Don't cry when the kids growing up don't want your old car!!!

[Mike DC]

 
Go try finding a public phone booth that is still operational.  

Go look at the costs of a land-line compared to a cheap cell.


Cell phones stopped being a luxury years ago.  



As for the electronics, you can buy a Blu-ray player these days for less than a pickup truck's tank of gas.  Think about the price of filling a gas tank decades ago - did it seem like a luxury to spend that much on a TV set or something back then?  

The computers aren't that much more money.  A few hundred gets you what you need.   And don't even get me started on the difficulty of living without the internet these days.  Its not a luxury anymore either.

[nvrbdn]

its not that the item costs so much, but the service to make it go. cable and internet access 135 a month, cell phone 75 a month. back in the day there was no cable. only 5 channels of tv local stuff. when gas is 30-40 cents a gallon, my 68 charger would run all weekend and a few bucks.

[XS29L9Bxxxxxx]

  Driving used to be about going on mini vacations to see a broader view of the world at any given time.   Another era going by the wayside

How true!!

And having been cross-country, and north to south, and back, over a dozen times each way, it's always good to road-trip!

Some will live it, others will take their driverless cars and be numb to the subtle virtues of life 

[odcics2]

I'd fill up the Charger to the flip top for 5 bucks from "E"!   (gas was 24.9 per gallon, unless they were having a price war - lowest I ever paid was 19.9 cents a gallon!)

But I was making $2.45 an hour.   So, almost 2 hrs of work to fill the tank.   I'm a little better off now...  

[Cooter]

got that right.. i communicated by cb radio. ha ha, life was more simple.

The original cell phone.  My handle was the same as pops. "Whitecloud".

[nvrbdn]

mine was "snow pony"  had a horse pin stripped on the back of the car. 

[ws23rt]

I agree that cell phones (basic phones) are not expensive.  And one can have a great sounding system to play all we could want for what seems like less than back in the day.  But I had a color TV and a great sounding stereo system that I put together with what I had left over after paying for the basics.

I see the issue now is that some have always had the basics and they seem to come out of thin air.  Well the air is becoming thinner by the day.

The number of people that don't pay taxes has exceeded the number that pay them for quite a while. And the trend is fewer are paying all the time.

At some point we have to give them a boot to the street. Come on you slackers go out and catch the rabbit. We all need to pitch in---to do our part to earn our place in this world.

Oh and by the way when I get old I may need some help at some point.  But I earned my way by catching many rabbits.  It should be enough. (making cell phones, laptops and the like.)

[Cooter]

mine was "snow pony"  had a horse pin stripped on the back of the car. 

Breaker, breaker for that snow pony. You git de whitecloud on nis end. Cmon' kick it back.

[nvrbdn]

10-4 white cloud your comin in wall to wall.peggin my needle. you gotta be pushin some power there come on.

[Ghoste]

Not so much about them being luxuries, my point was that they didn't even exist 40 years ago.  You can't lust to purchase things that don't exist.

[bull]

People want to live in bubbles now. They won't or can't interact with other humans face to face. I see groups of 2-10 of them sitting in restaurants ignoring each other while texting or looking at the internet. I went to dinner with my family at Red Robin a while back and this young couple who sat near us never said more than 10 words to each other the whole time we were there. On the smart phones the whole time. People want everything done for them and they want every consequence for their actions eliminated, and they want it done with government funding. The word freedom had true meaning when this country was established and we were reminded what it meant in WWII. Now all it means is choosing which cable company and cell phone provider you want. Idiocracy is here.

[hatersaurusrex]

Well, we're really not that far from this:

[JB400]

Sounds like my generation wants the comforts of home for on the road.   Driving used to be about going on mini vacations to see a broader view of the world at any given time.   Another era going by the wayside

True, but you have to remember that gas costs more & takes a much larger percentage of your paycheck now. It's cheaper to stay at home. 

Are you sure about that?  At minimum wage, how many gallons of gas can you buy for an hours' worth of work?  What about the number of loaves of bread?  If you look at any given points in history, these numbers should be fairly close. 

Do you know a website that tracks this? I've been looking online but don't see one yet that takes into consideration the other costs involved. Maybe the per gallon gas price is fairly close, even adjusted for inflation, but I seriously doubt the total operating cost is. (Which is something I should have said in place of gas price.) Tax on one gallon is higher, insurance is higher, the car itself costs more to purchase, tolls are higher, registration fees are higher & the minimum wage hasn't kept up.

For me, I remember working between semesters in the early 80's for just under $4 / hour full time. I owned a somewhat dependable $100 beater, had a year's worth of basic insurance for a few hundred bucks, & never had to worry about spending more than $25 for gas for the entire week. That gas bill covered the days spent driving nowhere with friends, too. 

You might find a website online that covers these facts, but my info comes from a dinner table discussion (who has those anymore?) with family relatives.  We were discussing these people wanting to raise minimum wage. Comparing items during my grandpa's time period and mine at the same age verses the minimum wage, while the prices have changed, the ratios were pretty close together.  The conclusion we came to was: no matter the minimum wage, you're still sitting in the same boat when it comes to buying material possessions.  The only difference was that you were handling more money, but was also paying out more money.  So, why bother raising minimum wage? Taxes.  That's all it amounts to.

For these people that want more money, they either need to move to a new location that allows them to spend less for what they want, or they need to quit living beyond their means.  Since I doubt that either one will happen, expect to be paying double what your paying now for everything if minimum wage goes to $15/hr.

[1974dodgecharger]

No worries here....kids love the charger.

[Ghoste]

I don't think its taxes since a crazy minimum wage hike often results in fewer businesses expanding.  I think its about buying votes.  Lately it seems like one party is portayed as evil old white men who only want power and the other is portrayed as the benevolent provider for the disenfranchised.  With the disenfranchised and the illegal aliens (can't bring myself to say undocumented resident) making such a huge untapped vote pool it makes you go hmmmm.

[tan top]

People want to live in bubbles now. They won't or can't interact with other humans face to face. I see groups of 2-10 of them sitting in restaurants ignoring each other while texting or looking at the internet. I went to dinner with my family at Red Robin a while back and this young couple who sat near us never said more than 10 words to each other the whole time we were there. On the smart phones the whole time. People want everything done for them and they want every consequence for their actions eliminated, and they want it done with government funding. The word freedom had true meaning when this country was established and we were reminded what it meant in WWII. Now all it means is choosing which cable company and cell phone provider you want. Idiocracy is here.

 yep 

[Baldwinvette77]

... In theory, could i "drive" home drunk with one of those cars legally? 

[Cooter]

10-4 white cloud your comin in wall to wall.peggin my needle. you gotta be pushin some power there come on.

Mercy sakes alive puttin bout 10 on me. Blowin my windows out kick it back.

[nvrbdn]

i used to live in the high deserts of southern california. at night i would go to big bear mountain and shoot skip all over the country. running barefoot with twin hustlers and a stock cobra.  those were the days.

[Old Moparz]

You might find a website online that covers these facts, but my info comes from a dinner table discussion (who has those anymore?) with family relatives.  We were discussing these people wanting to raise minimum wage. Comparing items during my grandpa's time period and mine at the same age verses the minimum wage, while the prices have changed, the ratios were pretty close together.  The conclusion we came to was: no matter the minimum wage, you're still sitting in the same boat when it comes to buying material possessions.  The only difference was that you were handling more money, but was also paying out more money.  So, why bother raising minimum wage? Taxes.  That's all it amounts to.

For these people that want more money, they either need to move to a new location that allows them to spend less for what they want, or they need to quit living beyond their means.  Since I doubt that either one will happen, expect to be paying double what your paying now for everything if minimum wage goes to $15/hr.

I've had those dinner table discussions comparing the present to the past. The problem is that some people are still living in the past & think life should or could be "just like the good old days" without taking into consideration that society evolves. I don't mention or get into the political issues tied to this because peace at family gatherings is more important than reminding some uncle you see once each year, that the thing they're ranting about has been dis-proven 10 years ago & just an internet hoax. This actually happened at my house this past Thanksgiving & I changed the subject.

I understand the living beyond your means argument, but that is no way the single reason why people can't afford things currently. I don't mean things like luxuries, I mean necessities like groceries, rent or mortgage & transportation for work whether it's a car or mass transit. We can use the 1950's as an example, the time a lot of people believe was some sort of golden age. In some instances it was because you didn't need a college degree back then to get a decent job, buy a house & provide for a family. Heck, you probably didn't even need a high school diploma. Try getting a job now without a degree or diploma & see what you end up with if you can find one at all.

Evolving is important to remain viable. Manufacturing has changed to robotics or moved out of the country, so less people are needed. People could be unskilled years ago but still earn a living. Now you need education to remain viable & the cost of it has spiraled out of reach for most. My wife had to take a class at a community college recently so she could keep her teaching assistant certificate up to date. One class, just 3 credits, was $750 at a community college & not some prestigious institution. If she didn't take the class her certificate would expire & she'd be replaced.

Not having the need back then to spend money on college tuition saves thousands. You also get a head start of several years on being a member of the work force to earn money, spend money & pay taxes. I knew relatives that worked at the same company for 20 to 30 years, got salary increases & promotions, retired from that same place. It's rare that anyone can stay more than a few years at the same company now. Stay at home mothers are another thing of the past because it takes more than one salary to stay solvent. My Great Grandmothers stayed home as well as my Grandmothers. Those generations could, but not my Mother in the 1960's & 1970's, she had to work.

Moving away from the area you grew up in to get a better paying job spreads the family out. While this may not seem like a factor in affording things, it is. My parents had the convenience (or is it a luxury?) of having two sets of Grandparents 3 or 4 blocks away. They could both go to work while they had "free daycare" within the family. That isn't possible anymore & has little to do with living beyond your means. You can either stay at home with no salary, take a huge cut in pay to work close to home, work part time with hours to be able to be with the kids, or you commute for more money to pay for daycare. Commuting isn't cheap so it's a catch 22 on what to choose.

Nothing like the good old days, right?

[RoscoePColtrain]

This really grinds my gears...

Some of the features they want include:

•automatic braking systems that stop the car in an emergency (82%)
  - IMHO becasue you lack the skill/attention/education(possibly experience) to stop on your own.
•automatic braking systems that prevent hitting an object (76%)[/font] 
   -IMHO becasue you lack the skill/attention/education(possibly experience) to stop on your own.
   - You are not used to the dimensions of your car
   - Although I will admit that the backup camera/sensor is a good idea (Little ones leave they belongs around or people on phones texting/talking walking blindlessly)
•collision-warning systems (72%)
   - No idea how this works, but an ounce of attention goes a long way.
•fully automatic parking (71%)
   - Pure lack of skill and lazyness
•lane-keeping systems (48%)
   - You're driving! Pay attention to driving

[Cooter]

This really grinds my gears...

Some of the features they want include:

•automatic braking systems that stop the car in an emergency (82%)
 - IMHO becasue you lack the skill/attention/education(possibly experience) to stop on your own.
•automatic braking systems that prevent hitting an object (76%)[/font]  
  -IMHO becasue you lack the skill/attention/education(possibly experience) to stop on your own.
  - You are not used to the dimensions of your car
  - Although I will admit that the backup camera/sensor is a good idea (Little ones leave they belongs around or people on phones texting/talking walking blindlessly)
•collision-warning systems (72%)
  - No idea how this works, but an ounce of attention goes a long way.
•fully automatic parking (71%)
  - Pure lack of skill and lazyness
•lane-keeping systems (48%)
  - You're driving! Pay attention to driving

And now with all that 'gotta have it' gagetry, your new Honda will cost you what a Mercedes used to.
And will cost you 6 times as much when comes time for all that Bullsh*t to break. I cannot believe people don't think about this BEFORE they speak. "Whaddya mean that crazy gaget costs $5k to fix?? If I'd known that, I wouldn't have bought it"....
These types must be the same ones thinking $15/hr to flip burgers will only cost Mickey D's....

[RECHRGD]

Relying too much on technology will bite you sooner or later.  Just ask the pilots of that Asiana Airlines flight that let the plane land itself in San Francisco......

[bull]

I've had those dinner table discussions comparing the present to the past. The problem is that some people are still living in the past & think life should or could be "just like the good old days" without taking into consideration that society evolves. I don't mention or get into the political issues tied to this because peace at family gatherings is more important than reminding some uncle you see once each year, that the thing they're ranting about has been dis-proven 10 years ago & just an internet hoax. This actually happened at my house this past Thanksgiving & I changed the subject.

Evolving is important to remain viable. Manufacturing has changed to robotics or moved out of the country, so less people are needed. People could be unskilled years ago but still earn a living. Now you need education to remain viable & the cost of it has spiraled out of reach for most. My wife had to take a class at a community college recently so she could keep her teaching assistant certificate up to date. One class, just 3 credits, was $750 at a community college & not some prestigious institution. If she didn't take the class her certificate would expire & she'd be replaced.

Some form of evolution is fine such as technology (to a point) but ethically, mentally, morally and emotionally we are devolving. More often than not when I hear people gladly claim how progressive we are as a society they'll eventually mention how much dumber we've become as a race. These two concepts are not mutually exclusive. As far as technology goes, we may be keeping up with the Joneses but it had made people intellectually lazy and unable to interact without becoming offended. Therefore, many people cannot admit to being wrong anymore and therefore believe they have no reason to held accountable. I blame most of it on political correction. The left likes to blame religion for society's ills but political correction has taken all the bad elements and zealotry of religion and incorporated it into their ideology. Political correction is the biggest threat to the first amendment in the past 100 years at least. It allows angry people to search for things that offend them and then all the other angry/easily-offended people swarm and destroy whatever entity, individual, business, sports team, etc., that they feel does not reflect their "morality."

[hatersaurusrex]

I think there was a study that showed that the internet actually makes you dumber.  Well, not really any less intelligent, but your mind has a mechanism where it decides to either remember information, or if it's somewhere permanent and easy to get to, just to remember how to get back to it.  Your brain effectively places a stub in your memory instead of the information itself.    With wikipedia, GPS systems, and Google at our fingertips - we don't retain hard skills anymore.   I got so reliant on GPS at my last job I'd be in a place I'd been to 10 times and couldn't get back on the main highway without plugging it into my GPS.    Same thing happens with calculators - people used to calculate fairly things in their head... now? No need.   I can't tell you how many times I've been trigging something simple in my head, my brain locked up and I grabbed the caculator.   And trig is EASY to do in your head.  SOH/CAH/TOA.