That it should happen in our lifetimes

[rolanni]

Steve and I were talking last evening about the jobs that had existed during our lifetimes which exist no more. Here's a partial list, in no particular order:

1. Lamplighter
2. Ice man
3. Pin boy
4. Ayrab
5. Tinker
6. Insurance man*
7. Milk man
8. Secretary**
9. Street sweeper
10. Beat cop

What occupations and jobs have vanished from the world around you?

_________________
* Back in the Day, the insurance man would come to the house weekly, and collect his quarter or half-dollar. Yes, was the legitimate insurance man.

**Actually, secretary seemed to almost die out as a job,the reasoning being that the boss could type his own dern letters if only he was given a computer. Then corporate thinking came back around to the realization that the status of having a live person to do all that silly paperwork for you was priceless, so the occupation has enjoyed a minor renaissance.

Comments

[scarlettina.livejournal.com]

6_penny got to the scissors grinder right before I was about to post about the knife sharpening man who used to drive his truck around my neighborhood on Long Island, ringing his bell. Even then, my mom said such businessmen were disappearing.

I think, also, the local candy man is disappearing. When I was a kid, we used to go to this little mom-and-pop candy shop called "Dibs" where you could get candy, comic books, cigarettes, that sort of thing. You don't see places like that anymore. I think they even had a soda counter. These days, the equivalent, I think, is 7-11 and other convenience stores like that. Gone are the days.

[readinggeek451]

I'm on Long Island, and I actually saw a knife sharpening van drive by one day a few months ago! It was a shock; I'd never seen one before.

Shoe repair guy is a dying breed.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

We don't have a candy-man, but we do have an ice cream truck that still comes by every week. You can hear the music playing from quite a distance. And it's still played on a... mmm. I've forgotten the name of the instrument. -_-

[(Anonymous)]

a calliope

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

I happened to drive through the town where I grew up a few days ago and while I was going by, I looked to see which businesses that I recognized were still there. One of the three that I spotted was Burdicks News Agancy, the place we went for candy, magazines, comics, etc. It still looked the same, although I didn't stop to see what was inside. (A furniture store and the florist were the other two that I recognized from 30-odd years ago.)