Jobs portrayed on LITB that are mostly no more - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Tankeryanker · 03-02-2026, 08:16 PM

The paperboy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im-4J-atM84

And the gas station attendent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZF6AJiYvAA

I remember the paperboy growing up. Not so much the gas station attendent

The episode when the Cleaver men made the paperboy's sister breakdown. Big bullies. Snicker

I remember in the show how much money eddie was making working his job.

stevea · 03-02-2026, 11:44 PM

I'm guessing New Jersey still has gas station attendants, due to an old state law. But everywhere else, they've gone by the wayside.

Sgt. Saunders · 03-03-2026, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

I'm guessing New Jersey still has gas station attendants, due to an old state law. But everywhere else, they've gone by the wayside.

Yes, Eddie could still get a job pumping gas in the great Garden State today. Eddie could have impressed Wally, Lumpy and Beaver with tales of how he personally pumped gas for such notables as Bruce Springsteen, John Bon Jovi, Danny DeVito, Cory Booker, Tony Soprano, Ann Hathaway and Bruce Willis.

People, you know, whom the always socially-conscious Eddie would characterize as individuals who “mattered” or who could help him “get somewhere” in life.

stevea · 03-03-2026, 07:43 AM

Another gone-by-the-wayside job would be the old "soda jerk." So no more Eddie Haskell demanding to hear the list of ice cream flavors, or the sandwiches offered.

In those days I don't remember any lunch counters in South Jersey. In the borough of Medford Lakes there was a tiny hole-in-the-wall drug store. In slightly-larger Medford there was a Rexall drug store, in which there was no room for a counter either. In the area there were no larger stores where there would be a counter with a soda jerk. The largest store was an Acme grocery, large only when it moved from of the center of Medford, out onto Route 70.

Here in Indianapolis I do remember a counter at the G. C. Murphy 5 and 10 that was open into the 1990s. They served a good burger. I don't know if they had Lumpy's favorite pistachio ice cream.

TJ · 03-03-2026, 04:06 PM

There is probably still home milk delivery with glass bottles in some areas, but the service has been mostly phased out.

Russ (Russell) Thorson is credited as playing the "Man with Milk Bottles" on Leave it to Beaver. The series, which aired from 1957 to 1963, reflected the common 1950s practice of home milk delivery, often remembered for the sound of crates.

stevea · 03-03-2026, 04:16 PM

The Cleavers had a man delivering cleaning, and I think a bread man stopped by. In the real world there was a Bond bread man.

As much milk as they drank, there was bound to be a milkman, too.

Tankeryanker · 03-03-2026, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJ

There is probably still home milk delivery with glass bottles in some areas, but the service has been mostly phased out.

Russ (Russell) Thorson is credited as playing the "Man with Milk Bottles" on Leave it to Beaver. The series, which aired from 1957 to 1963, reflected the common 1950s practice of home milk delivery, often remembered for the sound of crates.

What Happened to the Milk Man?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsVbPE7Rm1I

TJ · 03-03-2026, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tankeryanker

What Happened to the Milk Man?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsVbPE7Rm1I

It looks like a pretty cool new channel. I will have to check it out.

You have probably seen it all at age 116.

Tankeryanker · 03-03-2026, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJ

It looks like a pretty cool new channel. I will have to check it out.

You have probably seen it all at age 116.

I remember before there were milk men.

cd637299 · 03-03-2026, 10:44 PM

Are there any young’uns left who will let you spit off a bridge, for a nominal fee? Does that qualify as a “job”?

There are still ice cream trucks, but very few “Igloo” style vehicles….

Or, no more vendors walking all over the beach, offering sodas and junk.

(Good thread btw)

cd

MichaelMartinD · 03-06-2026, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cd637299

Are there any young’uns left who will let you spit off a bridge, for a nominal fee? Does that qualify as a “job”?

There are still ice cream trucks, but very few “Igloo” style vehicles….

Or, no more vendors walking all over the beach, offering sodas and junk.

(Good thread btw)

cd

During the summer we have an ice cream truck that drives onto our street to sell treats. You can always recognize it by the calliope-style music it plays.

Coffeecup · 05-24-2026, 02:18 PM

In our area, no such thing as a teenager mowing lawns. All in our area there landscaping companies which charge a minimum of $100.00 for lawn cutting. With landscapers you are paying much much more than a teenager. You either mow the lawn yourself (hard to do when you are 70+) or pay a fortune.

cd637299 · 05-24-2026, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

In our area, no such thing as a teenager mowing lawns. All in our area there landscaping companies which charge a minimum of $100.00 for lawn cutting. With landscapers you are paying much much more than a teenager. You either mow the lawn yourself (hard to do when you are 70+) or pay a fortune.

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s yard work of almost any kind. I’m in a mobile home park, and mowing is handled in our monthly fee, which is over $100.

I do pruning if the weather is nice and cool, AND it’s the week of bulk pickup.

cd

stevea · 05-24-2026, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffeecup

In our area, no such thing as a teenager mowing lawns. All in our area there landscaping companies which charge a minimum of $100.00 for lawn cutting. With landscapers you are paying much much more than a teenager. You either mow the lawn yourself (hard to do when you are 70+) or pay a fortune.

Teenagers don't do any of that around here, either. No lawn mowing, snow shoveling, soda jerking, Igloo-bar selling.

Unless you mow your own, only landscape companies mow lawns now.

biffbronson · 05-25-2026, 07:10 AM

Although not seen on LItB, oil deliveries to residential homes used to be fairly common; not anymore, at least not in my area.

When I was very young, I was excited to see the yellow Waggoner's Oil tanker truck pull up and deliver heating oil via a hose connected to the side of my house.

The oil went into a big, black horizontal tank in the basement that supplied our old oil-burning furnace. We converted to natural gas heating in 1978.

03-02-2026, 08:16 PM	#1
Tankeryanker Do you like my monkey picture? Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 22, 2014 Posts: 3,040	Jobs portrayed on LITB that are mostly no more The paperboy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im-4J-atM84 And the gas station attendent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZF6AJiYvAA I remember the paperboy growing up. Not so much the gas station attendent The episode when the Cleaver men made the paperboy's sister breakdown. Big bullies. Snicker I remember in the show how much money eddie was making working his job.

03-02-2026, 11:44 PM	#2
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,179	I'm guessing New Jersey still has gas station attendants, due to an old state law. But everywhere else, they've gone by the wayside.

03-03-2026, 07:43 AM	#4
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,179	Another gone-by-the-wayside job would be the old "soda jerk." So no more Eddie Haskell demanding to hear the list of ice cream flavors, or the sandwiches offered. In those days I don't remember any lunch counters in South Jersey. In the borough of Medford Lakes there was a tiny hole-in-the-wall drug store. In slightly-larger Medford there was a Rexall drug store, in which there was no room for a counter either. In the area there were no larger stores where there would be a counter with a soda jerk. The largest store was an Acme grocery, large only when it moved from of the center of Medford, out onto Route 70. Here in Indianapolis I do remember a counter at the G. C. Murphy 5 and 10 that was open into the 1990s. They served a good burger. I don't know if they had Lumpy's favorite pistachio ice cream.

03-03-2026, 04:06 PM	#5
TJ Site Owner Administrator Forum Star Join Date: Feb 03, 2000 Location: Marietta, GA Posts: 10,649	There is probably still home milk delivery with glass bottles in some areas, but the service has been mostly phased out. Russ (Russell) Thorson is credited as playing the "Man with Milk Bottles" on Leave it to Beaver. The series, which aired from 1957 to 1963, reflected the common 1950s practice of home milk delivery, often remembered for the sound of crates.

03-03-2026, 04:16 PM	#6
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,179	The Cleavers had a man delivering cleaning, and I think a bread man stopped by. In the real world there was a Bond bread man. As much milk as they drank, there was bound to be a milkman, too.

03-03-2026, 10:44 PM	#10
cd637299 cd637299 Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 14, 2022 Location: South Florida Posts: 844	Are there any young’uns left who will let you spit off a bridge, for a nominal fee? Does that qualify as a “job”? There are still ice cream trucks, but very few “Igloo” style vehicles…. Or, no more vendors walking all over the beach, offering sodas and junk. (Good thread btw) cd

05-24-2026, 02:18 PM	#12
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,176	In our area, no such thing as a teenager mowing lawns. All in our area there landscaping companies which charge a minimum of $100.00 for lawn cutting. With landscapers you are paying much much more than a teenager. You either mow the lawn yourself (hard to do when you are 70+) or pay a fortune.

05-25-2026, 07:10 AM	#15
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,273	Although not seen on LItB, oil deliveries to residential homes used to be fairly common; not anymore, at least not in my area. When I was very young, I was excited to see the yellow Waggoner's Oil tanker truck pull up and deliver heating oil via a hose connected to the side of my house. The oil went into a big, black horizontal tank in the basement that supplied our old oil-burning furnace. We converted to natural gas heating in 1978.