Life with Fred & Lucy, Part 17: Riding the Trolley

                                                                      

My earliest memory of visiting my dad at his job has to do with the Philadelphia Transit Company of which my father was a driver. His working outfit consisted of a uniform, hat and a coin changer.

                               Mom carrying me to Dad                                                         

 I would always play with the coin changer that hung around his waist on a belt. Mom took me to ride on Dad’s trolley route when I was around three years old; Jane was an infant. It was four years before Fred bought the grocery store.

                                                                 

It was one of the older trolley’s where there was the driver in front and a man at the rear to collect the money?? Not too sure on how that worked, but right after that ride, my father’s route was updated and he got to drive a newer trolley.
                                                                         

The amazing thing about these trolleys was that it was eco-friendly and clean. No pollution!! The trolley ran on tracks and it hooked up to the wires overhead. If for some reason the connection was broken, the driver would leave the trolley and with a long stick; reconnect trolley to wire.                                                                       

To encourage people to use public transportation, the powers in charge began building amusement parks at the end of the lines. Willow Grove Amusement park was one of them and there was a smaller park right here in South Philadelphia on Broad Street. I don’t know the name, but there was also a Drive In down the street. If anybody has pictures of the South Philly Amusement Park, please contact me.

                                                        

                                                                                          

When I was a teenager, my friends and I would take the trolley to Willow Grove Amusement Park and spend the day there. Good times and the prices of the rides were cheap.                                                               

My best memories of taking a trolley ride with my father was after his shift, he would take us to eat at the Horn & Hardart Automated Restaurant in Center City.

                                                                        

Since I wasn’t tall enough to reach the coin slots, he would lift me up in order for me to deposit my ten cents for a slice of apple pie.

                                                           

      

Everything was behind glass and people would slide their trays along the metal rail picking out what they wanted and paying for it as they went. I guess you could call it America’s original fast food, but the food was freshly made and healthy to eat.
 

I don’t know what got me started on thinking about riding on the old trolley cars…maybe it was the conversation I had with my grandsons. We’re all worried about global climate change and how we can help and that started me telling them about my childhood and how Philadelphia at one time was able to move a city with cheap, clean transportation.  Sometimes progress isn’t that good for the soul or the planet.

                                                                          

When I Can't Sleep

                                                                                                              

My mind is constantly on the go, which is good when I want to write, or plan activities for the little girl that I tutor, or do day trips with the grandkids, but it’s definitely not good when I’m trying to get a few hours’ sleep.

                                                                                 
No I don’t sleep through the whole night. My brain won't turn off, but instead, runs through a legion of subjects like those below, for instance:

                                                                   

Space X

I’m so excited that the space program is kept alive by private entrepreneurs who still believe that the best way for mankind to improve in technology, research, science and future jobs, is to look up and beyond. Check out their site and the CEO and chief designer, Elon Musk.

                                                                                                                                    

The Sequester Debacle

Instead of giving you the Webster’s Dictionary meaning of the word, here is a better description
 And really should Congress get paid while we're kept in budget hell. I say no budget, no pay.

                                                                                                                            

Public Transportation

Bring back more trains, and make traveling by train and bus so cheap that people will use this form of transportation first, and their cars less and less.

                                                                                                                                

Genetically altered food

I keep thinking of the first X-Files movie and the end scene where we see rows and rows of corn stalks. Is it safe, I doubt it. Don’t believe me? Check the ingredients on everything you purchase. I was surprised how widespread this problem is. Other countries refuse to use genetically altered food for human consumption. Ask yourself why?

                                                                      

Education

We are in a Technology and Science race with the rest of the world, and it doesn’t bode well for us when Third world countries can kick our ass. We need to put as much effort and money into education as we do the Super Bowl. We need to make sure that our teachers are the cream of the crop, that disruptive students are taken out the classroom, and that a child is not promoted to the next grade unless he is reading at the grade level.

                                                                        

Manners

It is up to the parents to teach their children proper manners, not the schools. They should know how to act in a civilized (well mostly) setting, be it out in public or at home. I don’t care how cute and cuddly little Johnny is in your eyes, not if he behaves like a bully with others.

                                                                   

Sarcasm

Don’t put down people just to make yourself look good. Be kind with your words and actions, because Karma is a bitch.

                                                                    

Friends

Some friends you pick and some pick you, but our friends help us through the good times and the bad, treasure them.

                                                                                                                      

Life

I don’t know about you, but my life resembles a giant pinball game with me being one of the steel balls. I try to score as many points as I can, but those pesky little bats sometimes send me in a direction I don’t want to go. When I was younger, I tried to avoid the bats, fearing they would lead me to a dead end. But as I got older and wiser (Ha!), I began to look forward to being swiped by the bats, and in fact, I head right for them. Send me where you want, life. I don’t care, I’m enjoying the adventure.