Were these things dangerous? Sometimes, certainly. Some things from the past had to change.
The pictures and the prose are posted on the internet often; they've become a meme.
It's a photo of individuals involved in some activity from days gone by with a heading akin to "and we survived." Or, it's a list of relatively common occurrences from a generation or two ago -- i.e., staying out until the streetlights came on -- with a similar sentiment.
My ramp would have been even less sturdy. They are activities and occurrences that, for one reason or another, have been relegated to the past.
Let me say right up front that I'm not taking any "sides" here. This is not an attempt to indict any present-day practices/beliefs nor is it an effort to make anyone from the past look "less than bright." Believe me, I've participated in my fair share of stupid stunts. And, apparently it runs in the family. My Dad, who was a brilliant electrical engineer, admits to having once, as a child, jumped off the roof of his house holding an umbrella "to see what would happen." What happened was what you would expect to happen, though no bones were broken.
One of the things that often gets overlooked in those listicles is that children from my generation and previous ones didn't have as much to choose from as kids today. There weren't as many organized activities, there weren't as many TV channels, there weren't any computer games. And, back then mothers would regularly encourage their kids to "go outside and get some fresh air!" So, in our interest in avoiding boredom, we oftentimes did things that could be looked back on -- with the benefit of hindsight -- as stupid. And, having participated in many of them, I can also say in hindsight that they were fun.
Were these things dangerous? Sometimes, certainly. The 'clackers' craze from the 1970, for example - everyone had to have a set of the solid balls on string. It might not have been easy to "take an eye out with those things," but fingers, noses and other body parts were in jeopardy.
Some things from the past had to change. In a 2014 article in the New York Times, Jane Brody noted that "the prevalence of peanut allergy among children in the United States has risen more than threefold, to 1.4 percent in 2010 from 0.4 percent in 1997, according to a study by food allergists at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City." Some may wax nostalgic for the days of classroom parties with all sorts of homemade treats (nuts included), but facts are facts - and in many cases the risk is most definitely not worth the reward.
Others leave many of us shaking our heads. There really doesn't seem to be any explanation why generations of children played "tag" or dodgeball on playgrounds, only to find, in the 21st century, that some people find these exercises harmful and ban the games.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
So, instead of trying to prove anything, let's just enjoy a look back at some of the things many of us did in New Jersey years ago ... and survived. Be sure to click on the captions button to read more about these vintage photos.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find The Star-Ledger on Facebook.