Photo courtesy of CONSEQUENCES.NET
The year 1999 was known for a lot of things that aren’t around today.
You want a throwback? We’re talking about taking a trip like Marty McFly did in “Back to the Future.” You remember him, right?
The 1985 film starring young Michael J. Fox, which has since grown in esteem and is now considered by critics and audiences to be one of the greatest sci-fi films and among the best films ever made. Of course, Fox ventured back in time to 1955 where fast food and TV dinners were all the rage, Elvis Presley was rockin’ around the clock and a gallon of gas cost 23 cents.
Obviously, technology has totally reshaped the way we live our lives, but sometimes we forget just how much it has taken away. Saying something was 25 years ago feels like a long time until you realize that 25 years ago was 1999.
Here are things everyone had 25 years ago that no one has today:
Access to a public pay phone
Some folks have never even seen one of these coin-operated machines which used to be located in high-traffic public areas.
Wallets with picture holders
Who prints pictures these days. Most of them are stored on our phones – of the cellular variety not pay phones.
Binder of CDs under the car seat
I never had a book, but I miss the CD player in my vehicle. I stream now and then, but it’s not the same thing.
Landline telephone
I still have one, even though it’s cordless now. The days of a handset connected to the receiver with a 25-foot cord are long gone.
Private pager
Were they ever a rage? I never thought they were very practical.
Multiple disc CD player
I never had one of these either, but they seemed less practical than the version in my vehicle.
AOL free trial
I remember when these first came out and it was so trendy. Take the CD that came in the mail and load it into your computer and you could connect online. Boy how times have changed.
Dial-up modem
Same as the free trials. They’re extinct like dinosaurs these days.
Answering machine
Not totally antiquated as voicemail is similar, but they’re now built-in to the phone instead of being its own device.
Folded paper maps in the glovebox
I remember my grandparents pulling them out every time we made a summer excursion to Maine, even though we always took the same route. It was always such a challenge to fold them up and put them away. I think a few times I gave up, trashed them and bought a new map.
Video rental store
Alas, I still miss Blockbuster for renting the latest films and even Suncoast Video for buying DVDs.
Phone book
The last time I heard about one of these dinosaurs, Sophia from “The Golden Girls” sat on a stack to drive Dorothy’s car in one episode.
Pre-DVR era
Remember there was a time when you needed to be home at a certain time on a certain day to watch your favorite show.
Cassette tape deck in a car
I literally cried when the dealer told me my new ride didn’t have a tape deck. I think I paid extra to have one installed.
Sun tanning bed
Does anyone even go tanning anymore? I never saw the need.
Encyclopedia set
In sixth grade science, we had to write weekly reports and one day while reading them aloud, the teacher realized most of the class had copied them verbatim from the same encyclopedia. We all failed and had to do rewrites.
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Greg Williams is a reporter and Weekend Editor for The Sentinel. A Mifflin County native, he has been writing for The Sentinel since 1991.