Jobs That Don’t Exist Anymore, Many Due to Technology

Here's a few careers that you just don't see anymore,  some of them I can remember from very early childhood.

Courtesy of some help from CBS-Local TV Cleveland, OH, and the website Listverse.com  here are some professions you don't see very often, or have completely faded into our memories in America.

See if you remember any of these:

• Milkman.   back in the 1960's I remember occasionally hearing the clatter of glass bottles as the milkman made his delivery in our neighborhood.  But even in the late 60's, as a 5-6 year old,  I remember starting to buy our milk in the "new" plastic jugs in the store.
• Telephone switchboard operator.  I personally never dealt with one, but as a child I recall in rural areas outside of the Tri-Cities you could still occasionally have to dial into a switchboard to reach someone waaaay out in the sticks.
• Meter Readers.  while they are still seen from time to time,  many utility and electrical companies have switched to monitored digital technology.  Long-gone are the days of a guy in a uniform with an old-style policeman-like hat, who went door to door and read your water and electrical meter.
• Gas Station attendandt. Except for New Jersey, and OREGON, where you're not allowed to pump your own gas, they are largely gone.  I do recall the days when you pulled into a service station, and a group of workers would "swarm" your car.  One would pump the fuel, others check the tires and oil, and others wash the windows etc.   gone,  all gone. There used to be a gas station in downtown Kennewick that did that a few years ago, but I believe it's changed owners.  And that was before computers took control of your car or truck - makes me long for my old '76 half-ton GMC pickup with a small block 350 and Edelbrock carb!
• Film Projectionists-Movie Theaters.  Even back in the 70's there was a guy or gal up in the booth, who loaded the big flat spools of film as you watched, maybe, Star Wars for the first time at the theater.  But now with the advent of digital technology,  when the movie starts in the theater in the projection room,  there's nobody there.
• Dog Catcher. This one might surprise you, because of the various Animal Control outfits in the Tri-Cities.  But decades ago, there was actually in most cities, a municipally appointed and funded worker or workers, who's job was to patrol the streets looking for stray cats and dogs and other animals.     Now,  YOU have to call in when you see strays,  or most of the time, we take them in,  feed and water them, and put their picture on Facebook with the hopes of finding their owner.

According to a report from jobs.AOL.com, other professions that are headed for obscurity include watch and clock repairman,  camera and photographic equipment repair workers, and they claim, postal service mail sorters and processing machine operators.

Due to often disposable, cheap technology, watches and cameras are a "dime-a-dozen," and continued automation of the U.S. Postal Service (and major cutbacks) will probably eliminate the sorter and processing jobs altogether in a few years.   We shall see on that last one.