Older Adults Are Revealing The "Would Never Happen Again" Experiences From The Past, And As A Gen Z'er, I Need Someone To Confirm These Are Real

Recently, the older adults of the BuzzFeed Community shared with us the unique but common experiences from "back in the day" that would have younger shocked, fascinated — or a mixture of both. Here are some of the responses and stories that, depending on your age, will have you swimming in nostalgia or opening your jaw in surprise:

1."In-flight meals in coach during the mid-'70s didn't cost extra, and they were delicious! A full meal consisted of a salad, meat, a side, dessert, and a beverage. We were given real cutlery, including a steak knife! Depending on the length of the flight, two meals were often served."

2."Someone had mentioned the milk truck. While that made me smile, it brought up the memory of the Charles Chips truck. We always got excited when we got to open the huge tin of Charles Chips. Man, those things were great!"

—Jim, 60, Tennessee

3."Kids were outdoors most of the time. The creativity to create our own games is a lost art."

4."During the early '50s, I was in first grade, and the boys played on one side of the school during recess while the girls played on the opposite."

—Alwynne

5."The '70s gas shortage, when you could only get gas based on your license plate number on certain days. My ex and I had two vehicles — a van and a sedan — with odd-numbered license plates. We would park both at the gas pumps at night, sleep in the van, and get up before the station opened. We'd fill the cars, go home, then get dressed for work."

6."In high school gym class, we had an indoor swimming pool, and all the boys had to swim nude. This was the norm in the '70s."

—Chuck, 72, Illinois

7."Back in the '70s, we wore suits and dress shoes to church. Now, I see people wearing shorts and sandals."

8."I remember collecting S&H Green Stamps and pasting them in a book. Once or twice a year, we'd trade the stamps in for a new toaster or mixer."

—odaydaniel

9."I lived in Florida in the '60s in the summer, and there would be mosquito trucks that sprayed up and down residential streets. As kids, we'd jump on our bikes and ride behind the truck, inhaling the fumes. No one ever warned us or told us to stop!"

10."Growing up in Oakland in the '60s and '70s, we kids rode our bikes all day. The only rule was to be home when the streetlights came on. We always felt safe outside."

—Zee, 66, California

11."There was no AC. Windows were left down in cars, and houses used fans. The first home AC unit was mounted in a window and was super loud."

12."The rag man! My mom would save any old textiles, and a man with a donkey cart would come around to collect them. He had a long willow pole with a bell on it, and we'd run to him with our textiles. He'd offer a very small amount of change, but Mom told us not to take any money for it. This was in a city near Boston in the 1960s."

—delicioustraveler194

13."I recall a knife-sharpening man in a van who would come through the neighborhood and sharpen knives. My mom would gather her kitchen knives used for carving, slicing, daily cutting, and prepping, and meet the van at the curb to sharpen them on the spot."

14."Pet rocks — everybody had one! It came in a paper box with a loop handle so you could carry it around. That's where you left it until you took it out to play with it. Each one was $5."

—Anne Marie, 71, New York

15."I went to high school in the '70s. Our school had a smoking section where we could grab a smoke between classes. On the weekends, at 14 years old, I would go to the racetrack with my friends and bet on the horses. No one ever asked for our IDs or refused to take our money!"

16."I remember being a child in the '70s and my parents handing me a note and some money to get cigarettes for them at the local shop. That would NEVER happen now!"

—magicalsmoothie67

17."Cars didn't have seatbelts, especially in the back seats. I would often stretch out in the backseat and take a nap while my mom drove. If you had a station wagon, the kids piled up in the very back so that they didn't bother the driver."

18.Lastly: "As a kid in the '60s, I remember spending Saturday afternoons at the movies. Admission was 35 cents, and I'd get to watch a double feature, a serial episode, and a couple of cartoons. Candy bars were 10 cents."

—Brian, 73, Colorado

Personally, I would love the knife-sharpening man to come back because my kitchen knives are currently super dull. If you're an older adult, what is a common, everyday experience from "back in the day" that would surprise younger folks today? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using this form!

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.