as family sits around - shootin the breeze - made me recall this story
I remember cigs sold for .45¢ a pak, a diner had a cig machine
right inside the door
didn’t have time to put correct change in machine, so just briskly drop 2 quarters in,
pull
a lever, pack would drop, grab-n-run…
when we’d get to our safe place, the questions would fly…
“what kind are they?”, did you get matches?”, “did you get the nickel?”
see, it was a narrow & long diner, the cash register/front counter
was a long way from the front out door,
so IF you had time,
based on where the server was,
you could PUSH the button labeled “MATCHES” (a book would drop)
and .45¢ from 2 quarters left a nickel in the change compartment - IF YOU DARE,
you took the time to retrieve the nickel (nickel went a long way back then)
“
Hey – you kids can’t……” is about all we would hear
and being a scared little kid, didn’t dare to take time to look at brand labels,
just grab a lever and pull (we always prayed it wasn’t menthol, we all hated menthol)
- - -
also remember hearing of rumors: “
if they ever get to a dollar we’ll qwit buying them” we said…