Gas stations - someone in my house was complaining about the local gas station - the fuel pump gobbled up her credit card and wouldn't give it back. The pump was frozen, so she couldn't even pump gas. She rang for help - the attendant said he would be out, but never appeared. He was busy trying to ring up a long line of customers. Who knows where the other attendants were. She didn't dare go inside and leave her card stuck in the pump. After who knows how long, the pump started to behave. She completed the transaction, grabbed her card, and was on her way. No attendant ever appeared.

I remember, more than once, when I was a little kid, Dad pulling into his fav gas station. Out would come an attendant without being called. Dad would always say 'regular'. The attendant would pump the gas for him - and while he waited for the tank to fill, the attendant would check the oil and wash the windshield. No tip was even thought of.

You could get free maps at the station - just ask the attendant for one and he would fetch it for you.

You could also, as a regular customer, sign up to join a program - with each fill up, you would get so many points. Accumulate enough points and you could buy a discounted quality toy - they had Hess trucks (nice quality). . . I wanted a dinosaur (nice quality).

The attendant would take your payment and give you your change.

Rain, snow, hot sun - you never had to step outside your car once.

Where did those days go?