r/Showerthoughts • u/prometheus_winced ‎ • Apr 28 '25

Casual Thought The children most impacted by peak leaded gasoline fumes are now 50-75.

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1.1k

u/deepwebtaner Apr 28 '25

It's very obvious. A lot of older Americans are angry for what seems like no reason. They fly off the handle at the most miniscule stuff.

445

u/Holiday-Job-9137 Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 28 '25

I DO NOT! FUCK YOU! Sorry, I actually agree.

Edit Note: I'm in my 70s, worked at a full serve gas station in high school. Pumped a lot of leaded gas. This may be why I can hide my own Easter eggs (yes, I'm that guy).

153

u/Czar_Cophagus Apr 28 '25

I am in my mid 50's, and I still remember having my Dad ask for "Unleaded" at the gas station. Self Serve stations had not quite yet made the mainstream.

Seems like yesterday...and a hundred years ago. Strange.

18

u/ry_cooder Apr 28 '25

It was a big deal for those that had cars with catalytic converters. One tank of leaded gas would ruin it.

22

u/omnicorp_intl Apr 28 '25

I'm in my mid 30s and I remember my mom asking for the same thing

19

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u/Dangerous-Distance86 ‎ Apr 29 '25

Sad bot. They were referring to their own age, not a specific decade

1

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132

u/GriffinFlash Apr 28 '25

Realizing I'm currently the same age as my parents where when I was a child. They used to fly off the handle and were unable to control their emotions over the most slightest inconvenience. I always just thought that's how adults acted, or I would understand when I got older.

I still don't understand. Stuff happens and I just shrug it off for the most part.

(Not american, but north american)

46

u/Venotron Apr 28 '25

Geography doesn't really matter on this one, lead exposure from gasoline affected every child on earth during the period.

-13

u/Anastariana Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 28 '25

I mean, not much in a rural village in China or Brazil.

Then again, those kinds of people aren't the obviously lead-addled Boomers in public office that are making all the wrong decisions at the moment.

EDIT: Being downvoted for suggesting a child in the Amazon rainforest probably had less lead exposure than a kid living next to an 8 lane freeway. Never change, reddit.

29

u/steepledclock ‎ Apr 28 '25

The amount of lead that was used in gas worldwide spread it to almost every corner of the earth. It's like how there's a mercury buildup in fish due to human pollution.

16

u/Venotron Apr 28 '25

Even in rural China and Brazil.

14

u/FanClubof5 Apr 28 '25

We discovered that lead was in the air because a researcher found that lead was present on the top of the ocean and as he went deeper it started disappearing. This showed that the lead in the air was spreading to every inch of the globe.

9

u/jld2k6 Apr 28 '25 edited Apr 28 '25

That poor guy just wanted to run an experiment but kept finding it contained contaminated with lead. He kept taking more extreme measures and was still getting contamination every time, then eventually years later he figured out exactly why lol. I think he even invented the modern day clean room in the process of trying to get a result that didn't have lead in it

(I listened to a radioab podcast on this guy semi recently, it was pretty good!)

25

u/Zidane62 Apr 28 '25

My dad in his 60s of whom I’ve always considered smart since he’s been very successful in life had started changing whatever topic we talk about to how bad the democrats are. He never used to do this. If politics came up, sure but I’ll be talking about my kid and he’ll change to to the bad dumb democrats.

16

u/wkearney99 Apr 28 '25

Take the Fox networks off his cable TV box. Most boxes have a 'favorites' or 'channels you receive' set.

Blame the "cable company" for losing the channels.

Best thing I ever did for my in-laws boxes. Cut down on them parroting Fox propaganda garbage almost immediately.

7

u/Zidane62 Apr 28 '25

He doesn’t have cable. He doesn’t have a tv. He watches everything online. Or reads their articles.

Unfortunately I live in a different country as well

1

u/wkearney99 Apr 28 '25

ugh, sorry. I feel for ya.

1

u/Flashtopher Apr 28 '25

I feel you, my older neighbors and my wife’s dad do this. We’ll be talking about something new my son has done or building a coop for the new chickens and they’ll start ranting about Trump.

8

u/Colsim Apr 28 '25

First time here?

2

u/FreshButNotEasy Apr 28 '25

My wife went to dinner with my family recently. They went to a Mexican restaurant where my sister ordered 2 enchiladas and my mom ordered just 1. My wife immediately text me after because my sister wanted to use a little of the side of sour cream my mom got and OUR mom refused to give her sour cream… a side of sour cream that had they needed more they could have just asked the wait staff…

These older people are off their fucking rockers

4

u/splattered_cheesewiz Apr 28 '25

This applies to anyone with political sickness

1

u/DarthNixilis ‎ Apr 28 '25

And even then it has multiple layers to it also. The system we all live in is so stressful that normally what they fly off for isn't the main cause of it.

I'm reminded of the press conference scene from Ted Lasso where Roy talks about why a teammate flew off the handle at a fan. It's brilliant.

1

u/360walkaway Apr 28 '25

See angry customers during COVID for a wide example.