Lisa O
The 1970s had a distinct way of doing things that would look quite unusual today. Many things that seemed perfectly fine back then would likely raise eyebrows now. Some of it was about safety. Some things were just the way life was before everything got complicated. It’s interesting to look back and see how much has shifted in a few decades.
Smoking anywhere you wanted.
People smoked in restaurants while they ate dinner. They smoked in offices at their desks. Aeroplanes had smoking sections that were essentially a few rows behind the rest of the passengers. The smell stuck to everything. Nobody thought twice about lighting up in a grocery store or a hospital waiting room. Ashtrays were on every table and counter. It was just part of the scenery back then.
Kids roaming the neighborhood alone.
You’d leave the house after breakfast, and your parents wouldn’t see you until the streetlights came on. Nobody checked in. There were no phones to call. You just rode your bike around and showed up at friends’ houses. Sometimes you’d walk to the store by yourself when you were eight. Parents didn’t worry the same way. It was expected that kids would figure things out on their own.
Cars without seatbelts in the back.
Seatbelts were in the front seats, but most people didn’t use them. The back seat didn’t always have them at all. Kids would pile into station wagons and sit on the floor or stand up while the car was moving. Long trips meant lying down in the back with a pillow. Nobody thought about what would happen in an accident. It just wasn’t something people focused on.
Hitchhiking as normal transportation.
People stood on the side of the road with their thumbs out, and strangers picked them up. It wasn’t considered dangerous. College students hitchhiked cross-country. Adults did it when their car broke down. You’d see someone walking with a backpack, and you’d pull over. The idea of trusting a random person with a ride just seemed fine. That trust is hard to imagine now.
Party lines for home phones.
Your phone line was shared with another household. You’d pick up the phone to make a call and hear your neighbour already talking. You had to wait for your turn. Sometimes people would listen in on conversations. It was annoying, but that’s just how phone service worked in many places. Privacy wasn’t really part of the deal. Everyone accepted it as normal.
Only three or four TV channels.
You had ABC, NBC, CBS, and maybe PBS if you were lucky. That was it. If there was nothing good on, then you just did something else. Families would gather around to watch the same show because everyone was watching the same thing. There was no remote most of the time. You got up and turned the dial. The national anthem would play late at night, and then the screen went to static.
Riding bikes without helmets.
Nobody wore helmets. Kids would ride bikes all day and never think about protecting their heads. Parents didn’t buy helmets because stores didn’t really sell them. You’d crash and scrape your knees, but you’d get back on. Head injuries weren’t talked about the way they are now. The concept of bike safety gear wasn’t on anyone’s radar.
Drinking water from the garden hose.
When you were thirsty outside, you’d just grab the hose. The water tasted like rubber and metal, but it was safe to drink. Nobody worried about what was in the water or the hose itself. It was hot outside, and the hose was conveniently located nearby. You’d spray your face and drink from it simultaneously. Going inside for a glass of water seemed like too much effort.
Wood paneling on every wall.
Many houses had dark wood panels covering their living room walls. It made rooms feel smaller and darker. People thought it looked nice and modern. Some of it was real wood, but a lot was that fake stuff that peeled at the corners. The whole house would have this brown, dim feeling. Everyone had it, so nobody questioned it.
Shag carpet everywhere.
Thick shag carpeting was in every room, including the bathroom. It was usually orange, brown, or some deep green colour. Stuff would get lost in it, and you’d never find it again. Vacuuming took forever because the vacuum would get stuck. It held onto smells and stains, but people loved it anyway. The whole idea was that it felt luxurious underfoot.
No car seats for babies.
Parents would hold babies in their laps in the front seat while driving. Toddlers would stand on the bench seat between mom and dad. Nobody had car seats or even thought they were necessary. Babies would sleep in baskets on the floor of the car. It seems unbelievable now, but it was just normal. The concept of child safety in crashes didn’t exist yet.
Rotary phones that took forever.
Dialling a phone number meant sticking your finger in those little holes and spinning the dial all the way around. Each number took a few seconds. Long distance was the worst because you had to get through a string of digits. Mess up on the last one, and you start from scratch. The cord kept you stuck in one spot. You’d end up sitting on the kitchen floor, leaning against the cabinet.
Lead paint in every house.
Every house had lead paint. The walls had it. Window sills had it. Nobody realized what it was doing. Little kids would pick at the chips and put them in their mouths. Older homes were just coated in the stuff. When people renovated, they’d sand it down and breathe in all that dust. It took years before anyone figured out the problem. Everyone just went about their lives.
Asbestos insulation in buildings.
Schools and houses had asbestos wrapped around pipes and in ceiling tiles. It was considered a great insulator and fire retardant. Nobody wore masks when working with it. The fibres would float through the air. People breathed it in for years without knowing. It was in everything from hair dryers to oven mitts. The consequences showed up decades later.
No sunscreen at the pool.
The whole point of summer was getting as dark as you could. Baby oil mixed with iodine was what people slathered on. Sunscreen was available, but nobody bothered to use it. People would spend all day at the pool and return home looking like lobsters. Skin cancer wasn’t something anyone mentioned. People actually compared tans to see who got the best color. Being pale meant you weren’t doing summer right.