Posted By Sam Roberts TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's & 70's !! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, our cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our pushbikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick-up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle! We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drink with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given catapults for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Under 12 footy had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good. and while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it ? PS For your convenience this email has been prepared using large print!

Posted By garyOrange Wow how on earth did I manage to survive over the age of 12 as: I Played with toys that had small parts that could be eaten. I swam in dark coulored lakes, pools and canals. I made my best mate our blood brother. I survived my flagrant misuse of playground swings, roundabouts and slides. Not only did the local copper hit me round my ear, my mum did too. Gaz

Posted By Alan Haynes "The best example of this is to look at how much the number of child pedestrians being killed has reduced over the past 40 years." I thought that was because they don't walk anywhere these days! {They're all in Chelsea tractors doing the 200 yard drive to school}

Posted By James K Sam, Many thanks for the memories. I was flicking through the threads when I cam across this one and found myself suddenly back as a teenager. Oh the memories. Like many that were already printed above I also . Got pulled up the snow filled street by a car and a rope. . Climbedhigh apples trees searching for lunch as we were too lazy to go home. . Climbed high stone walls to get a look a the neighbours daughters sunbathing. (I was only 11 or 12) . Walked for miles to the nearest town and hitched lifts from strangers. How times have changed. Having a son of early teens, if he did half the things I did I would be fearful.

Posted By Andrew Cartridge Ah...........nostalgia, it isn't what it used to be ;-) Andy

Posted By 9-Ship This is getting very boring - this must be about the 34th time this posting or very similar has been posted on this forum. I believe the original came from a stand up sketch by Richard Digence about 5yrs ago. Please not again or I'll scream

Posted By Kevin Murphy 9-ship You may well find it boring and it may well have been circulated a 100 odd times but I found it interesting and amusing, as i expect many others have. Just remember, you may well be a boring old git yourself but your work colleagues and family still have to look at YOU everyday. As they say if you dont like the TV programme TURN IT OFF. Kevin

Posted By Merv Newman It is interesting and amusing. I love to re-read it every time it comes up. It reminds me of swimming in the canal locks. Of trying to swim across the Rickmansworth aquadrome and having to be rescued from drowning. Of falling from a tree in the town park and only breaking a collar bone. Of being bitten by a dog. Of trying to start a parked Tiger Moth at Denham air field. Of cycling along the Uxbridge road from Ricky to Croxley. Of the scars I still have but can't remember where or when I got them. Of ... Of the man in our street who was ostracised. Of the child in our street who drank furniture polish. Of my friend who died in a car accident. Of the girl next door who was always bruised. Oh yeah. Nostalgia. Merv

Posted By Jeffrey Watt I agree about the forum being professional. I wish this forum was more like the professionals. Car chases in Ford Capris, perms, grumpy Scottish boss. At the minute it is a pale 2006 equivalent, Ultimate Farce. Kind regards Jeff

Posted By Jeffrey Watt Andy I hope so too. Jeff

Posted By Jez Corfield Sam, I appreciate there is an element of humour in what you posted, but not one element of truth. Have you any idea of the numbers of people killed in road accidents in the 50's and 60's - if I remember it was in the magnitude of 10 times higher than today. Have you any idea how many people died in workplace accidents, or house fires, or from exposure to carcinogens? Again it was through the roof, workers, pedestrians, drivers and householders all had a significantly higher chance of dying. There is no such thing as the 'good old days', (except music). Jez

Posted By Zaphod Whoops, I meant that I am with Jez and Jason - most definitely not Sam on this one!

Posted By Jason911 Sam As Zaphod said, we have enough of this attitude from people in management! I think we all appreciate this forum as a means to bounce off ideas to like minded people unlike yourself. Of course there is more than life to H&S for us, but would you still be of the same opinion if your loved one had just been seriously injured or killed at work? I doubt it! Jay

Posted By andy evans People want to be protected (and blame someone) when there is an accident but don't like being nannied - especially when the problem may not show up for years.

Posted By Jason911 Dear All We have established on another thread that these are being posted by a 20yr old cutting and pasting from the web. Please treat it with the contempt that it deserves and ignore it and any others of a similar nature. Thank You.