My only item on the agenda today is to await the dropping of the latest TDR podcast and I'm a-twitter in anticipation. Which likely shows what a loser I have become.
So I got to thinking…..
While driving past all the construction at the massive new Nashville Airport the other day (loosely defined as "driving" — it's more like "stop-go-stop-crawl-stop" I was reminded of the teeny, tiny Nashville airport terminal back in the 60’s.
This got me to thinking further, and I got the idea “maybe” it would be interesting if others had similar rememberances of things past in the 60’s and would tell what it was like so all the younger folk could better appreciate what it was like compared to nowadays and how incredibly fantastic Boomers are to have survived all of it.
But this is not just limited to all us old people; the younger folk may have heard stories from their parents or grandparents that they simply found unbelievable, yet were true.
So, in order to demonstrate what I’d like others to pass along is the “way things were then” that would be totally incomprehensible to modern folk.
As en example, I’ll start, and I’ll circle back to the airport, which, most likely, we have all done at one time or another while in an airplane.
It was a tiny terminal and, I think, only 2 landing strips. A great date night place for you and your girl!
You could get out of the car, walk into the departure door, walk all the way through the terminal (a very short walk) then go out the front door (the front door was on the back side of the building) and then go down the steps and there before you were an array of park benches upon which to sit outside facing a lovely green lawn.
As you sat, separated from the runways by only a short chain-link fence maybe 30 years away, you and your girl could watch planes land and take off about 100 yards away.
Although a bit noisy, it was really rather breath-taking.
It also made you want to kiss your girl. In public. But that was OK because that’s what all the other couples on the park benches were also doing and we all sort of served as chaperones for each other.
Our parents did not object to this. I think they figured that if we’re smooching in public then that’s likely as far as it would go and, of course, we were at a safe place despite the lack of security anywhere.
I could be remembering wrong, but there were no questions asked, no guards around, no alarms went off, and no one got in trouble or was arrested.
I’m not positive, but I don’t think you will be able to do this at the renovated airport.
However, I do think the original terminal still exists off Briley Parkway, which was just being constructed back in the those days to allow easy navigation around town. Hahahahahahahah.
P.S. The story of Briley Parkway and why it does not extend through Green Hills is another story for another day when we discuss "dumb things done in the past by politicians pressured by a small set of local citizens who had too much influence thus causing all other Nashvillians to suffer for a long, long time."
Briley Parkway was later superseded by I-440, yet another dumb idea.
In fact, if you think about it, the whole interstate system through Nashville was a dumb idea in the first place back in the 50's. The way it's laid out should be a lesson in all engineering schools in the country about "what not to do" as well as any discussion of the "Law of Unintended Consequences."
Which brings me to Ellington Parkway. But that's a different story for a different day.
P.S.S. How could one city be so unlucky to have 3 poorly designed interstates linked with 4 poorly designed parkways?
Which brings me to I-840. But you don't want to get me started on that one. All I can say it is surprising it wasn't named the Ned Parkway.
Wait! I forget Natchez Trace Parkway! Gosh, this could go on forever.
So I got to thinking…..
While driving past all the construction at the massive new Nashville Airport the other day (loosely defined as "driving" — it's more like "stop-go-stop-crawl-stop" I was reminded of the teeny, tiny Nashville airport terminal back in the 60’s.
This got me to thinking further, and I got the idea “maybe” it would be interesting if others had similar rememberances of things past in the 60’s and would tell what it was like so all the younger folk could better appreciate what it was like compared to nowadays and how incredibly fantastic Boomers are to have survived all of it.
But this is not just limited to all us old people; the younger folk may have heard stories from their parents or grandparents that they simply found unbelievable, yet were true.
So, in order to demonstrate what I’d like others to pass along is the “way things were then” that would be totally incomprehensible to modern folk.
As en example, I’ll start, and I’ll circle back to the airport, which, most likely, we have all done at one time or another while in an airplane.
It was a tiny terminal and, I think, only 2 landing strips. A great date night place for you and your girl!
You could get out of the car, walk into the departure door, walk all the way through the terminal (a very short walk) then go out the front door (the front door was on the back side of the building) and then go down the steps and there before you were an array of park benches upon which to sit outside facing a lovely green lawn.
As you sat, separated from the runways by only a short chain-link fence maybe 30 years away, you and your girl could watch planes land and take off about 100 yards away.
Although a bit noisy, it was really rather breath-taking.
It also made you want to kiss your girl. In public. But that was OK because that’s what all the other couples on the park benches were also doing and we all sort of served as chaperones for each other.
Our parents did not object to this. I think they figured that if we’re smooching in public then that’s likely as far as it would go and, of course, we were at a safe place despite the lack of security anywhere.
I could be remembering wrong, but there were no questions asked, no guards around, no alarms went off, and no one got in trouble or was arrested.
I’m not positive, but I don’t think you will be able to do this at the renovated airport.
However, I do think the original terminal still exists off Briley Parkway, which was just being constructed back in the those days to allow easy navigation around town. Hahahahahahahah.
P.S. The story of Briley Parkway and why it does not extend through Green Hills is another story for another day when we discuss "dumb things done in the past by politicians pressured by a small set of local citizens who had too much influence thus causing all other Nashvillians to suffer for a long, long time."
Briley Parkway was later superseded by I-440, yet another dumb idea.
In fact, if you think about it, the whole interstate system through Nashville was a dumb idea in the first place back in the 50's. The way it's laid out should be a lesson in all engineering schools in the country about "what not to do" as well as any discussion of the "Law of Unintended Consequences."
Which brings me to Ellington Parkway. But that's a different story for a different day.
P.S.S. How could one city be so unlucky to have 3 poorly designed interstates linked with 4 poorly designed parkways?
Which brings me to I-840. But you don't want to get me started on that one. All I can say it is surprising it wasn't named the Ned Parkway.
Wait! I forget Natchez Trace Parkway! Gosh, this could go on forever.
