When was the last time....

[Teh One Who Knocks]

In a discussion in a thread in the news section about film becoming obsolete, it brought out the following post from Deepsepia:

Funny to try to remember the "last time" you did things that are technologically obsolete. You forget so fast.

When was the last time you:

Typed on a typewriter
Sent a personal letter
made a collect call
dialed "411" to get a phone number
used a dedicated fax machine
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat)
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent
used a rotary dial phone

Softdreamer mentioned maybe it would be a good thread to start and I agree...time to reminisce a bit (and show your age probably too )

Let's start with the list Deep posted:

Typed on a typewriter - At least 20 years ago for me
Sent a personal letter - Handwritten? Probably 15 years Typed? Around 1 year
made a collect call - I can't even remember
dialed "411" to get a phone number - Probably about 3 years
used a dedicated fax machine - daily still at work
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - probably about 20 years
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - Maybe about 20 years or so
used a rotary dial phone - Another one that's at least 20 years ago

[Deepsepia]

Me:

Typed on a typewriter - 10 years or so (there was some paper form that I had to fill out, typewriter is useful for that)
Sent a personal letter - Handwritten? 1 year (a condolence card, typing seems kinda lame for that) Typed? Around 1 year
made a collect call - 20 years
dialed "411" to get a phone number - 5 years
used a dedicated fax machine - 2 years
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - 10 years
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - 10 years
used a rotary dial phone - 5 years

and add from Antz
looked up a number in a phone book: can't remember. Our town no longer has mandatory phone book delivery now.

Oh here's an old time one: Had your shoes repaired at a shoemaker? 10 years.

[Softdreamer]

Typed on a typewriter - transcribing guitar sheet music ~20 years ago
Sent a personal letter - 3 months ago, a family member passed away, the letter was to his wife
made a collect call - not for ~20 years either!
dialed "411" to get a phone number - 192 or 118 now, 2 years ago, to get a postcode for a caravan site for sat nav
used a dedicated fax machine - 7 years ago, whilst emigrating
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - almost about a year back, using an analogue signal on a a retro gaming night
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - dont think ive ever done this
used a rotary dial phone - Does the fisher price phone count? if not about 25 years

[Hal-9000]

Typed on a typewriter - never
Sent a personal letter - nine years ago, to a dentist
made a collect call - 1985, to my parents
dialed "411" to get a phone number - at work, 1993, 94
used a dedicated fax machine - every day
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - every day
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - never
used a rotary dial phone - 1989

[redred]

i found a typewriter today in the house we're moving to so had a few taps on it

the rest ages ago

[Godfather]

Typed on a typewriter - never for practical reasons; but just the other day, it was at a trendy restaurant for some reason...

Sent a personal letter - Christmas... still sent out a thank you to my Grandma

made a collect call - When I was in Europe 8 years ago

dialed "411" to get a phone number - 16 years ago?

used a dedicated fax machine - dedicated as in no copier/scanner? never

used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - never

bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - never

used a rotary dial phone - My grandma had one as recently as 10 years ago

[Muddy]

Typed on a typewriter - 10 years ago, for fun?

Sent a personal letter - A week ago, via legal correspondence

made a collect call - 20 years ago?

dialed "411" to get a phone number - 16 years ago?

used a dedicated fax machine - couple times a week

used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - Whenever the Fios go's out, nice picture btw

bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - never

used a rotary dial phone - Same as GF- My grandma had one as recently as 10 years ago

[AntZ]

Here are a few more:

Used a bank drive-up window with those vacuum canister tubes

Rented a video/dvd

Used a pager

Used a dial-up modem that required a sign-on like NetZero

Used Full Service at a gas station (and the guy cleaned the windows and checked under the hood)

Had a dairy delivery to your house (milk, eggs, and juice)

Tuned up a car/pick-up and changed the points, condenser and set the dwell

Changed the oil in your car and used the metal nozzle that cut the oil can while sticking it in

[Muddy]

Used a bank drive-up window with those vacuum canister tubes- a month ago maybe

Rented a video/dvd- a month ago maybe

Used a pager- 5 years ago maybe(didnt own it though)

Used a dial-up modem that required a sign-on like NetZero - 10 years ago maybe

Used Full Service at a gas station (and the guy cleaned the windows and checked under the hood)- never, gas fillup yes... full service? never.

Had a dairy delivery to your house (milk, eggs, and juice)- never

Tuned up a car/pick-up and changed the points, condenser and set the dwell - huh?

Changed the oil in your car and used the metal nozzle that cut the oil can while sticking it in - never

[allsmiles]

Typed on a typewriter - At least I used to have one for play when I was a kid.
Sent a personal letter - Today. I send my aunt and grandmother a handwritten letter once a week
made a collect call - probably when I was around 12 or 13
dialed "411" to get a phone number - Never
used a dedicated fax machine - Today.
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - I don't know what that is...
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - never
used a rotary dial phone - Never.

[DemonGeminiX]

Here are a few more:

Used Full Service at a gas station (and the guy cleaned the windows and checked under the hood)

They still do that in NJ. It's legally mandated there.

[allsmiles]

Used a bank drive-up window with those vacuum canister tubes: Yesterday

Rented a video/dvd: Rented a dirty movie a few years ago

Used a pager: never

Used a dial-up modem that required a sign-on like NetZero: Whenever I visit my parents' house

Used Full Service at a gas station (and the guy cleaned the windows and checked under the hood): Never

Had a dairy delivery to your house (milk, eggs, and juice): Never

Tuned up a car/pick-up and changed the points, condenser and set the dwell: Yeah...

Changed the oil in your car and used the metal nozzle that cut the oil can while sticking it in: My dad changes my oil.

[AntZ]

Tuned up a car/pick-up and changed the points, condenser and set the dwell - huh?

That's in the distributor!



F: Is the condenser.

B,C,D: Is the points assembly

B: The time the two contacts stay open is the "dwell"

The points open and close as it rides on the lobes in the center. It determines when the coil discharges and fires the spark plug.

I first learned how to change the parts when I was in elementary school.

They still do that in NJ. It's legally mandated there.

The last time I was in Yosemite National Park, all the gas stations were only full service. Other then that, they are extinct in the west.

[Hugh_Janus]

Typed on a typewriter - transcribing guitar sheet music ~20 years ago
Sent a personal letter - 3 months ago, a family member passed away, the letter was to his wife
made a collect call - not for ~20 years either!
dialed "411" to get a phone number - 192 or 118 now, 2 years ago, to get a postcode for a caravan site for sat nav
used a dedicated fax machine - 7 years ago, whilst emigrating
used a tuner for over the air tv signals (though digital broadcast has brought this back somewhat) - almost about a year back, using an analogue signal on a a retro gaming night
bought an airline ticket through a travel agent - dont think ive ever done this
used a rotary dial phone - Does the fisher price phone count? if not about 25 years

dude.... I thought you were younger than me

anyway....

typewriter - never
letter - never. I wrote a few in school, but that was just school work)
collect call - I don't even know what a collect call is
411 - maybe 13 years ago
fax - never
tuner - maybe 4 years ago when some prick knocked the aerial off the telly in work
plane ticket - about 10 years ago.... the last time I got on a plane
phone - probably 15 years ago when my parents had one. That was the first phone I ever used. I spoke to my grandfather on it when I was a little kid..... I can't believe I remember that

[Hal-9000]

dude.... I thought you were younger than me

anyway....

typewriter - never
letter - never. I wrote a few in school, but that was just school work)
collect call - I don't even know what a collect call is
411 - maybe 13 years ago
fax - never
tuner - maybe 4 years ago when some prick knocked the aerial off the telly in work
plane ticket - about 10 years ago.... the last time I got on a plane
phone - probably 15 years ago when my parents had one. That was the first phone I ever used. I spoke to my grandfather on it when I was a little kid..... I can't believe I remember that

A collect call is when you call someone long distance and the operator informs the other party that you want them to pay for the call...

Can be reeeeal uncomfortable as you can hear the operator ask the question.....




Operator - Mrs Mom, collect call from Hugh will you accept the charges?
Mom - fuck no *click*
Hugh -