2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Fifties were a better time. We need to return to a better Democratic Party. [View all]Waiting For Everyman
(9,385 posts)For one thing, gas was 20 cents a gallon then, although most cars were gas guzzlers. And lots of families had two cars.
Flying "student" fare as late as the early 1970s cost $98 for non-stop coast-to-coast flights, which you can't even do now. That included a steak dinner (which was actually good) and a movie, and half the cabin was empty so there was plenty of room to be comfortable.
There was a ton of consumerism going on with the middle class, and most of our products were made here, and made to last. And yes, they were very affordable.
An average new car cost about $2,000 when I graduated from high school in 1968.
Did I mention I went to the excellent state university for free? All one had to do is have a "B" average.
If I could teleport back in time? Even though there was lots of civil unrest, I would relive 1965 to 1967 in a heartbeat. That was our high-water mark, as far as widespread quality of life is concerned.