Under 65...

[Dog427435]

My Mom would put me out and say "go play". There was no question as to where, she knew I'd be around. In the winter I knew when the street lights came on, I needed to be home. In the summer the fire departments six o'clock whistle was the signal.
We thought nothing of hitchhiking anywhere we needed to go, everyone did, it was an accepted means of transportation.
The man from the Crestwood Dairy would come by about 4:30 in the morning in his Divco, dripping water from the ice that kept the milk in the back cold. Once in a while we'd sneak a note to leave some chocolate milk or orange juice into the milk box.
Ten cents bought you a Hostess turnover that was full of filling. A nickel got you a coke to go with it. The deposit on the bottle was two cents, so scrounging for empties in the weeds could get you enough cash for both.
The Police were respected and feared. If a Cop told you to do something - you did.
If a Cop kicked your butt for screwing around, the last thing you'd want to do was tell your Dad.

[COPO 70 RS/Z28]

10/4

I remember, you whatever the cops or your teachers did to you was nothing compared to what Dad was going to do when he found out!!!!!!!!!!!

I also remember if you got away from the cops they knew who you were anyway and would be sitting in the drive when you got home!

The other thing was you never and I mean NEVER disrespected or pissed off a Chicago cop or you got your lunch handed to you right there no questions asked.

[CanadianPoncho]

Remember all the kids on the block playing hide go seek until it was too dark to see? I remember us having slingshots and building "forts" from tractor tire inner-tubes and shooting berries from our mountain ash tree at each other. Remember all your buddies coming over with their Hot Wheels or Matchbox cases and picking our "rides" and driving them on dirt roads made in the garden? Ahh-those were the days..
Todd

[Mr70]

Ha!...we too played in the dirt with our HotWheels,so much so that our friends Moms would not allow us to enter their yards carrying the lil 4 wheeled gofers,as one Mom put it.
I grew up down the street from the Ovaltine factory.
Thir 6 O'clock whistle was our sign to go home & eat during the spring/summer months.
When we realized we could get a nickel for one bottle,we scoured for every Bubble Up bottle we could find,right after watching the Banana Splits of course.
After 1968,we saw the Chicago police in a whole new light too.
"Roll up the windows & obey everrrry traffic light",my Dad would say.

[Chateau Slate 66]

I had a great collection of Matchbox cars until I had the idea to play "car crusher" with my Dad's bench vice. It was fun to watch the windows pop out and watch them crush like the big machines at the salvage yard.

What an idiot...

[Nova Jed]

To this day, it's talked about at holidays of Jed's death stump. That's where I smashed all of the Matchbox cars I could find with a rock hammer. LOL

[COPO 70 RS/Z28]

How bout the "Wrist Rocket"

Major slingshot

could buy it at the 5 & Dime didnt even need a parent with you

[Dave Rifkin]

This is a very interesting post; I too remember most of the things you guys are mentioning. It worries me that the majority of kids these days can't even figure out how much change to give you at the register unless the register calculates it for them.
They seem to have no imagination and need video games to provide entertainment. When I was a kid I was more than content with a yellow Tonka dump truck, a "real" GI Joe, not some miniature thing they pass off as a GI Joe these days, or some Hot Wheels and I could entertain myself for hours.
I am glad I grew up when I did; I cherish the memories of being outside with my friends doing whatever all day. I never had to concern myself with my diet because I would burn whatever I ate off running around all day. Kids these days wouldn't last an hour with me and my friends back then; they'd be hunched over gasping for breath.

Maybe I'm jusy getting too old but, I think we grew up in a great time and I wouldn't change a thing.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot the great memories I have of seeing the musclecars roaming the streets, doing burnouts and even riding in my Dad's Shelby while we got involved in some street races.

[P.J.]

are we better off today??
PJ

[427.060]

Don't forget about the bb gun fights. My brother still has a scar between his eyes from a bb.
James