Has-been Occupations

[Macfrommichigan]

Hmm. What jobs can you name that have disappeared, or nearly so?

I think in something like 47 or 48 states "pump jockeys" or folks who pump fuel at service stations are few. Soda jerks are pretty scarce. Typists are kind of rare, probably. Haven't seen a TV repair guy in a while. Not many milk delivery drivers left.

What can you add to the list?

 

[les24preludes]

Ostler

 

[Stuart Ganis]

Home soda delivery, doctor house calls, pharmacy delivery,
Full service gas stations.


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[les24preludes]

Bowman (longbow, crossbow)
Knight's Squire
Summoner
Pardoner

 

[Snurgblat]

Shoeshiner
Newspaper sales guy on corners
Milkman
Goat masseuse
Airplane navigator

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Fletcher
Cooper
Wheelwright
Pools collector
Milkman
Coalman
Chimney sweep
Toll collector
Bargee
Electric/gas coin meter emptiers
Bus conductor
Traditional signwriter
Miner (in UK)
Steam engine driver and fireman

 

[matwho]

Payphone repairmen and coin box emptiers.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Anyone seen a Fuller Brush salesman lately?

Don't think travel agents are quite gone, but not many left, certainly.

 

[Frozenshades]

Travel agents seem to be on the way out.
Farmers. The industry is consolidated. Very few farmers produce far more food with modern methods and technology.
Postage. Slowly but surely everything except packages/items is going digital, and automation can take over a lot of it.

Hmm. What jobs can you name that have disappeared, or nearly so?

I think in something like 47 or 48 states "pump jockeys" or folks who pump fuel at service stations are few. Soda jerks are pretty scarce. Typists are kind of rare, probably. Haven't seen a TV repair guy in a while. Not many milk delivery drivers left.

What can you add to the list?

Repair services in general. They still exist, but many products are no longer worth the price of fixing them or designed to be non-repairable. For TVs I'd guess it's a combo of being relatively inexpensive to replace and much smaller and lighter; if you really wanted to repair one you could find a place that does it and bring it there. Older TVs were much more of a chore to move.

 

[oc_in_fw]

In the This Day In History thread, it was mentioned that Chubby Checker was a part time chicken-plucker. I bet that’s right up there.

This Day In History

 

[Bakker1964]

Most min-wage jobs like any kind of cashier position. Bank tellers. Tax Accountants (personal filings).

 

[davent]

Unless it's changed in the last year it's illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. Last article i happened on was dated last January.

Pharmacy delivery is rampant here, found current ads looking for drivers for the largest chain in the country and see many of the little guys offering the service.
dave

 

[Laird]

Studio musicians. Zappa was right. Don't waste your money on music lessons, get a good barber instead.

 

[GaryTha]

Knive and scissors sharpeners driving around neighborhood.
Good humor man.
Clowns
Fish salesman pulling wagon
Good handicappers (you know, the kind that break legs)
Greyhounds
Kids collecting soda bottles for deposit
Sandlot sports
barbers

 

[Macfrommichigan]

In the This Day In History thread, it was mentioned that Chubby Checker was a part time chicken-plucker. I bet that’s right up there.

This Day In History

Expect full-time pluckers are out of work; the job has been automated. Can't be many part-time pluckers, either. A fellow who is fast with his hands might get a job shucking oysters, tho.

 

[Snurgblat]

Expect full-time pluckers are out of work; the job has been automated. Can't be many part-time pluckers, either. A fellow who is fast with his hands might get a job shucking oysters, tho.

Until geneticists come up with self-shucking oysters.

 

[simon1]

Things that I've seen that I don't see anymore?

Elevator operators (they operated the lever on the wall of the elevator)
Hotel porters
Switchboard operators

 

[Ricksplace]

Keypunch operators
Draftsman (pen and ink) -I did this for 5 years in summer jobs during university.

 

[seattleshaver]

Accountants are still around for anyone with any money to speak of.

Retail clerks seem to have disappeared. Most any "menial" job is rare.

 

[Doc4]

Remember when kids would get paper routes?