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A Baby Boomer memory about a drug store in my old neighborhood (Original Post) Koch Ebola Aug 2018 OP
Occasionally, the AM radio in my car would stop working. JustABozoOnThisBus Aug 2018 #1
Two "drug stores" in my small hometown both had soda fountains. Laurian Aug 2018 #2

JustABozoOnThisBus

(23,741 posts)
1. Occasionally, the AM radio in my car would stop working.
Thu Aug 9, 2018, 05:37 AM
Aug 2018

I'd take some tools, lie on the floor, and remove the radio from under the dash. Pop the cover (many screws holding it), pull all the vacuum tubes.

With my box of tubes, I'd head for the pharmacy to use their tube-testing machine. Locate the bad tube, find a replacement in the cabinet under the tester, pay a bit of money, and replace all the tubes in the radio.

Hooray! A working radio! Life is good again!

I understood that pharmacies also sold pills to old people, but their main function in those years was to keep my radio going.

Laurian

(2,593 posts)
2. Two "drug stores" in my small hometown both had soda fountains.
Thu Aug 9, 2018, 06:51 PM
Aug 2018

The soda fountains were what drew me to them as a young person

One is still in business and still making sodas, vanilla phosphates (my favorite), etc. It’s family owned and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes away soon. Younger generations don’t tend to stay in the town anymore. 😟

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