Life in the 70s
The 1970s were a totally different world - laid-back, less regulated, and full of things that would raise eyebrows (and probably get you arrested) today. For better or for worse – usually for better – things have changed. Here are some things common in the 70s that are illegal today.
Driving Without Seatbelts
Back in the ’70s, some people had seatbelts, but not nearly enough – because it wasn’t mandatory. Plenty of cars didn’t even have rear seatbelts, and hardly anyone worried about buckling up. Fast forward to today, and not wearing one (or worse, having your child not wear one) can get you in big trouble.
Riding in the Back of a Pickup Truck
Back in the ’70s, piling into the bed of a pickup truck was so commonplace no-one even commented on it. Adults did it and passed the tradition down to their kids. It was fun, even if it wasn’t exactly safe… but people have died that way and now it’s banned.
Drinking and Driving
Okay, so it was never legal to drink and drive, but in the 1970s, the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit was generally higher across the United States. Today, laws are much stricter, although drinking and driving is still a huge problem.
Not Putting Your Baby in a Car Seat
People were so much more cavalier about car safety back in the ‘70s. Babies didn’t have to be in car seats, and it wasn’t unusual for people to keep their newborn in their arms as they rode home from the hospital where they’d given birth. Thankfully, there are now strict laws about car seats.
Burning Trash in Your Backyard
It wasn’t a big deal if you burned trash in your backyard during the ‘70s – even if it was trash that included plastic, which releases toxic fumes. But officials soon realized the chaos that was being unleashed on people’s lungs, and now random backyard burnings are banned.
Smacking a Student With a Ruler
In the ‘70s, corporal punishment was still being used in schools. If you misbehaved, you might well get smacked with a ruler or have something thrown at you. Now, we know what a terrible impact that has on children, and you absolutely cannot get away with hurting a student today.
Throwing Lawn Darts
“Jarts” or lawn darts were popular in the ’70s… until a little girl was killed by one. Her heartbroken father lobbied to have them banned, and eventually he succeeded. Jarts were banned by the ‘80s, and that banning could well have saved lives.
Riding a Bike Without a Helmet
Kids didn’t wear helmets in the ‘70s, because they just weren’t cool. So inevitably, they’d fall off their bikes and get injured… or worse. Now, in a lot of states, kids are required by law to wear helmets… although of course, plenty of them still don’t.
Buying Aerosol Products With CFCs
In the ‘70s, spraying a bottle of hairspray could put CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) into the air. These were destroying the ozone layer, and they had to be stopped. In a great show of environmental care and consideration, CFCs were banned, and the ozone layer went back to normal.
Hitchhiking
If you were going to a concert in the ‘70s, it would be considered normal for you to hitchhike there. But it just wasn’t safe – hitchhikers got murdered. Now, hitchhiking on highways is illegal in many states, but with the rise of Uber people don’t need it anyway.
Keeping Exotic Animals as Pets
Now, we know the dangers of keeping things like lions and tigers as pets. But back in the ‘70s, it wasn’t illegal to keep a massive cat in your house, and of course many people ended up being injured or worse by them. It’s good for both humans and animal that this is against the law now.
Buying Unsafe Toys
It wasn’t just the Jarts. Toys in the ’70s were a lot less safe than what we see today – they had tiny parts kids could choke on, sharp edges they could cut themselves on, and even toxic paint was a thing back then. These days, all toys have to be rigorously tested to make sure they’re safe for children.
Drinking Alcohol as a Teen
It used to be the case that you could drink alcohol when you turned 18 – but now that’s been changed to 21. You can get in a huge amount of trouble if you drink while underage – not that that’s stopped a lot of teens, of course.
