Vent: I was looking at old crane manuals online and found a wild stat

I was digging through a PDF of a 1970s mobile crane manual from a library in Chicago and it said the operator's cab had an ashtray built into the console. My grandpa, who ran cranes back then, confirmed it and said his boss gave him a carton of cigarettes every month. Can you imagine lighting up while doing a tricky lift today?

3 comments

3 Comments

paul2333mo ago

Remember when safety gear was just a cigarette and a prayer?

masondixon3mo ago

What gets me is how that attitude shaped whole towns. My grandpa's factory didn't have guards on the machines, so every block had a guy missing fingers. That was just the cost of a paycheck back then.

fisher.mason1mo ago

Grandpa's first job was at a plant where the safety meeting was just the foreman yelling "keep your fingers clear.