Old Enough To Remember?

CDNolddude said:
I remember the Canadian air raid sirens being tested when I was a kid in the 50’s
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I'm originally from a small farm town in Michigan that has an all volunteer fire department and 3 police officers.
In the middle of the town there is a siren like this that goes off when there's a fire (steady tone) or a tornado warning (alternating high and low tones) and at 6pm every evening except Sunday. It's a mechanical siren with a rotating horn and we lived about a block away from it.
 
JackinFL said:
I'm originally from a small farm town in Michigan that has an all volunteer fire department and 3 police officers.
In the middle of the town there is a siren like this that goes off when there's a fire (steady tone) or a tornado warning (alternating high and low tones) and at 6pm every evening except Sunday. It's a mechanical siren with a rotating horn and we lived about a block away from it.
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The small town in Northern Washington state that my Grandparents lived has a similar story with the exception of tornados. Everyday at noon the siren sounds or when there is a fire to alert the volunteer firemen.
 
Even back in the 70's when I was on a volunteer department, we had a pager system and a base unit at home which would give you the initial location and type of emergency. We also had the big mechanical siren on the roof of the firehouse carried over from the old days... mainly that served to alert the town that something was going on and to watch for our fire trucks about to go into action.... we had a weekly test of the system at a prescribed time, activated by remote dispatch and everything would go off, followed by a voice message. One of us would go to the station to acknowledge to dispatch test was successful.

We never got much at all into air raid or tornado warnings...
 
gunsmoker said:
It came with a tub washer with an electrically powered clothes ringer attached to the back. I don't know how old that machine was --maybe 1940s or 1950s?

Anyhow it was a beast !
I was always afraid it would pull my fingers in and squeeze my arm flat, all the way up to the armpit!
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My parents built a cottage in the mid sixties and purchased used appliances, including one of those old washer / wringer machines. These things were very dangerous and there were terrible stories out there about women who got their hair caught in the rollers................ Needless to say my mom have no issues with us kids doing our own laundry and using the wringer.

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ReSTored said:
My parents built a cottage in the mid sixties and purchased used appliances, including one of those old washer / wringer machines. These things were very dangerous and there were terrible stories out there about women who got their hair caught in the rollers................ Needless to say my mom have no issues with us kids doing our own laundry and using the wringer.

1740500376992.png
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We had a pair outdoors under the stairs in the 50's. Not nearly as fancy. I think one had a crank. We had an "ice box" in the kitchen too. My dad chipped off ice from the block for my moms iced tea. They were both smokers (50's - who wasn't?) and I can still picture the early morning rays passing through the room.
 
billo said:
We had a pair outdoors under the stairs in the 50's. Not nearly as fancy. I think one had a crank. We had an "ice box" in the kitchen too. My dad chipped off ice from the block for my moms iced tea.
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I remember cottages north of Montreal in the sixties and seventies. In those days cottages were pretty simple places. Our lot on a small lake was $1,200 with 300' frontage. Cottage was built in 1966 and I remember going to a wrecking / recycling yard in Laval where my dad purchased used windows, kitchen cabinets, all the appliances and some furniture. Finished building was 24' x 42' and framed in cost, which included all materials, foundation, electrical and installing all the used windows and cabinets was $1,750. Like most cottages floors were unfinished, open studs, no insulation, a pretty basic abode, but we loved it and spend the whole summer there. We spent years finishing the place, but it was still pretty rustic. Sold in 1989.
 
Fond memories . . . things to watch for while riding in the back seat on family trips!

I'm sure that Burma Shave actually saved some lives. People laughed and then were more careful! It was a REAL "service" to America, even though it was an advertisement . . . one of the RARE "really useful" ones!

A quick history for the younger set here. Before interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in, mostly in farmers fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet . . . and the obligatory 5th sign . . . "Burma Shave", a popular shaving cream. While traveling one of us would read the signs aloud and all would chime in on the final sign. Helped the time go a little faster on trips.

Shuey


A MAN, A MISS,
A CAR A CURVE.
HE KISSED THE MISS,
AND MISSED THE CURVE.
Burma Shave

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave

TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
'CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP.
Burma Shave

DON'T LOSE OUR YEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE.
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT.
Burma Shave

DROVE TO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING.
Burma Shave

BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING NURSE.
Burma Shave

CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER.
Burma Shave

SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT.
Burma Shave

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE.
Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE
LIKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT.
Burma Shave

A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING.
Burma Shave

CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
 
Shuey said:
Fond memories . . . things to watch for while riding in the back seat on family trips!

I'm sure that Burma Shave actually saved some lives. People laughed and then were more careful! It was a REAL "service" to America, even though it was an advertisement . . . one of the RARE "really useful" ones!

A quick history for the younger set here. Before interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in, mostly in farmers fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet . . . and the obligatory 5th sign . . . "Burma Shave", a popular shaving cream. While traveling one of us would read the signs aloud and all would chime in on the final sign. Helped the time go a little faster on trips.

Shuey


A MAN, A MISS,
A CAR A CURVE.
HE KISSED THE MISS,
AND MISSED THE CURVE.
Burma Shave

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT SO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN ANOTHER CAR.
Burma Shave

TRAINS DON'T WANDER
ALL OVER THE MAP
'CAUSE NOBODY SITS
IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP.
Burma Shave

DON'T LOSE OUR YEAD
TO GAIN A MINUTE.
YOU NEED YOUR HEAD
YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT.
Burma Shave

DROVE TO LONG
DRIVER SNOOZING
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT
IS NOT AMUSING.
Burma Shave

BROTHER SPEEDER
LET'S REHEARSE
ALL TOGETHER
GOOD MORNING NURSE.
Burma Shave

CAUTIOUS RIDER
TO HER RECKLESS DEAR
LET'S HAVE LESS BULL
AND A LITTLE MORE STEER.
Burma Shave

SPEED WAS HIGH
WEATHER WAS NOT
TIRES WERE THIN
X MARKS THE SPOT.
Burma Shave

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE
OF PAUL FOR BEER
LED TO A WARMER
HEMISPHERE.
Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE
LIKETY-SPLIT
BEAUTIFUL CAR
WASN'T IT.
Burma Shave

A GUY WHO DRIVES
A CAR WIDE OPEN
IS NOT THINKIN'
HE'S JUST HOPIN'
Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES
WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING
DEPENDS ON YOU
TO DO HIS THINKING.
Burma Shave

CAR IN DITCH
DRIVER IN TREE
THE MOON WAS FULL
AND SO WAS HE.
Burma Shave
Click to expand...
Guess that makes me a young pup as , don't remember them signs
 
From MAD magazine (I remember from probably over 50 years ago):

EMPTY CANS ALONG THE ROAD
ARE UGLY, MANY SAY . . .
BUT AT NIGHT, REFLECTING BRIGHT
THEY SAFELY GUIDE THE WAY!
Burma Shave
 
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