We drove out to California in 1978 with a CB radio in the car. You could honestly just sit and listen to the chatter for hours. I remember guys singing - a cappella - that probably could have had recording contracts.
For various reasons, CB never quite took off over here, although there was a brief stirring around 1981-82 when Eddie Yeats out of Coronation Street - under the handle 'Slim Jim' - used one to woo his sweetheart, Marion 'Stardust Lil' Willis.
81, 82 in the UK it was all rather silly. Grown men on a Sunday afternoon, giving themselves silly names, driving in convoys of Cortinas, pretending they were driving Freightliners and going home to Mum's for tea.
I think nail bars are CB radio stores of the 2010s, don't think anyone's written a song about them yet though.
They wouldn't need to, they could just repurpose "Gay Bar" by Electric Six.
Actually come to think of it, those places where fish nibbled the skin on your feet didn't last long did they? I know someone who bankrolled his daughter opening one, so I could ask him but it's probably a touchy subject. (insert joke about how the business had no chance because it was under water from the start).
Actually come to think of it, those places where fish nibbled the skin on your feet didn't last long did they? I know someone who bankrolled his daughter opening one, so I could ask him but it's probably a touchy subject. (insert joke about how the business had no chance because it was under water from the start).
There was a string of scare stories about people catching diseases from them and they disappeared almost as quickly as they came.
Three of my friends had CBs; two in their cars and one a "home base". Very limited chatter; I remember sitting with my mate who had the home base, listening to silence. Then a girl's voice, on and off for about five minutes: "Diesel, you on channel?"
The two car-based rigs (DYSWIDT?) actually proved pretty useful when five of us took two cars on a camping trip to Snowdonia in 1983. We managed to find each other again after getting split up in the wilds of Shrewsbury.
The hapless boyfriend of my pal who has settled in Madrid invested his redundancy money in a gel printing nail bar. The machine was very dear so he rented very cheap shopspace in his family's barrio, which surprise, surprise turned out not to have much footfall for selling a new gimmick. He lost it all within 6 months but will still regale us with tales of how much he coulda made and what a great idea it was...
Three of my friends had CBs; two in their cars and one a "home base". Very limited chatter; I remember sitting with my mate who had the home base, listening to silence. Then a girl's voice, on and off for about five minutes: "Diesel, you on channel?"
The two car-based rigs (DYSWIDT?) actually proved pretty useful when five of us took two cars on a camping trip to Snowdonia in 1983. We managed to find each other again after getting split up in the wilds of Shrewsbury.
My mum met her husband via CB radio. That was about 1989. I remember my mum having a base unit in the bedroom and him having one in his car.
So committed to CB was he, that he actually had one installed on his Vauxhall Astra in 2016!!! I don't know if he ever used it, since my mum passed in 2014 I only see him when I visit my brother and he happens to be there.
My mum met her husband via CB radio. That was about 1989. I remember my mum having a base unit in the bedroom and him having one in his car.
So committed to CB was he, that he actually had one installed on his Vauxhall Astra in 2016!!! I don't know if he ever used it, since my mum passed in 2014 I only see him when I visit my brother and he happens to be there.
These days, I tend to imagine that CB is still used to some extent for dogging and the like. (I may, of course, be completely inaccurate in this assumption.)
There was a string of scare stories about people catching diseases from them and they disappeared almost as quickly as they came.
Early on during its 'moment', my sister went in for this at least once - and repeatedly told us how effective it was. Even then, I thought 'egad - disease!' and couldn't imagine why folk really wanted to share one-another's feet in such a way...
These days, I tend to imagine that CB is still used to some extent for dogging and the like. (I may, of course, be completely inaccurate in this assumption.)
Early on during its 'moment', my sister went in for this at least once - and repeatedly told us how effective it was. Even then, I thought 'egad - disease!' and couldn't imagine why folk really wanted to share one-another's feet in such a way...
It's the Garra Rufa fish - they are quite common in Tanzania, and there is a shoal in a natural hotspring in Kikuletwa, not far from me. I've been with the family a couple of times - and did not like the nibbly little buggers one bit.
Google "fish pedicure health" and there are horror stories about people losing their toenails, having to have toes amputated, and catching hepatitis and HIV.
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