Old time tech illiteracy - examples?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by imoldernu My kids are in their 50's and 60's , and I don't think any one of them has ever changed a flat tire or put on chains, even though I taught them how when they were young.

I am 70 years old, almost 71, and I have never changed a flat or put on chains. I don't live in a snowy area (thus no chains), and I have never had a flat while driving.

[Big_Hitter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I am 70 years old, almost 71, and I have never changed a flat or put on chains. I don't live in a snowy area (thus no chains), and I have never had a flat while driving.

we weren't allowed to drive a car (learners permit) until we could show Dad that we could change a tire on our own, even my sisters....

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_Hitter we weren't allowed to drive a car (learners permit) until we could show Dad that we could change a tire on our own, even my sisters....

Your Dad was a wise man.

I was changing tires as soon as I was strong enough to lift it onto the hub. Around 12 or 13 I think. We did all the car repairs/maintenance we could in the driveway. Taking a car to a shop was very rare, and usually only because the needed tools cost more than the repair would, or once I remember time was of the essence.

[Big_Hitter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Your Dad was a wise man.

Thanks - he passed away in December, he would have been 91 in May

We also did everything we could on our cars, in the driveway.

That's how I learned to flush coolant, do a brake job, change a starter, change the oil, plugs, set timing, tune the carb, etc

I wonder how many people nowadays can use a timing light? I still need to on my 74 F100!

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I am 70 years old, almost 71, and I have never changed a flat or put on chains. I don't live in a snowy area (thus no chains), and I have never had a flat while driving. I am such a city girl, that I have never used a wringer washer when doing my clothes (like my grandma used to use). I wouldn't have a clue as to how to operate it properly. She would probably think that was hysterically funny, if she was still alive. I also cannot even imagine using an ice box instead of a freezer.

I'm quite a bit younger than you, and I've had about 4 flats in my life, so you have been lucky

I used to help my Mom with the wringer washer, much more exciting than today's washers that lock the top down.

I also used to carry ice in 25 lb blocks for our ice box (like a refrigerator) and would play in the ice house where ice was stored in summer as it was literally cool.

I can also drive stick as I owned a Russian Lada (everything in Russian) for 1 year.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 Your Dad was a wise man. I was changing tires as soon as I was strong enough to lift it onto the hub. Around 12 or 13 I think. We did all the car repairs/maintenance we could in the driveway. Taking a car to a shop was very rare, and usually only because the needed tools cost more than the repair would, or once I remember time was of the essence.

I've changed many but...

Last time I tried to change a flat the safety device on the spare tire of Chevy pickup attacked me. Locked onto my finger trapping me. I would have left a big chunk of my middle finger in the spring if someone didn't rescue me.

Be careful out there. [emoji23]

[ls99]

Whiteout

[jim584672]

I saw a video where the landlord was saying these young tenants didn't know how to change a light bulb. They left the bulbs which where out alone. The landlord just couldn't believe it.

[Chuckanut]

A friend of mine had an old VW with a manual choke. One day some goof-balls tried to steal it from the school parking lot. But, they could not get the cold engine to start and run reliably, and gave up when they saw us coming. The 'choke' saved the day.

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jim584672 I saw a video where the landlord was saying these young tenants didn't know how to change a light bulb. They left the bulbs which where out alone. The landlord just couldn't believe it.

It isn't at all uncommon for me to go into rentals and find them mighty dark. Working theory is that as the place gets darker and darker it becomes less attractive to live in. Then they move.
I've replaced an incandescent bulb in a hanging lamp - it took about 16" of extra altitude to reach the lamp and remove the shade to replace the bulb. Young newly married man said his wife wanted it changed. I would, in his position, have been demonstrating my caveman can-do-it-ness. Guess he was smarter than me, as he did get the job done.
Four foot florescent bulbs have never been tenant changed.

Our 40's gas stove has pilot lights for the burners but takes a match for the oven. Just fine with that $25 church sale stove.

[JoeWras]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki Our 40's gas stove has pilot lights for the burners but takes a match for the oven. Just fine with that $25 church sale stove.

Yep, that's the one that almost blew up our house!

[braumeister]

BIL has run his one-man store all his life with just a manual typewriter for paperwork. He has never used a computer and has no interest in them. Also only uses an old landline phone. He's a very intelligent person, just has no use for modern technology.

[Dtail]

Have never changed a tire either. My dad is not handy, so those types of skills not passed down, but will take the math and logic skills passed down.

[ocean view]

I hired a millennial shortly before I retired. Our employer provided cell phones to everyone, so new hires had to get their existing cell number ported over to the company plan and new device. Usually, this meant you might not have any service for a hour or so on the day this took place. So this employee comes to me in a panic, her phone is getting ported and so no service, but she’s expecting a guest to come for lunch and how will she know when her friend arrives. I said just give her a call to tell her where to meet. She replies with attitude “I told you, my phone has no service”. My reply was I think there is a phone right there on your desk... “Oh” she said.

This same employee refused to put her laptop in the dock on her desk so that she could use the huge monitor, standard keyboard and mouse. She had only used a laptop in high school & college so that is what she was comfortable with. I wouldn’t have minded except we worked in Finance and ten-key skills were important and our spreadsheets were huge. She was slow as a result. Whenever she complained that she was working a lot of overtime, I would suggest she might be more efficient if she’d just use the tools on her desk. She never gave in. Who would have thought that a mouse would be considered old-tech?

[isisdave]

So what about things that HAVEN'T changed much?

When I clean the filter cartridges in the pool filter, it's pretty much still 1962, even though the pump controller has more computing power than Apollo XIII.

A gas cooktop may have electric ignition, but basically it's unchanged since 1945.

Simple mailboxes. Heck, have you stepped into the Post Office at Yosemite?

Hose faucets. Quite a few hand tools.

[Gearhead Jim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marko Same!! Plus ever see a kid completely stumped by a rotary dial telephone? Hysterical.

The Blue Swallow Inn in Tumcumcari NM is an old Rt66 place, with dial telephones in the rooms and instructions on how to use them. Cute.

[catii]

Wife & I are still trying to find a new pickup truck WITH a manual transmission! Been to every dealer on island for Toyota, GMC, & Chevy, but not a single one in stock, & 60-90 days to order one from the mainland. Can't picture owning a truck without a gearshift!

[GeneS]

You've heard of the special security feature on 4x4s?

Put the transfer case in neutral.