"They Swore I Was Making It Up": 17 Now-Obsolete Experiences From "Way Back When" That Have Younger Generations Confused, Perplexed, Or Utterly Lost

Yahoo

08-04-2025

Recently, older adults of the BuzzFeed Community shared the normal but completely unique experiences and routines from "way back when" that younger folks will never get to experience. And as a Gen Z'er myself, I'm completely fascinated. Here are some of the common practices from the past that, depending on your age, will have you feeling super nostalgic or totally in awe:
1."I grew up in the '50s and '60s, and girls were not allowed to wear pants, only skirts or dresses to school. When the temperature was freezing, or if there was snow on the ground, we could wear pants — but only if we also had a skirt over the pants."
—Anonymous, Texas
2."Nobody bothered to leash or clean up after their dogs. All the kids knew all of the dogs and which ones to avoid, and dog fights happened regularly. It was all normal in the '60s."
—Merry, 70, Canada
3."My dad was a surgeon at a major innercity hospital in the early 1980s. I remember going with my mom to meet him for lunch, and we'd wait in the lobby by the cafeteria. It was as normal as could be then that every lobby in the hospital had a cigarette vending machine and magazines advertising the 'Marlboro Man' alongside table ashtrays. Even my father, who was a vascular specialist, smoked like a chimney. So did my mom. Now, smoking is one of the most vilified of activities, especially by healthcare professionals. It feels almost unreal in hindsight."
—Anonymous
4."The soda fountain shop had penny candy tables all lined up across from the counter stools. You could stop in on your way back to school from lunch at home and stock up on sweets that would give you a sugar high. My favorites were variously-colored sugar dots on paper strips that I scraped off with my teeth. I ate them in class when the teacher's back was turned!"
—Anonymous
5."There were vocational classes in school. Even middle schools had stuff like auto class, home economics, wood burning, ceramics, first-aid, and more."
—jeybizness
6."'Helping Hand' signs in windows. I walked the train tracks on the way to kindergarten, and I knew I was safe because one of the houses I passed had a Helping Hand sign. If you were hurt or knew someone was following you, you could go to houses with those signs in good faith."
—Sue, 57
7."We had rotary dial phones, and you had to memorize every phone number you wanted to call frequently. Otherwise, you had to look up the number in a phone book listing every city's residential and business."
—Anonymous
8."Before tampons, we wore little garter belts. They had clips on either end, and we hooked up our maxi pads to them. When I told my daughters about this, they swore I was making it up."
—Debbi, 66, Washington
9."Parents didn't 'hover,' and there was much more freedom to run outside and ride your bikes. Without cell phones, you had to figure things out rather than call someone. I think it made for more independent and self-reliant kids."
—dazzlingtortoise54
10."I remember when my father built our first bathroom in our home. Before that, we used the outhouse down the path from our house. We took our baths in a round galvanized metal wash tub brought into the kitchen on Saturdays. We would just wash up in a wash basin on the other days of the week. I also remember my mom cooking on a coal and wood-burning stove all year round. She canned fruits and vegetables in the summer on it, even though it was extremely hot and we had no air conditioning. She was extremely happy when she got her electric stove! She also had a wringer washing machine with one tub for washing and one tub for rinsing the clothes out on the back porch. I used to help by cranking the wringer handle to squeeze the water out of the clothes. We are very spoiled people now in 2024, and I love it! But those times are in my memory forever!"
—Linda, 73, United States
11."Back in the early '90s, you had to purchase music at a music store. If your favorite band released a new album or CD, the stores opened late at night to sell them and would sometimes have an album release party. People would wait in line all night to get their favorite artist's new album. And, if your favorite band went on tour, you'd have to wait in line and purchase concert tickets in person."
—Ryan, 45, Canada
12."I remember walking home late after a rehearsal in Europe, and an officer came over to me and asked if I had any protection. I showed him an open penknife, and he said, 'Oh good, you'll be alright,' without a wink. It was perfectly normal in the '50s."
—Maria, 86
13."I remember going to the neighborhood corner store in the '70s and buying cigarettes for my parents. I was, like, 10 years old at the time. Also, I couldn't wait for Sunday nights at 7 p.m., when I could stay up on a school night to watch the once-a-week-special Walt Disney movie."
—sweetcookie606
14."In the late '50s, a nearby Air Force base had open houses. We would wander through fighter jets, bombers, and hangars without guides. Most places even allowed cameras!"
—Richard, 77, Montana
15."In my grade school years (1960s), a fifth-grade teacher supervised the after-school activity rifle club. He taught gun safety and coached kids, who were no older than 11, how to improve their aim."
—Jennie
16."In the '60s, our parents did not have to buy school supplies when I was in elementary school since the school provided everything."
—Michele, 63, Florida
17.Lastly: "No one locked their door, so as a child in the '60s, if no one were home, I'd walk in, sit on the couch, watch TV, and wait. Whenever the person I was waiting for came back, we'd greet each other and go play. Nobody ever thought of stealing or doing anything bad."
—Anonymous, 66, California
IDK, my 26-year-old brain cannot comprehend a school rifle club. If you're an older adult, what's a common but unique experience from the past that younger folks would be totally confused by? If you want a chance to be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post, share your story in the comments, or you can anonymously submit it using this form.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.