It does seem like a lot at first glance... But maybe not that many, for two shifts, so they can be open from 6 am to 10pm. I count the owner's family (3), four attendants (two per shift), and two mechanics (one per shift? I can't see how many stalls the garage has.) But compared to today, where there is no "service" at the gas station, and typically only one staff person per shift, yes, that's a lot of labor. Modern travel centers on major highways and busy intersections today are a different thing altogether, with many more pumps, food, beverage, perhaps a fast-food franchise, merchandise, etc.
I am old enough to remember when they had the little company caps attendants would wear. Neat, clean uniforms. It was that way. Then in the early 1970s, the Feds stepped in and it all changed. Very, VERY few people seem to know this- Up until that time, the oil companies owned ALL of the pumping system, from AST/UST to the nozzle. It did not matter if your station was leased from the company, or owned by you. They maintained it, repaired it (promptly!), all costs. Supplied the retailers with no cost replacement hoses, nozzles, etc. At the end of the month, they sent the retailer a check for their profit on the sales. Then it suddenly changed. The oil company could no longer own the system. The station had to buy it from them. Many could not afford it, and this is when the numbers of corner gas stations began to plummet. They could no longer afford to have someone on payroll to pump your gas, wash your windows, etc. Coupled to ever increasing regulation, which skyrocketed insurance and OTHER costs... You come to the now, and again, most people do not understand any of this- and a lack of competition, so the day of the gas war is gone, along with the proud people who once stood in these photos.
They sure do. Standing straight and tall, proud of their jobs. And count that general values among people have changed a lot, not necessarily for the better. Work ethics have been a major casualty. Before, people took a job and were faithful to the company until they retired or keeled over. I'm one of those. I've worked for 26 years now for the same employer. I could have jumped over to some other company whose grass is greener years ago, like many of my past co-workers. But I've heard so many stories of why the grass is greener over there - loads of fertilizer, to be polite, to step in. When I hear that, I count my blessings and hang on. It may not be paradise where I am now, but in the real world, we make our own paradise. I have constant challenges to my brain, my intellect, and that keeps my brain sharp and my soul happy. Hope y'all have spent a very Merry Christmas, with your families and friends.
Not a gas station but... Found on FB The automated drive-in delivery metal track at "The Track" fast food restaurant in Los Angeles, California, 1949. A futuristic glimpse into mid-century dining, where food was delivered directly to cars, blending innovation with the classic American drive-in experience.
Now they want to deliver food with drones... Call it "The Runway"?? I want my delivery method to wear roller skates and a nice smile.
They still do that at a drive-in near here. Okay, not all the servers do the roller skate (some do) but they do still insist on serving you at your car.
Not a gas station but really neat... One of a few duplex double decker buses in the American Greyhound fleet during early 1930s. These buses would have been assigned to the overnight 450-mile San Francisco - Los Angeles service. Driver upstairs, left side.
Yup. Back in the day, designers were imaginative, innovative, and usually created something different every time, save for some small detail that was their signature. Now they design things that resemble each other, except for a small detail that the customer wants. The sameness is their signature. Whoever designed that bus has plenty of imagination and originality.
The "Frank Lloyd Wright" service station is an interesting one, historically and architecturally. It's the Lindholm Service Station, at the corner of Cloquet Avenue and Route 33, in Cloquet, Minnesota, of all places, built in 1956. Cloquet is just west of Duluth. That windowed second story is a customer waiting room. Go take a look in Street View. It's still there, almost as built, serving gas and doing what garages do since it was built. Including the LP gas tank with the rocket fins... Now how cool is that?
I have been to hamburger drive-in's all over the United States, but never saw one like this. This is really a neat way to deliver food to your car.....but wouldn't work out these days....too many people would be driving into the tracks and canopies. Heck, they drive into houses and buildings now!
