I'm walking back to the Consulate and there's a throng of people lining up at one of the stores. An elderly woman is yelling out of the 3rd floor window of an apartment at people standing in line. Next think I know, she comes busting out the front of the apartment building and damn near knocked me to the ground running across the park to get in line.
It was like the last of the bread for the month or something like that.
I remember 1984 was a banner year in the Eastern Territory, because for the first time ever, you could choose the color of your car.
In "communist" countries they didn't have car lots. You couldn't test drive a car. You couldn't even see a "floor model" in most cases. You went to a small office, filled out some forms, and then you started making car payments.
After you finished making all of your car payments, you'd get a post-card telling you where to go to get your car. Imagine making car payments for 72 months and never even getting to drive the car. Anyway, you just crossed your fingers and hoped it was a color you liked.
In the Eastern Territory, the Trabis came in 5 colors: black -- for party officials only; a weird red; a tan (more like a beige); a medium green color and then a light blue color.
Can't have white, because at that time it required titanium which was very, very expensive. So starting in 1984, the Germans could actually choose between 4 colors. I don't know how that actually worked out. I wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted beige and got saddled with green.
In Romania, they had two shades of blue, but I can't remember if that was because Dacia had one shade and then Otet made another shade for their car models or not. I think the Mayars had maroon, or a dark brown. I remember seeing those when I was in Miskolc during Druzba '86
Ain't "communism" grand?
Reminiscing...
Mircea
That is what will happen to our health care. No choice and no doctor.
Incidentally, the European version of Monopoly is the same as the US version. The article states that this game was based on Monopoly, though - but that hardly makes it the EU version of it.
That is what will happen to our health care. No choice and no doctor.
I have actually been to many a doctor in socialized health care systems in several nations and waiting in line or inaccessibility of health care have not been part of my experience.
Incidentally, the European version of Monopoly is the same as the US version. The article states that this game was based on Monopoly, though - but that hardly makes it the EU version of it.
There you go, blowing another bs thread up.
What's that? At least 3 today.
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