What the hell happened?

i guess i am old. i remember those days when i ran to the pumps and did everything that we thought the customer wanted. we provided a service with a smile, and were happy to do it. and gas was only 16 cents a gallon. my wage at that time was $1.05 hour and we worked hard for it.

Here's an answer from someone who actually lives here: Detroit has been subject to many hardships such as the systematic brutalization of blacks by police in the 1940s by STRESS a task force which were a significant part of the work force during a time of "industry" so we fell behind national averages. Then the great "white flight" of the 1950s saw many whites leaving due to the large numbers of blacks and polish immigrants (polish people were discriminated heavily in the U.S. once upon a time) Then came the destruction of much of downtown with the race riots of the 1960s. The 1970-80s saw the mismanagement of the city by new officials. It was bound to happen when 85% of political offices saw a turnover at once so basically anyone they could find was put into power. That low bar exists today. The 1990s saw the greatest mismanagement by a Board of Education that I've ever heard of resulting in educational inequalities to mirror the financial crisis set in motion by the riots. In the following decade, the BIG 3 had seen better days and required a bailout (not Ford) which further impoverished communities. Also, there was a significant flight from the city of those that did go to college; a brain-drain took place that's comparable to say doctors fleeing some parts of India for better prospects. While the events of the 90s resulted in HS graduation rates of under 50% That being said, I still believe in my city. There have been some considerable improvements, particularly downtown, and we remain a culturally rich and historically significant city. If some of the other commenters (that have probably never been, but may have seen 8 Mile) think my city is run-down or beyond saving that's their business, I'd probably say the same of their mom.

i remember those days ,me and my father had a shell service station then and that was when service meant something,now the station we had is a beer store,there are no good service stations any more,their all gone and the ones that are left barely put gas in,let lone check anything else,times have changed,and not for the better,i remember buying gas for 21 cents a gallon in a 66 mustang,we wont be doing that any more either,but at least we can remember when it happened,and what it was like ,nice to have good memory's,good luck.

I only remember them pumping gas for my car. I remember being in a car with my father since the early 70's and even then they never checked our oil and tire pressure.

So for that I gladly gave up "full service" for few extra sense.

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Besides I don't trust the "techs" enough when they say my car is good enough or bad enough. I rather do that myself. For all I know they are lifting the hood and checking their finger nails.

Good Luck.

P.S. But I do remember getting dressed up to ride in an air plane.

yes I remember those days, when I started driving gas was 29 cents a gallon and high test was 34 cents, I guess when service stations started to go to self service that was the beginning of what we have going on today in the labor market of cutting jobs to make more profit, who would have ever thunk!

The consumers were willing to pump their own gas and save a few pennies-THAT was the start of the end of the neighborhood full service station.

I rember those days now it all seems like a dream because of poor leadership.

Sure I remember those ---- In my city there are actualy a couple of stations that still do this....

I use to be one of those people I had to run back & forth & say thank you.