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Obsolete Occupations

noonblueapples

Familiar Face
Messages
63
Location
Maine
Atomic Age said:
(not even sure if you can still buy Coke syrup by itself anymore).


Coke syrup is now sold in a bag in box system that taps into a resteraunts soda lines. This has done away with the stainless five galon kegs that used to be used. The kegs are now treasured by home beer makers.
 

Atomic Age

Practically Family
Messages
701
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
noonblueapples said:
Coke syrup is now sold in a bag in box system that taps into a resteraunts soda lines. This has done away with the stainless five galon kegs that used to be used. The kegs are now treasured by home beer makers.

So I could get the syrup and some soda water and make my own mix? Sweet!

Doug
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
32,958
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Sam's Club carries Coke syrup in Bag-in-Box format, but you have to have a resale certificate to buy it. Coke's Fountain Sales division is not supposed to sell to the general public for some obscure reason.

I hate those bag-in-boxes with a passion -- they're clumsy to carry, the fittings leak, and if you drop one or nick the bag when trying to cut open the cardboard access hole, gawd help you.

The fountain I frequented as a little girl got its syrup in gallon-size glass jugs, which would be poured into a stainless-steel reservoir behind the counter. A hand pump like a soap dispenser was fitted to it, and the clerk would give the handle one push to dispense the correct amount of syrup, although if she was feeling generous (and it was always a "she," we didn't have male soda-jerks where I lived) she'd give it a little extra push to give you a richer drink.

I was a colicky baby, I'm told, and the family doctor prescribed a teaspoonful of straight Coke syrup as a remedy. The pharmacist would pour it off into a medicine bottle straight from the fountain jug -- apparently this was a very common prescription.
 

Atomic Age

Practically Family
Messages
701
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
LizzieMaine said:
I was a colicky baby, I'm told, and the family doctor prescribed a teaspoonful of straight Coke syrup as a remedy. The pharmacist would pour it off into a medicine bottle straight from the fountain jug -- apparently this was a very common prescription.

When I was a kid my mom had a small bottle of Coke syrup in the fridge that was labeled "Coke syrup for medicinal purposes" or something close to that. I'm pretty sure she also got it from the pharmacist. She gave it to us for upset stomachs.

Doug
 
Messages
13,369
Location
Orange County, CA
LizzieMaine said:
Sam's Club carries Coke syrup in Bag-in-Box format, but you have to have a resale certificate to buy it. Coke's Fountain Sales division is not supposed to sell to the general public for some obscure reason.

I hate those bag-in-boxes with a passion -- they're clumsy to carry, the fittings leak, and if you drop one or nick the bag when trying to cut open the cardboard access hole, gawd help you.

I've seen them at my local Sam's Club. Also the food court at this one has the new Coke dispenser machines where you make your selection on a touch screen. What I hate about the new machines is that the syrup is in cartridges -- similar to the ink cartridge for your printer -- they don't hold very much so they run out very quickly -- especially on the weekends. Practically every time I'm there I see the Coca-Cola man replacing the syrup cartridges.
 

Speedbird

A-List Customer
Messages
359
Location
London, UK
Atomic Age said:
When I was a kid my mom had a small bottle of Coke syrup in the fridge that was labeled "Coke syrup for medicinal purposes" or something close to that. I'm pretty sure she also got it from the pharmacist. She gave it to us for upset stomachs.

Doug

Is this the reason why even today flat coke is really good for all manner of stomach upsets?
 
Messages
10,560
Location
My mother's basement
Atomic Age said:
When I was a kid my mom had a small bottle of Coke syrup in the fridge that was labeled "Coke syrup for medicinal purposes" or something close to that. I'm pretty sure she also got it from the pharmacist. She gave it to us for upset stomachs.

Doug

Interesting, that. Our old man had a similar remedy, 'cept he kept his in the cupboard above the refrigerator. Said it was good for snakebites and such. Seems he was perpetually on guard against snakebites. I think they still make the stuff, and I hear it's still used for such "off label" purposes.
 
Messages
10,560
Location
My mother's basement
sixties.nut said:
And nobody's mentioned customer service at a bank ! lol

The tellers at my bank are instructed to tell us dinosaurs that the transaction we're carrying out can be accommodated at the ATM -- check deposits (they got some sort of scanner) and everything. The bank is obviously trying to hasten the obsolescence of the actual, live, in-person bank teller. But I resist.
 

Chainsaw

Suspended
Messages
392
Location
Toronto
Atomic Age said:
So I could get the syrup and some soda water and make my own mix? Sweet!

Doug

If you would like to make your own "pop" as we call it, you can grab a bottle of syrup, from a European deli. The best stuff is from Yugoslavia, Raspberry or blackberry. You just have to mix it with club soda!

And on another topic, the damn, banks put all the tellers out of business with the insta tellers. In the 80's the banks told all the High school women, "no need for University, come work for the bank, you'll have a job for life!" Then, insta tellers, and lot's of unemployed bank workers.
 

cptjeff

Practically Family
Messages
564
Location
Greensboro, NC
LizzieMaine said:
Sam's Club carries Coke syrup in Bag-in-Box format, but you have to have a resale certificate to buy it. Coke's Fountain Sales division is not supposed to sell to the general public for some obscure reason.
It's not obscure. It's because it's much, much cheaper to buy the syrup then the bottles, which are pure profit. Ever notice how a 20 oz costs more then a 2 liter? You're not paying for the liquid.

Coke's motives are hardly secret in that regard. If you discovered that your 20 oz bottle costs them all of a dime, you would probably never buy one again.
 

sixties.nut

Registered User
Messages
158
Location
offline
Chainsaw said:
And on another topic, the damn, banks put all the tellers out of business with the insta tellers. In the 80's the banks told all the High school women, "no need for University, come work for the bank, you'll have a job for life!" Then, insta tellers, and lot's of unemployed bank workers.

That's what they told the 'teller' phone operators, here then they switched over to the #5 switch. But again, not much customer service there either.

Hmm, wonder if I'm on to something here ? lol
 

Chainsaw

Suspended
Messages
392
Location
Toronto
Please Sixties nut,don't start talkin' about telephones. I'm still pissed off Ma Bell's Monoply was broken up here. Apparently the service was too good.
 

Atomic Age

Practically Family
Messages
701
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
cptjeff said:
It's not obscure. It's because it's much, much cheaper to buy the syrup then the bottles, which are pure profit. Ever notice how a 20 oz costs more then a 2 liter? You're not paying for the liquid.

Coke's motives are hardly secret in that regard. If you discovered that your 20 oz bottle costs them all of a dime, you would probably never buy one again.


You could say the same of Starbuck's where they charge $3 for a cup of something that cost them about .5 cents to make. I'm sorry but a cup of coffee should never cost more than about .50 cents.

Doug
 

Fletch

I'll Lock Up
Messages
8,865
Location
Iowa - The Land That Stuff Forgot
Once a big dog in any business category is able to draw customers on price alone, the customer care issue becomes a race to the bottom.

CC will probably have to completely disappear before people want it back enough for the market to provide it.
 

Chainsaw

Suspended
Messages
392
Location
Toronto
If you guys got a second...

We had one friend that was a scrap metal guy, and he fixed washers on the side. He was the size of a bear. Each of his hands were like two of yours. One time someone had a Chevy 350 block that was for scrap, he picked it up with his bare hands, and placed it in the back of his pick up.

He always used to say, the problem with the country, is "There's no pride of ownership."

Disposable cars, disposable marriages, houses the bank owns, and someone else is proud of.

Go find an Amish person, or Mennonite, buy some of their home made tarts, and bacon. It might save your soul.
 

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