I
believe we have lost a significant part of our history when the two-bay
service stations across our country started closing. Like a town
losing its school, the local "gas station" defined much of the town's
character.
Progress
hasn't always been progressive, for sure. I remember the twirling ball on
the old pumps and the ding-ding of each gallon as gasoline was being put
in. The old crank bulk oil tanks of earlier days along with their one gallon
and two gallon metal oil cans with a spout was the cheapest way of getting
your oil.
Even
earlier were the glass oil bottles. Remember the grease
pit...that dark and dirty hole in the floor that one had to go down into to
change the oil of a car or pick up truck? It was impossible to come up
out of there without being equally dirty.
I
remember the sights and smells as if they were yesterday.
Visions
of my own Texaco Station fill my head whenever I smell "Go-Jo".
I
remember the late nights fixing tires that had the pesky leaks that were
hard to find.
I
remember the girls coming in to visit, and the young Illinois State trooper
(like Jerry Corcoran in Gus Wilson's Model Garage) that would stop in with
his personal car, a black 1966 Pontiac Bonneville with tri-power and a
continental kit.
I can
remember the scare I had when I was washing the new model Buicks from the
local dealership that would bring them to our station for clean-up. The hose
spray loosened the chrome on the grill and it flaked off. Thank goodness for
warranties.
I
remember the chilled Cokes that came up out of the old Coca Cola chest
coolers that had slots in them that suspended the bottles.
I cannot
forget the real tutorial I received in service when I would check the oil,
water and air and then finish off the job by cleaning the windshields. I
even still wear a plaid Mackinaw just like old Gus did in the Model Garage
series.
I return
often to the old station in my mind. It will always be the high-water mark
of my life's work experiences.
What a
shame that the young people of today won't have the experience of working
down at the old corner service station.
Those were the days!!
Dave Mantor
Fairmount, Indiana
