Remember When
September 18th, 2021 at 10:33:54 AM
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My parents were big on charge cards that you paid off every month but didn't believe in credit cards. My Dad believed a man should owe the bank for his mortgage and nothing else. We had a credit account at the corner deli in case my mom sent us for milk or something we ran out of, but it was paid in full every Friday.
I don't believe my mom got her first credit card until the early to mid-1980s. Back then you could write off credit card interest and I remember her friend saying how they had saved hundreds in taxes by deducting the interest and my mom saying they could have saved more by simply not paying interest.
I don't believe my mom got her first credit card until the early to mid-1980s. Back then you could write off credit card interest and I remember her friend saying how they had saved hundreds in taxes by deducting the interest and my mom saying they could have saved more by simply not paying interest.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 12:46:39 PM
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Quote: billryanMy parents were big on charge cards that you paid off every month but didn't believe in credit cards. ]
My wife is fanatical about paying off her credit card balances every month. Her credit rating is the best you can get whatever that is now she can't get a better one. She used to have credit lines on her cards that were unreal. $30,000 to $50,000 but that all went away after 2008 and the big crash. They immediately cut her credit lines down to under $5,000 and she was pissed. Even though she never used them she took it as a personal insult. I don't think my wife is capable of carrying a balance on a credit card, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night. A few years ago she had to get qualified for something and the guy doing it did a double-take on her credit number. He said he'd never seen one that high. My wife still talks about it it was like a highlight of her life.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 18th, 2021 at 12:53:17 PM
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Quote: EvenBobPocket protectors were no joke, up until the early 60s we used fountain pens that needed to be refilled with real ink. When I was in grade school we didn't have ballpoint pens yet and fountain pens were a giant pain in the butt and they leaked all the time. Right around 1960 or 61 Bic put out a really cheap ballpoint pen and everybody had one. They were like ten pens for $0.39. They still make them and they look exactly the same and sell millions of them a year.
I remember seeing the inkwell holes in school desks even though we didn't use them. In fact, I bet most schools kept using them for years until the desks wore out.
Sanitized for Your Protection
September 18th, 2021 at 1:25:27 PM
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I had a few classrooms that had them. Those desks were indestructible.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 1:28:46 PM
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Quote: EvenBobMy wife is fanatical about paying off her credit card balances every month. Her credit rating is the best you can get whatever that is now she can't get a better one. She used to have credit lines on her cards that were unreal. $30,000 to $50,000 but that all went away after 2008 and the big crash. They immediately cut her credit lines down to under $5,000 and she was pissed. Even though she never used them she took it as a personal insult. I don't think my wife is capable of carrying a balance on a credit card, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night. A few years ago she had to get qualified for something and the guy doing it did a double-take on her credit number. He said he'd never seen one that high. My wife still talks about it it was like a highlight of her life.
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So she actually has a score that she is privy to alone?
Only her?
Wow! Impressive.
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September 18th, 2021 at 2:04:20 PM
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Millions of people have a perfect score of 850. A lot of people consider 810 to be perfect because the difference in your creditworthiness is so small. Since 810 will qualify you for the lowest rates in 99.9% of the cases, 810 is the score you should really work towards. After that, it is adding cherries to the top of the cherries. Tens of millions of people have scores of 810 or more.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 2:09:54 PM
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I just celebrated my 1st Anniversary with a new card. They rewarded me by jumping my credit limit from $3,000 to $13,000. When I called to tell them I didn't want the increase, they seemed surprised. It was as if I was turning down free money.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 2:55:04 PM
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Quote: EvenBobMy wife is fanatical about paying off her credit card balances every month. Her credit rating is the best you can get whatever that is now she can't get a better one. She used to have credit lines on her cards that were unreal. $30,000 to $50,000 but that all went away after 2008 and the big crash. They immediately cut her credit lines down to under $5,000 and she was pissed. Even though she never used them she took it as a personal insult. I don't think my wife is capable of carrying a balance on a credit card, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night. A few years ago she had to get qualified for something and the guy doing it did a double-take on her credit number. He said he'd never seen one that high. My wife still talks about it it was like a highlight of her life.
link to original post
At one point in my life I signed up for every credit card that gave something away without an annual fee. I still have most of the cards in my safe and 99% went unused. At one point I had over $500,000 in credit available on those cards. I only have about 10 active cards today but mainly just use my Amex.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
September 18th, 2021 at 4:20:03 PM
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Quote: Marcusclark66
So she actually has a score that she is privy to alone?
What are you talking about. Nobody has private scores.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 18th, 2021 at 4:27:06 PM
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Quote: billryanMillions of people have a perfect score of 850.
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"Credit scoring company FICO says about 1% of its scores reach 850. VantageScore spokesman Jeff Richardson says fewer than 1% of its credit scores are perfect"
190 million Americans have credit cards. 1% of that would be 1.9 million. This will make my wife very happy that she's in the 1%. And the rest of us are not.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 18th, 2021 at 4:54:19 PM
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I've read around three million have perfect scores but all that says to me is they charge a lot. A great deal of people don't use credit and have no score.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 5:07:32 PM
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Quote: billryanI've read around three million have perfect scores but all that says to me is they charge a lot. A great deal of people don't use credit and have no score.
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If you are one of the two million in 190 million that have a perfect score you're in a pretty unique club.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 18th, 2021 at 5:16:13 PM
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It's not a club I have any interest in. I'm a cash person, or use a card and pay it off before the bill is due. I've never worshiped at Fair Issacs alter.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 18th, 2021 at 7:10:28 PM
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Quote: EvenBob
If you are one of the two million in 190 million that have a perfect score you're in a pretty unique club.]
I suspect there are far more women who have perfect scores than men. I noticed most credit card commercials are aimed at women. Women tend to be far more anal retentive about this kind of thing than men are. For instance I read single men between the ages of 19 and 45 change the sheets on their bed about three times a year. Whereas a single woman changes them twice a month. Women love to do things by the book and if there's a best score you can get on something that's what they want. My wife was valedictorian of her high school class, she had the best grades of anybody. She could not stand it if she didn't get an A in every class. Same thing with the credit score.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 18th, 2021 at 7:54:34 PM
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Banks don't want people who pay the credit cards in full each month. They want people who will max out their cards and will make minimum payments for the next 120 months.
Then when they pay on time for a few months, they reward them by increasing their credit lines.
Then when they pay on time for a few months, they reward them by increasing their credit lines.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 19th, 2021 at 4:42:49 AM
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Quote: billryanMillions of people have a perfect score of 850. A lot of people consider 810 to be perfect because the difference in your creditworthiness is so small. Since 810 will qualify you for the lowest rates in 99.9% of the cases, 810 is the score you should really work towards. After that, it is adding cherries to the top of the cherries. Tens of millions of people have scores of 810 or more.
link to original post
The higher you get the harder it is to go higher. IOW, 700 to 710 is way easier than 800 to 810. In the 2000s they changed the algorithm now it is easier to get over 800. Before 2005 I only saw above 800 a couple times a year. After it was more common.
We were talking at the office once and a woman mentioned some guy she had started dating gave her his card to pick something or other up.
"His card was weird. It was AMEX but it was black and made of metal not plastic."
She had no idea. Then I explained it. She either didn't believe me or didn't care.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 19th, 2021 at 10:25:05 AM
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Quote: AZDuffmanlink to original post
She had no idea. Then I explained it. She either didn't believe me or didn't care.
Jerry Seinfeld claims he's the one that came up with the idea for the black card. He says it was an off-the-cuff idea but it got back to the president of Amex and he called Seinfeld and Jerry got the very first black card. No limit, he can buy a Ferrari and a two million-dollar New York apartment with it he wanted to.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 19th, 2021 at 1:41:26 PM
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Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanlink to original post
She had no idea. Then I explained it. She either didn't believe me or didn't care.
Jerry Seinfeld claims he's the one that came up with the idea for the black card. He says it was an off-the-cuff idea but it got back to the president of Amex and he called Seinfeld and Jerry got the very first black card. No limit, he can buy a Ferrari and a two million-dollar New York apartment with it he wanted to.link to original post
That is nonsense. The "Black Card" was an urban legend in the 1990s. AMEX got so tired of saying it did not exist that they made it exist and it is IIRC $5000 annual fee to have it. High spenders only. Invitation only.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 22nd, 2021 at 10:51:01 AM
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Quote:At one time, there were 40 Horn & Hardart automats in New York City alone. The last one closed in 1991. Horn and Hardart converted most of its New York City locations to Burger King.
September 22nd, 2021 at 10:56:02 AM
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Going to the automat was huge.
Along the same theme, there were machines at the 1964/64 Worlds Fair where you paid for your food to a person, who punched a few buttons are your change mysteriously appeared in a tray. It was magical, especially for a six-year-old. Looking back, have no idea why it did what it did, but it was amazing.
Along the same theme, there were machines at the 1964/64 Worlds Fair where you paid for your food to a person, who punched a few buttons are your change mysteriously appeared in a tray. It was magical, especially for a six-year-old. Looking back, have no idea why it did what it did, but it was amazing.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 10:57:39 AM
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Quote: billryanGoing to the automat was huge.
link to original post
Along the same theme, there were machines at the 1964/64 Worlds Fair where you paid for your food to a person, who punched a few buttons are your change mysteriously appeared in a tray. It was magical, especially for a six-year-old. Looking back, have no idea why it did what it did, but it was amazing.
I am sad to say that I never made it to an Automat. Looks like my kind of place.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
September 22nd, 2021 at 11:42:55 AM
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It's been brought back a few times but it wasn't the same.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 11:48:52 AM
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It's been brought back a few times but it wasn't the same.
I was more of a Nedicks fan, myself. They had the best orange soda and squared-off hot dog buns that were unique to them. I wrote a paper in second grade about what I wanted to do when I grew up and I said I wanted to work the counter at Nedicks. My teacher somehow had never heard of Nedicks and sent the paper home to my Mom.
I was more of a Nedicks fan, myself. They had the best orange soda and squared-off hot dog buns that were unique to them. I wrote a paper in second grade about what I wanted to do when I grew up and I said I wanted to work the counter at Nedicks. My teacher somehow had never heard of Nedicks and sent the paper home to my Mom.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:19:11 PM
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Quote: DRichlink to original post
I am sad to say that I never made it to an Automat. Looks like my kind of place.
There is a YT video of a sort of one in Japan. Not even manned. And immaculate. In the USA such a place would be trashed and filled with vagrants in 2 hours.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:28:38 PM
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Quite a few starving ' "artsts" made do with a nickel bowl of hot water and some ketchup, aka instant tomato soup.
I tried that recipe once on an ROTC Field Excercise. Unlike Ranger Pudding, I never tried it again.
I tried that recipe once on an ROTC Field Excercise. Unlike Ranger Pudding, I never tried it again.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:33:28 PM
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Quote: AZDuffmanlink to original post
That is nonsense. The "Black Card" was an urban legend in the 1990s. .
Seinfeld talks about it in one of his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee videos. I think he's buying a rug and the salesperson remarks on how much it card weighs and Jerry tells the story of how he got the first black AMEX card.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:41:12 PM
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Well, since he said it on the internet, it must be true, right? The black card website says that it was a pilot program in the 80s that was discontinued in 1988, the year Seinfeld debuted to very mediocre ratings.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:46:25 PM
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Quote: billryanQuite a few starving ' "artsts" made do with a nickel bowl of hot water and some ketchup, aka instant tomato soup.
link to original post
I tried that recipe once on an ROTC Field Excercise. Unlike Ranger Pudding, I never tried it again.
In college I ate Baco soup, Just heat some water and a a few Baco's (artificial bacon bits) and stir. You get a slightly salty water with a hint of bacon smell.
At my age, a "Life In Prison" sentence is not much of a deterrent.
September 22nd, 2021 at 12:50:56 PM
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If you ever find yourself homeless, come to Bisbee. Six days a week, the various restaurants and eateries contribute food to a noon time meal where residents mix with the indigent for a fine repast.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:03:29 PM
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Quote: EvenBobQuote: AZDuffmanlink to original post
That is nonsense. The "Black Card" was an urban legend in the 1990s. .
Seinfeld talks about it in one of his Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee videos. I think he's buying a rug and the salesperson remarks on how much it card weighs and Jerry tells the story of how he got the first black AMEX card.link to original post
He can claim whatever he wants. It was an urban legend for years so AMEX made it.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:11:16 PM
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Quote: billryanWell, since he said it on the internet, it must be true, right?
Here's what Seinfeld said on his show.
“I was waiting for [the crew] to move some cameras, and the crew guy comes up me, he says, ‘You got the Black Card?’ And I go ‘No, what’s the Black Card?’ He says, ‘There’s only three in the world. The Sultan of Brunei has one, the president of American Express has one, and I thought you would have the third one.’ Next morning I call the president of American Express. I go, ‘Is there a Black Card?’ He says, ‘It’s just a rumor. It doesn’t exist.’ He said, ‘But you know what? It’s not a bad idea.’ And so they developed it, and they gave me the first one.”
At the time in the late nineties Seinfeld had been the spokesman for AMEX since 1995. Seinfeld did not come up with the idea but according to him he did get them to start issuing it. As far as him having the first one AMEX will not comment. It makes sense because Seinfeld was their main spokesman in the late nineties and he had a direct link to the president of the company. This is not something Seinfeld would BS about. I'm sure he's correct and he got the first one.
"As essentially the face of Amex at the time, Jerry Seinfeld was likely one of many high-earning Amex clients interested in getting an exclusive, brag-worthy card, all of whom influenced American Express’ decision to bring the card to life. We may never know how great of a bearing he personally held over Amex to make it happen, but one more vital piece of information is still unconfirmed: Was Seinfeld in fact the very first Centurion cardholder?"
https://thepointsguy.com/news/jerry-seinfeld-amex-black-card/
There were a ton of these commercials in the 90s.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:26:18 PM
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From wikipedia:
In 1988, an article in The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that an exclusive black American Express membership card that was never advertised had been discontinued a year earlier. The article claimed that during a trial run that lasted almost four years, the card "was held by an ultra-select group of consumers who numbered fewer than 1,000 around the world."[3] Lee Middleton, a spokesman for American Express, confirmed the card's existence to the Journal and said that it was given to clients who had a "substantial banking relationship" with American Express Bank Ltd., the New York parent of American Express's bank subsidiaries in Switzerland. Services included "dispatching limousines or helicopters for clients, booking their vacations and finding medical care in exotic places." Middleton said American Express abandoned the black card in 1987 because the newly introduced Platinum Card offered "95% of the black card's services."
It looks like the card was first issued in 1984, a decade before Mr. S worked for AMEX.
By the way- AMEX claims it is by invitation only, but you can apply for an invitation on their site, same as any other card they offer.
They are great to have. One of the best perks is being able to access the first class lounge of almost every airline in every airport, even when you aren't flying.
In 1988, an article in The Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that an exclusive black American Express membership card that was never advertised had been discontinued a year earlier. The article claimed that during a trial run that lasted almost four years, the card "was held by an ultra-select group of consumers who numbered fewer than 1,000 around the world."[3] Lee Middleton, a spokesman for American Express, confirmed the card's existence to the Journal and said that it was given to clients who had a "substantial banking relationship" with American Express Bank Ltd., the New York parent of American Express's bank subsidiaries in Switzerland. Services included "dispatching limousines or helicopters for clients, booking their vacations and finding medical care in exotic places." Middleton said American Express abandoned the black card in 1987 because the newly introduced Platinum Card offered "95% of the black card's services."
It looks like the card was first issued in 1984, a decade before Mr. S worked for AMEX.
By the way- AMEX claims it is by invitation only, but you can apply for an invitation on their site, same as any other card they offer.
They are great to have. One of the best perks is being able to access the first class lounge of almost every airline in every airport, even when you aren't flying.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:41:04 PM
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Quote: billryanFrom wikipedia:
link to original post
.
This is the card Seinfeld is talking about, introduced in 1999 when he was making millions of dollars a year as the spokesman for AMEX. Who else would they give the first card to besides Seinfeld.
" In 1999, American Express introduced the Centurion Card, a black charge card aimed at the company's wealthiest cardholders. In a 2018 episode of the Netflix show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld, who appeared in American Express commercials in the 1990s, claimed to have received the first Centurion card after contacting the company's president about the rumored existence of an exclusive black card" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card#History
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 22nd, 2021 at 1:55:59 PM
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Quote: EvenBobQuote: billryanFrom wikipedia:
link to original post
.
This is the card Seinfeld is talking about, introduced in 1999 when he was making millions of dollars a year as the spokesman for AMEX. Who else would they give the first card to besides Seinfeld.
" In 1999, American Express introduced the Centurion Card, a black charge card aimed at the company's wealthiest cardholders. In a 2018 episode of the Netflix show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld, who appeared in American Express commercials in the 1990s, claimed to have received the first Centurion card after contacting the company's president about the rumored existence of an exclusive black card" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card#Historylink to original post
If you research it at best it appears they were considering it to planning it and Jerry just mentioned it so they are riding that to publicity.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 22nd, 2021 at 2:08:18 PM
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In 1986, Jim Shooter was the President and Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics. He attended a birthday dinner I was at for Tom DeFalco, the future EIC of Marvel. As the dinner was winding down, Shooter attempted to pay for the dinner, and gave the waiter a card. A few minutes later, the owner came in and wanted to know what the card was as he'd never seen it before. As Gold and Platinum cards were fairly common on Long Island, I have always assumed it was a black card, although a year or so later I saw a plum colored Amex that the owner said was a step above platinum.
In the 80s, Amex was a great card to have, with customer service that couldn't be beat. Then they switched to automated phone services and soon were just another card.
When they stopped waiving their annual fees I left them. Years later, they tried to sue me personally for what they claimed was systematic fraud in one of my clubs.
In the 80s, Amex was a great card to have, with customer service that couldn't be beat. Then they switched to automated phone services and soon were just another card.
When they stopped waiving their annual fees I left them. Years later, they tried to sue me personally for what they claimed was systematic fraud in one of my clubs.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 22nd, 2021 at 3:06:21 PM
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Quote: AZDuffman[
link to original post
If you research it at best it appears they were considering it to planning it and Jerry just mentioned it so they are riding that to publicity.
Which takes nothing away from Seinfeld's story. That he was the first black card holder in 1999 I have no doubt. He was their spokesperson and had the number one TV show and Seinfeld himself was immensely popular. Who better to get the first card than him. When he tells the story on his show it's not a bit he's doing, it has the absolute ring of credibility to it. At the time he was what Cosby was to Jello or what Wilford Brimley was to Quaker Oats oatmeal. Seinfeld was the face of AMEX.
Seinfeld was doing commercials for AMEX from 1992 to 2002 but he was the spokesperson from 95 to 2002. His TV commercials for them were classics even in the 90s. They repeatedly were featured in advertising company magazines and one of them, the gas station commercial, even won a Cannes Film Festival award. The commercial he did with Superman was the highlight of the Super Bowl the year it appeared. Of course it would be Seinfeld who would get the first black card. As far as them being By Invitation only, most credit cards are given out that way by giving people offers in the mail. Every credit card I've ever had I got because I got an invitation in the mail.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 22nd, 2021 at 10:48:00 PM
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Quote: gamerfreakQuote:At one time, there were 40 Horn & Hardart automats in New York City alone. The last one closed in 1991. Horn and Hardart converted most of its New York City locations to Burger King.
My Dad took me to a Horn and Hardart automat in Manhattan once, probably in the 1960s. What I remember is that the meal we bought sucked. I didn't remember food tasting that bad hardly ever.
So many better men, a few of them friends, are dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things live on, and so do I.
September 23rd, 2021 at 12:35:21 AM
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I don't remember the food at all, just the experience of the machines. I remember reading their wiki page and complaints about the food towards the end.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 2:54:18 AM
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Quote: billryanI don't remember the food at all, just the experience of the machines. I remember reading their wiki page and complaints about the food towards the end.
link to original post
Pre-prepped food that has been sitting tasting bad? Not a surprise.
Automat was about the ability to get your food NOW. And the fun of using a vending machine.
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
September 23rd, 2021 at 6:04:21 AM
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Quote: AZDuffmanQuote: billryanI don't remember the food at all, just the experience of the machines. I remember reading their wiki page and complaints about the food towards the end.
link to original post
Pre-prepped food that has been sitting tasting bad? Not a surprise.
Automat was about the ability to get your food NOW. And the fun of using a vending machine.link to original post
I was recently surprised to learn that FEBO offers delivery, further removing the consumer from the vending machine cuisine experience.
Honestly, if a drone brought me a soggy chicken salad sandwich wedge from a wheel-of-death style vending machine, it would still be a soggy chicken salad sandwich from the wheel-of-death, just without the magic of spinning the wheel and fumbling with the sliding door.
May the cards fall in your favor.
September 23rd, 2021 at 6:24:42 AM
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There was a bar in Henderson that served really bad food. I ate there twice, as it was close to my house, and decided never to go back, so I was a little surprised that some guys at the dog park were singing its praises. It seemed management realized they couldn't fix the food so they had their waitresses wear bikinis. The food still sucked but business improved.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 10:23:28 AM
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Quote: AZDuffman[
link to original post
Pre-prepped food that has been sitting tasting bad? Not a surprise.
Automat was about the ability to get your food NOW. And the fun of using a vending machine.
We had an automat type machine in the first factory I worked at 1968. They would bring the sandwiches about 5 a.m. and they would sit in the machine all day until 5 a.m. the next day. They tasted like cardboard. Somebody on the 3rd Shift figured out how to stick in a screwdriver when the door was open into the mechanism and the machine would think the door was closed and it would advance to the next sandwich. All of us on the third shift ate for free for a few months until they figured out how to fix it. This was not looked at as stealing for some reason it was looked at as gaming the system.
"It's not called gambling if the math is on your side."
September 23rd, 2021 at 10:37:21 AM
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One summer while I was in college I was lucky enough to land a ten week job at Western Electric. They'd hire a few students to help out while the guys took vacations, and it was on a lottery basis. The job paid really well for what it was and few hundred would apply for 15-20 jobs.
Anyways, we worked the 3-11 shift and the cafeteria closed at 6PM. They'd leave coffee and some snacks out, on the honor system. One day our manager came down and said goods were being eaten and not paid for. He said this was a serious violation and any summer intern caught would be terminated on the spot. A week goes by and he tells us the same thing but is really pissed that this is going on. He says that this only started when the six of us started at this location and he is tempted to just send us all to other locations. Two or three days later, we are given a new foreman and new lead person. It turns out our manger had staked out the coffee and saw our foreman and the other guy go in and take coffee and doughnuts without paying. They were thirty year union guys so they weren't fired but they both got suspended and dropped a pay grade or two. Our former foreman was reassigned to a pretty menial position and the other guy was transferred to Staten Island, adding an hour to his commute each way.
Anyways, we worked the 3-11 shift and the cafeteria closed at 6PM. They'd leave coffee and some snacks out, on the honor system. One day our manager came down and said goods were being eaten and not paid for. He said this was a serious violation and any summer intern caught would be terminated on the spot. A week goes by and he tells us the same thing but is really pissed that this is going on. He says that this only started when the six of us started at this location and he is tempted to just send us all to other locations. Two or three days later, we are given a new foreman and new lead person. It turns out our manger had staked out the coffee and saw our foreman and the other guy go in and take coffee and doughnuts without paying. They were thirty year union guys so they weren't fired but they both got suspended and dropped a pay grade or two. Our former foreman was reassigned to a pretty menial position and the other guy was transferred to Staten Island, adding an hour to his commute each way.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 11:17:11 AM
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I love Western Electric. They invented the coffee break. Really Forget the year 1920 s I think. Hawthorne Illinois plant . Half the workers did 4 hours lunch another 4 hours. Other half took 15 minute break middle of 4 hours, lunch , another break during last 4 hours.workers who took breaks were more productive by a big margin. In behalf of all union workers Thank You Western Electric.
September 23rd, 2021 at 11:25:06 AM
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Sadly, Western Electric went the way of the Dodo bird.
They made the best equipment ,all for one simple reason.
They did not sell their products. All their equipment was leased and WE was responsible for any servicing the equipment needed. Thus they made sure their stuff was as bulletproof as possible. It didn't matter if your phone was six months old or sixty years. Consumers could not own their phones, they had to lease them and to cut down on repairs, they were made to last forever.
They made the best equipment ,all for one simple reason.
They did not sell their products. All their equipment was leased and WE was responsible for any servicing the equipment needed. Thus they made sure their stuff was as bulletproof as possible. It didn't matter if your phone was six months old or sixty years. Consumers could not own their phones, they had to lease them and to cut down on repairs, they were made to last forever.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 2:48:22 PM
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An Automat opened up in NJ this year-https://automatkitchen.com/
However, you need to order ahead of time and the food is made to order. I’m not sure if I would consider that a real Automat.
However, you need to order ahead of time and the food is made to order. I’m not sure if I would consider that a real Automat.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:12:05 PM
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I recently attended a sales pitch for an automatic pizza machine. You supposedly can order via internet and the machine adds your toppings, cooks the pie in under two minutes, slices it( 8 or 16), boxes it and puts it in a warming dish that the buyer gets a code to access. The company thinks it can be the next Redbox. I was interested until they couldn't answer a few basic questions, and the ptch got very aggressive.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:16:56 PM
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Quote: billryanI recently attended a sales pitch for an automatic pizza machine. You supposedly can order via internet and the machine adds your toppings, cooks the pie in under two minutes, slices it( 8 or 16), boxes it and puts it in a warming dish that the buyer gets a code to access. The company thinks it can be the next Redbox. I was interested until they couldn't answer a few basic questions, and the ptch got very aggressive.
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I get ads for those all the time. Seemed sketchy.
September 23rd, 2021 at 3:21:26 PM
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Quote: gamerfreakQuote: billryanI recently attended a sales pitch for an automatic pizza machine. You supposedly can order via internet and the machine adds your toppings, cooks the pie in under two minutes, slices it( 8 or 16), boxes it and puts it in a warming dish that the buyer gets a code to access. The company thinks it can be the next Redbox. I was interested until they couldn't answer a few basic questions, and the ptch got very aggressive.
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I get ads for those all the time. Seemed sketchy.link to original post
I got a free dinner out of it.
The older I get, the better I recall things that never happened
September 23rd, 2021 at 5:25:38 PM
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Aggressive pitches still around ? Guess they must still work. Wife and neighbor dragged me to Tiime share pitch. Finally owner of business pitched me. Finally pitch was him saying if I could not afford to buy this for my family, then he was sorry for me. Forget what the premiums were but we left with three of them. A year later the owner was on his way to prison for selling time shares in condominiums he did not own.
