Note: This post contains mentions of sexual harassment.

The best case was to rinse your mouth and spit it out.

Of course, this is now known to be dumb at best and dangerous at worst."

Young boy holds a football while wearing vintage football gear, standing in a wood-paneled room with a pennant on the wall

“‘Mad money.’

Also, not being allowed to call boys or knock on their doors.

This was a huge no-no.

Article image

None of the girls in my neighborhood were allowed to call a boy.

u/we_gon_ride

3.

“Not wearing a seatbelt and riding around in the back of a pickup truck.

A man in a suit and a striped tie is smiling while talking on a corded phone, standing next to a water cooler. The image is from an article categorized as Rewind

“We lived on the edge of town, and my best bud lived on the opposite edge.

No one batted an eye.”

u/hickorynut60

5.

Two people in front of a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine, both holding soda cans. One is wearing a sweater and jeans, the other a white shirt and plaid skirt

“Making long-distance phone calls (out of town) was a BIG deal.

Calls were charged by the minute after the first three, and conversations were short.

Rates were cheaper on Sundays and late nights, but it wasn’t common to call long-distance.

Hands cutting butter on a kitchen scale. The butter is partially wrapped in foil, and the person is using a knife to cut the butter into smaller pieces

People wrote letters often to save on phone expenses.”

“There used to be a section in the newspaper of births.

u/ellamom

7.

A young boy takes out the trash in a suburban neighborhood, carrying two garbage bins along a sidewalk

“Water wasn’t really a thing because no one carried water bottles.

You couldn’t have a drink in school except at lunch or if you went to the water fountain.

There was no water in vending machines just soda.”

A hand holding a keychain with a small, fuzzy orange object attached. The context of the image is unclear

“Saying ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am.’

He said, ‘c’mon don’t call me that.’

It still freaks me out to this day to call people ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am.'”

Two men sit at a round table with audio equipment and papers. One man holds eyeglasses and a sheet of paper; the other rests his chin on his hand

u/unhappy_girl13

9.

Finding out it wouldn’t be in stock for two weeks.

It would be the longest two weeks ever, but it was totally worth the wait.

A 1966 Ford Mustang convertible with a man and a woman driving in a scenic countryside setting

Yes, people had to wait.”

u/ApprehensiveGift283

11.

“We used paper liners for indoor trash cans.

A woman with glasses and a pearl necklace examines multiple credit cards and IDs atop a table

“We used to iron sheets and pillowcases.

u/HamBroth

13.

“Having a ‘lucky’ rabbit’s foot as a keychain.

With your keys in your pocket.

u/ladyfeyrey

15.

“We used to record radio shows on cassette tapes to listen to later.

The idea of streaming music instantly was unheard of!”

“You had school shoes, play shoes, and church shoes.

u/Mysterious-Map-6857

17.

Reaching 100,000 miles was a big deal because most cars fell apart before then.

“Waiting in line overnight for concert tickets.

That was only 50 years ago, which was only SEVEN years before I was born.”

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.