Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

[12vMan]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

I worked in a gas station in high school, graduated in 1975. No such thing as self service, we waited on everyone. Some of the girls in short skirts got their windshields cleaned by 3 or 4 different people. Gas was .30 - .33 cents/gallon, minimum wage was $1.80.

Now gas is $3 a gallon, min wage is $7.25. Can't be much fun for kids just entering the job market.

Same story...graduated in '75 and worked in a gas station. I remember the odd-even days of the shortages in the early 70's here, then the increase, then back down to around to .75 per gallon for a while. Now I'm at around .25 per mile

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

I am more Gen X..
But my Pops told me the story of my Grandfather almost getting into a fistfight at a gas station way out in the San Bernadino boonies area of So Cal, because 0.7 cents a gallon was and I quote "Highway Robbery"

I do remember my Pops giving me a quater to walk to the gas station to fill up the gas can for the lawn mower. That was probably about 1976 or 77...


And yes JB, corporate mileage is 55.5 cents a mile. I have had some 800.00 mileage reimbursements, but it's cheaper for the company if I rent a car usually.

 

[jollymon]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

I remember in working at a shell station when gas first broke the $1.00 mark. The pumps in our station could be set to more then 99.9 cents a gallon, so they had to change the pricing to liters. I can not tell you the number of people that would come in and say I want 10 gallons of gas, just to be a jerk, because the were pissed off at the price of gas. Like me the teenager that had to do the calculations had anythiong to do with the price!

Times have changed, I know the pumps now will not have a probelm charging 10.00 dollars or more per gallon.

 

[eastont]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

When I got my licence at 16 and bought my first car.....a 1956 Ford Custom with a 312 V8. I'd go to the Supertest Gas Station around the corner and get $1 worth, and that would last for a couple of days. I think it was about 20 cents per gallon then. And later on when I could fill it up on pay day, I think it was about $10.
Now I have a 1967 Ford Galaxie and to fill it costs over $100. Still love the old big cars and the back seats. I couldn't imagine going to a drive-in or just "parking" in a Honda Civic.

 

[nlain]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

I remember seeing $.11 per gallon, when I started driving it was $.19 per gallon, I was extremely upset when it jumped to $.35 when the first so called gas shortage came, then $.65 when the second so called shortage came. Now like others if I can get below $3.00 I think it is great. I was a smoker when I started driving, cigs were $.25 a pack, I was looking at prices the other day of $4 + per pack. Another reason I am glad I quit.

 

[Rocky_Road]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

In the early '70's, I worked at Chuck's Gulf in Miami. Gas around then was in the low .30's.

Chuck would look out the window at the Cities Service station across the street, and see that their gas was 1 penny less...and tell us to go change our street sign to a cent less than theirs. This would go on for the entire day....

Full service (oil, tires, windows, radiator)...the only thing that we didn't do was a paint job! I'll never forget the old lady that insisted that I check the radiator on a blazing day: even though I knew what was to follow, as soon as I cracked the cap, I got scalded with boiling water.

My first really new car was a 1971 Mercury Capri, and I would fill the tank with hi-test for under $5.

I wish that I had a time-machine...!

Happy boating!

 

[KDAVID1]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

I'm 40 and started driving at 15--paid .75 a gallon. Heck I spend 300 or so a month now. I hate it.
I'm glad I don't have my Tahoe or Bronco anymore--I'd be spending 1000 bucks a month

 

[DJ]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

It's still cheaper than brand name bottled water!

 

[dingbat]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

When I first started driving the gas to hourly income ratio was ~5.7:1. Today, the price to hourly income ratio is ~10:1.
Seems it's gotten cheaper over time.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Gas prices when boomers were teenagers

When I first started driving the gas to hourly income ratio was ~5.7:1. Today, the price to hourly income ratio is ~10:1.
Seems it's gotten cheaper over time.

I tried to post that the other day, but the server was busy.

In the early 80's, I earned $3.35 per hour and gas was approximately .85 per gallon. That equaled almost 40% of my hourly pay.

Last year, I earned $32.00 per hour and gas was approximately $3.25 per gallon, or approximately 10% of my hourly pay. If I took a pay cut and earned $13.00 per hour, I would be in the same position I was at 17. Of course, when I was 17 I didn't have a mortgage, car payment, electricity, cable, water, blah-blah-blah...