# What became ubiquitous then went away in your lifetime? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 10, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180 "2026-04-10T22:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/541 "2026-06-09T20:18:53Z")
The first assertion I can imagine as it is a closely comparable substitute. But the second would benefit from a bit of elaboration. My hunch is that if the correlation exists, it is more due to law enforcement than societal preference ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/542 "2026-06-10T19:51:22Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > And because the LEDs and the few CFLs I’m still using all last so long, I may or may not use them all up in this lifetime. I had an IKEA branded CFL that I bought in 2006 that just finally gave up the ghost a few months ago. 20 years in a lamp that I use on a daily basis was a pretty good run. (I know it was 2006 because I bought it at the same time I bought the lamp it was in, which was shortly after I moved into my old apartment, which was in 2006). ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/543 "2026-06-10T19:54:42Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > There was a period in the mid '00s where a lot of people had those walkie-talkie (push-to-talk-style) cell phones. They would make this very annoying chirping sound every time somebody stopped talking and released the talk button. I’ve noticed that too. Up until now I had assumed that it was to save on minutes and the devices were used as point to point communication but according to my limited search, they used cell phone towers. That seems like the worst of both worlds to me. The only exception I can think of is if you needed to instantly receive messages but were often in a place where you didn’t have your hands free to read a text. Nowadays with the proliferation of text to monitor capabilities of cars, that situation’s pretty much limited to tradespeople who are working with their hands and are also part of a team that needs real time updates. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/544 "2026-06-10T22:26:38Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Up until now I had assumed that it was to save on minutes and the devices were used as point to point communication but according to my limited search, they used cell phone towers. The company was Nextel, and their distinguishing feature was the push-to-talk function. All of the convenience of a walkie-talkie, but the range and clarity of a cell phone. I knew some people that used them to communicate to their team at a government facility. They’d installed special repeater antennas inside the building. There is software now that will do the equivalent walkie-talkie type setup using mobile data. The bluetooth on my motorcycle helmet supports a few different versions, and standalone headsets are also available. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/545 "2026-06-19T12:29:00Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > How about ape-hanger handlebars on bicycles? You can still (rarely) get the “ape-hanger” handlebars, and (even less common) the “banana” seat, but the combination, with the riding position back over the rear wheel, seem to have gone. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/546 "2026-06-19T12:34:25Z")
Hang Gliders and Wind Surfers. Only “ubiquitous” at the appropriate locations, but now … gone. Replaced by kite surfing, paddle boards, para-sailing. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/547 "2026-06-20T23:23:07Z")
The Filofax. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/548 "2026-07-07T02:13:21Z")
I search (but not sure how well) …. I don’t think Saturn cars have been mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/549 "2026-07-07T02:45:31Z")
How about AMC (American Motors Corporation)? Maybe not hugely ubiquitous, but came and went in _my_ lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/550 "2026-07-07T03:02:14Z")
Speaking of General Motors nameplates–Geo came and went in a shorter time period(1989 to 1997) than Saturn (1991 to 2010) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/551 "2026-07-07T03:50:49Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > How about AMC (American Motors Corporation)? Maybe not hugely ubiquitous, but came and went in _my_ lifetime. As per the OP: > [@TokyoBayer](#): > > What are things that weren’t there when you were a child, but became ubiquitous or very popular, and then went away? Let’s say the difference between being a child and a teenager is 13, and AMC was formed in 1954. Of you were born in or before 1941 then it’s good, otherwise it doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/552 "2026-07-07T04:12:08Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > I don’t think Saturn cars have been mentioned. Great cars. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/553 "2026-07-07T19:50:11Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Let’s say the difference between being a child and a teenager is 13, and AMC was formed in 1954. Of you were born in or before 1941 then it’s good, otherwise it doesn’t work. Depends on if you’re talking about AMC as a company, or AMC as a car brand, if that makes sense. The company was formed in 1954, but they continued selling cars under the Nash and Hudson brands for a few years after that. Then from the late 50s to late 60s all their cars sold under the Rambler brand. It wasn’t until the late 60s that they actually started badging their cars as AMCs. But speaking of car makes and AMC, Chrysler’s Eagle nameplate came and went during my lifetime. They formed it in 1987 to sell the newly acquired former AMC/Renault cars under, as they were contractually obligated to continue selling them for a few years. It quickly became a weird amalgamation of badge-engineered Chryslers, Mitsubishis, and Renaults. They discontinued the brand in 1998, meaning it only lasted a few years longer then GM’s Geo brand. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/554 "2026-07-08T00:49:33Z")
My daughter had two, at different times. Worst cars anyone in my family have ever owned, and that by a landslide. And I had a Dodge Omni… ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/555 "2026-07-08T03:21:54Z")
Speaking of cars the other things that became…well, I don’t want to say ubiquitous because most people could not afford them, was car phones. Like actual phones that operated inside your car. It was a status symbol for those who could afford it and I remember that was a thing rich people in movies and tv had. Now, of course everyone has cell phones and those have replaced what was actually mounted in the vehicle at one time. `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/556 "2026-07-08T14:22:20Z")
There were fake car phone antennas, for people who wanted to _look_ rich. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/557 "2026-07-09T00:11:34Z")
> [@icon](#): > > I don’t want to say ubiquitous because most people could not afford them, was car phones And bag phones that one could put in the car! I think I still have the sales literature somewhere for the one my parents bought and somehow crammed into the center console of a Geo Tracker…loads of pictures showing happy businessmen and businesswomen with the bulky phone bag over a shoulder, one hand clutching the clunky handset and the other holding a tiny antenna to the sky. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/558 "2026-07-09T04:41:04Z")
Pagers were part of the 80’s until the 00’s. I carried one when I covered call for work. Texts on a flip phone replaced my pager. I had a laserdisc collection and player. Good luck trying to buy either new today. We briefly had a couple video rental stores that stocked laser discs. That went away after the format died. Buffets have disappeared. They used to be everywhere. I remember signs on the interstates advertising restaurant buffet at next exit. Same thing for Cafeterias. Bowens, Lubys, Wyatts, I ate at all of them. Now gone. I loved Sunday lunch at a cafeteria. They had a guy hand slicing a huge beef roast and sometimes a ham. 😋 Add roasted baby potatoes, green beans, and a fresh baked roll. OMG ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/559 "2026-07-09T04:47:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Buffets have disappeared. They used to be everywhere. I remember signs on the interstates advertising restaurant buffet at next exit. > > Same thing for Cafeterias. Bowens, Lubys, Wyatt I ate at all of them. Now gone. Not entirely gone, though COVID killed off a lot of buffet chains. Golden Corral is still around, as are the Cici’s and Pizza Ranch pizza buffets. And, Asian buffets are still a thing, at least in this area. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180/560 "2026-07-09T04:47:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Buffets have disappeared. They used to be everywhere. I remember signs on the interstates advertising restaurant buffet at next exit. They’re still around, just less ubiquitous. You still have Golden Corral, Chinese food buffets, Indian food buffets, and breakfast buffets at hotels. Not to mention buffets at many Walt Disney World restaurants (like Crystal Palace, Boma, etc.). > [@aceplace57](#): > > Same thing for Cafeterias. Bowens, Lubys, Wyatt, I ate at all of them. Now gone. Nope. I went to a Luby’s in Houston last August for nostalgia reasons. They’re still around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-became-ubiquitous-then-went-away-in-your-lifetime/1029180.md?page=29)