I didn’t do any parking at all in the 50’s, I was born in '51. By the time I started driving, it was early 70’s; 60’s cars were still very common on the roads, but 50’s cars less so, though there were some of them around.
We were rural. But we went into New York City with some frequency; as well as other places which had parallel parking. My parents didn’t drive into Manhattan – we left the car at the train station and took a train in – but we walked around the place a lot. The things in the picture look to me like they’d have been quite noticeable to pedestrians walking next to the car. I don’t remember seeing them there, or on cars in Poughkeepsie, or on cars in the 60’s in Springfield Massachusetts (when there would still have been significant numbers of 50’s cars on the road).
Do you see curb feelers on any of the cars on the shows?
– yes, there was a stretch of time when manufacturers seemed to be competing on the basis of ‘our car is bigger than your old car! And has bigger fins!’
I don’t remember them being visible much at all. You’d have to be looking for them to notice them. Once a car was parked, the feeler would be below curb height and even less noticeable.
I hadn’t paid attention to that yet (mostly flabbergasted by the ubiquity of cigarettes – that really caught my attention), but I’ll look!
I’m referring to people who back in, get in the car, start it, and don’t pull forward within a minute or two. If I’m parked across from them, for example, I have no idea if they are in gear, preparing to pull out, or what. Their lights are on, so I’m reluctant to pull/back out in their path. If I do go ahead and pull out, they usually beep at me because, of course, that’s the moment that THEY intended to pull forward.
People are welcome to sit in their cars all day. I just find it a bit annoying when I have no clue what they are planning on doing.
The photos on Google make them look really noticeable. Not only have I never seen one in real life, I would swear I never saw one on tv either. And my wife watches so much b&w tv like the Untouchables, I pick up a lot by osmosis. Were they only on the right sides of cars?
I’m having a hard time picturing this. The only thing I can guess at is the first electric traffic signals maybe were on your side of the intersection, rather than across the intersection. I’ve seen that for the really old signals when they were arms that folded out and in with stop and go written on them, rather than lights. Am I close?
I’m 5’10" and usually drive sedans and I don’t have problems. Intersections here(NY) are often 4 or more lanes so lights are easier to see. If you don’t mind me asking, do you drive a really low slung car and you are 6’5"? Are you okay if you’re a couple cars back in the line? Is it worse doing left turns where yo are partway into the intersection?
Sorry for all the questions, this is absolutely the first time I have ever heard that this was a problem for some people. And I’ve certainly never seen the gizmo that looks up at lights. I wonder why they died out if they were useful.
ETA: I also have never heard of granny parking and in the US, I’ve lived from the northeast to the southwest.
That’s part of it. Windshields tended to be more vertical at the time so the roof went further forward. Sometimes it was a matter of narrower streets. And then there were the ever popular sun visors.
I’m shorter than most, and I sometimes can’t see it if I’m in the first car. I definitely can’t see it if I’ve pulled up into the intersection while waiting to make a left turn (as you’re supposed to do in New York State. Though it occurs to me that I don’t know about the city, which has to some extent different traffic laws.)
5’10" is I think the approximate height for which most of the human-made world is designed, at least in the USA. You may not realize the extent to which short and tall people both find that that world doesn’t fit well; and not only when it comes to cars.
– yes, I can see the lights fine if further back; yes, at some intersections it’s not a problem even if I’m the first car.
I only remember feelers because as a bored kid sitting on a curb the closest thing to fun was twanging the things. The rebound on them was such that you could really rap your knuckles if you weren’t careful.
As for traffic lights only on the near-side and out of sight of the first car waiting, that’s all they have in Casablanca. Your only clue that the light turned green was the cars honking behind you.
