What are some things that you and your friends did for fun when you were teenagers that would not be acceptable today?

Pretty much everything we did then would not be acceptable today.

Agreed. What are young people actually supposed to do now that everything is frowned upon?

A strange question that surely prevents anyone from giving an actual answer because it would be considered unacceptable today.

You mean like casual racism ? There were a million jokes at my school about black people, Indians, gays, disabled people, women. It was the norm.

Smoking ? We all smoked then. Everyone hates smokers now.

Domestic abuse ? Give the missus a slap if she's out of line.

Other than that, I'm struggling to see anything else. Health and Safety rules has stopped a lot of stuff and that is only because no-one wants to get sued.

Went to a movie in theaters with partial nudity in it. Almost impossible to find a film like that in theaters today.

drinking and smoking in public as high school students

I remember buying a single movie ticket and then spending the whole day at the theater watching 3 or 4 movies. Probably wasn't "acceptable" then, but the staff never checked our stubs or ever asked us why we were still there. Today with all of the reserved seating I think it would be impossible. Also hanging out in the parking lot of our part-time jobs after we were done and just, well, hanging out for a few hours until midnight or so.

When I was younger, we also used to scrounge around the house for loose change and then ride our bikes up to the filling station, maybe 2 miles away, and buy a bunch of candy. Mom and Dad were at work and we were left to our own devices. I don't think kids would be allowed to do that today either.

No, not even a hint you would deserve. lol It’s just better for you not to know. You would not only envy us, but immediately go for suicide as your new world and era is already completely free from any fun or interesting things for quite some years. And you surely couldn’t stand that anymore if you knew better after revealing.

Spot on Aly - and the world is NOT a better place for it.

In my Baltimore neighborhood we played a game we called Punchy Sack. Hacky Sack but if you fumbled the sack you punched in the arm by everyone playing. One girl named Shaniqua had a heckuva punch and could take them too.

In my NYC neighborhood, we used to sit on car hood and trunk areas. I don't know but can't imagine kids still doing that now. Someone would more than likely start firing rounds. I don't know how or why it was accepted back then but cars were made of tougher material so maybe that's it.

Sit on a skateboard and go downhill on a road in our neighborhood. We used to race each other all the time. I don't see how we survived since it wasn't closed to the traffic.

Play dodgeball with a volleyball, with the only rule being if the ball hit you (even if you caught it), you're out. At the end it was 10+ people on each side trying to hit you with a volleyball. That was fun.

We also used to grab baby coconut seeds and make a war on the street. Those little puckers burned when they hit you.

Can't complain about my childhood.

Sit on a skateboard and go downhill on a road in our neighborhood. We used to race each other all the time.

Yeah we used to do this, called it 'Thunder Road'. Great fun, shredded loads of gloves, trousers, shoes. Bonus points were earnt for nudging friends into parked cars.

I don't see how we survived since it wasn't closed to the traffic.

There were a lot less cars in those days maybe.

Pretty much everything we did then would not be acceptable today.

Yup!

Paustovsky

May 29 10:09 am JST

A strange question that surely prevents anyone from giving an actual answer because it would be considered unacceptable today.

> You mean like casual racism ? There were a million jokes at my school about black people, Indians, gays, disabled people, women. It was the norm.

You forgot Irish, French, Russians, Poles, Men, Greeks, etc... I guess SNL wasn't something you ever saw.

Smoking ? We all smoked then. Everyone hates smokers now.

But if you live in places like Vancouver you can shoot up on the streets legally in public but not smoke (tobacco) or drink alcohol.

Domestic abuse ? Give the missus a slap if she's out of line.

Where did you live? I am no spring chicken buy domestic abuse was never seen as OK or acceptable yes the laws are now better but it was not acceptable.

Other than that, I'm struggling to see anything else. Health and Safety rules has stopped a lot of stuff and that is only because no-one wants to get sued.

In many countries to also created over regulation, what was started as basic protection now have taken on a Frankenstein live its own, making it near impossible to have a business.

Under EU, UK Canada regulations 90% of Japanese restaurants, bars, Ramen Sushi, etc... would be closed, My house in Tokyo would be illegal (stairs are too steep), etc...

Many unacceptable memories that I cannot mention…

We lived in the country for many years while my father worked in the city.

Every Friday in the summer we walked the 15km to the town with our allowance to the general store only kids my brothers and 2 friends to buy candy.

Then we waited for the first father (our friends or mine) to drive up in the evening ( only one road in) which ever father arrived 1 st we climbed on the trunk sometimes there front hood also and our father would drive the 15km with the kids on the car not in the car on the car.

Next putting an old lawnmower motor on to old schwinn banana seat bicycle, old way to stop was to kill the engine and pedal backwards.

So much more!

Today kids are bubble wrapped.

This is not an exaggeration as there have been plenty of MSM reports all across North America of this.

Going to the park without adult supervision, even playing in the front yard of even a fully enclosed back yard without adult supervision.

Parents have had the police and child services called for leaving their children playing in their own backyard fully fenced in as in many places now this is illegal.

Playing street hockey is now illegal in most places.

Garthgoyle

May 29 09:32 pm JST

Sit on a skateboard and go downhill on a road in our neighborhood. We used to race each other all the time. I don't see how we survived since it wasn't closed to the traffic

i think the answer is in the fact like with our street hockey, drivers tended tho know the places kids did these things and drive accordingly.

No one was speeding up or down my old neighbourhood because on every street the chances were there was a game going on.

A few years ago I visited my old street and the cars were going by at full speed front yards are now fenced off ( something that was not a thing until recently! )

Working part-time from age 12 to earn pocket money.

ou forgot Irish, French, Russians, Poles, Men, Greeks, etc... I guess SNL wasn't something you ever saw.

When I mean jokes, I don't mean comedians wearing a beret and making fun of the French or American comedians making jokes about how painfully boring Canadians are. My schools jokes were borne out of actual dislike and fear.

If I typed any of them now I would rightfully be banned from this site.

Paustovsky

Today 12:16 pm JST

ou forgot Irish, French, Russians, Poles, Men, Greeks, etc... I guess SNL wasn't something you ever saw.

> When I mean jokes, I don't mean comedians wearing a beret and making fun of the French or American comedians making jokes about how painfully boring Canadians are. My schools jokes were borne out of actual dislike and fear.

I will try and say this nicely, do you know your history?

No the Irish jokes, Italian jokes, Polish jokes, etc... Were not meant in jest.

They were insults made by one ethnic groups to another.

Where I come from Black making very very offensive comments and jokes about the large Jewish community especially the Hasidic was common and done in the open.

The Irish towards the Italian, the English (whit Anglo Saxon Protestants) towards the French speaking majority.

In other cities dominated by ethnic Ukrainian vicious jokes and discrimination toward the Polish minority and first Nations people were said openly and frequently.

BTW I am Canadian you don't know our history very well.

Ask why the Italians were in certain poor neighbourhoods why the Irish were the same.

Every generation had those who were picked on by those more prosperous, there before, or old world prejudice.

If I typed any of them now I would rightfully be banned from this site.

I would never have guessed you were Canadian.

Me and the lads burned a couple of witches for a laugh. Course, that was 1612 and everyone was doing it then. Can't try that now, the coppers'll have you right quick!

Paustovsky

Today 02:06 pm JST

I would never have guessed you were Canadian

When I was a child Westmont a city surrounded by the rest of Montreal had signs still up in their parks

"No French, no Irish, no blacks no Jews and no dogs"

Yes they were old and at that point rarely enforced by that time but welcome to the reality of what life was like in Canada, colour was only one part.

But Canadians like to forget what and how the country was really like.

You were Poor black you live in little burgundy, poor Irish you lived in Point saint Charles and poot Francophone in point st Charles.

The difference between them nothing they were all on next to the other and they all knew one thing it was them against the rich white English.

Every Queen Victoria day (a National holiday left over from the 19th century,) riots broke out in these 3 areas not between eachother but they joined forces against the system of the Crown that all 3 despised.

Alfie

and Guy Fawkes nights?

Everything?

Driving an unpainted muscle car with bald tires and open headers,

Stopping next to hookers on Sunset Boulevard and asking for a squeeze. “Sho baby!”

Going to the Pussycat theater with your high school buddies to watch porn, sitting a few seats apart so no one thought you were gay. The movie would be hard to see because of all the cigarette smoke.

Shooting rats at the farmer’s market off La Cienega at night, with an on-duty LAPD officer giving you shooting tips.

Having affairs with teachers at school.

Riding in the back of a pickup truck on the freeway and drinking beer.

Burning magnesium VW engine cases in the fire rings at beach parties.

Lighting off “real” fireworks on the 4th of July.

Being able to see good movies at a drive-in theater.