Full Service Traditional Cache

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RayQix: Time to put this one to bed

Drake.64 is last to find and space is clear

Thanks for all the finds.... happy caching

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Hidden : 10/2/2012
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1.5 out of 5

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:



1950's Mobil Service Station

Most neighborhood gas stations nowadays are places where you fill up your tank, buy a candy bar or Lotto ticket and then go on your way. At one time, gas stations were much, much more.

The gas station of yesteryear puts today's modern filling facilities to shame. It's insulting that we must pay much more for a gallon for gas, often pump it ourselves, and not get any kind of reward or thanks for our patronage.
As a kid, it was almost fun watching your parents get gas. It was an adventure and was certainly an opportunity get pampered. The family member used to pull into the gas station and the attendant would greet them by name, fill the car, wipe the windshield, check the tire pressures, and check under the hood.

If the kids were good, some days the friendly gas station attendant would allow them to pump the gas. He would hand them the silver nozzle and tell me to pull the trigger. As a small child, this is what memories were made of and would get rewarded after: a toy, a prize, or even sometimes just a chance to do it again.

1955 Hill Valley, CA Texaco Filling Station
(Image from the 1985 movie "Back to the Future")

Plus ... who can forget the soda machine that had bottled soda and for a quarter you could get a Coke or a Bubble Up and just for a few extra cents you a great piece of candy at the candy counter. Gas stations, as a kid, was a magical adventure.

The oil crisis of the 1970s marked the beginning of the end for the full service station. Oil companies figured that customers wanted to pump their own gas in exchange for saving a few pennies. Pretty soon, the attendants were no longer needed. Also, the process of getting gas at a full service station took about 10-15 minutes: Checking the tires, the oil, even the battery, belts and everything else, took time. What most people recall is that they did it with a smile as well. The gas station attendant seemed to take pride in their work. They enjoyed working with people and greeting them.

An Esso station attendant, 1940's-50's

It was a piece of American culture and some stations even had little inexpensive company-branded toys you could get with a fill up. These things today are sadly considered too long in today's high paced, impatient world.
Nowadays in Oregon and New Jersey, you are not allowed to pump your own gas and someone does it for you, however, you do not get that service with a smile as you once did.

The Minute Service Station in Washington, DC circa 1925.

Most people that recall those times never thought they'd ever see these gas attendants go, but they sure did and are now a thing of the past. Other personal-service positions are now being eliminated nowadays and there may be a time that folks could say things like “do you remember bank clerks?”

The station nearby is a quaint little piece of Americana that is becoming more and more scarce as time goes by.
Hope you enjoy the find as much as i enjoyed the hide.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Thneqrq

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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