Did you work at Fotomat?

[Jrsy Boy]

What was the deal with bathroom breaks at these places? Did you have to count on there being one available in a nearby business?

 

[MareQ]

We still have one of those by us.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

That's why the windows are above waist height -- so you can't see the "chair" the employee is sitting on.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[SplshMtn99]

Always wonder about that. And turnpike toll collectors too.

 

[Cantw8]

There used to be one in a shopping center, in the middle of the parking lot where I worked in a Deli. There was also a bar right next door to the deli (talk about convenient) anyway, every weekend without fail, some drunk would back into the dang thing

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

LOL!!

I always wondered this too!!

 

[missypie]

I remember some comedian talking about working at Fotomat in the Seventies...he said his car was bigger than where he worked!

 

[MM27]

I always wondered that about taxi drivers in NYC too, until I got in a cab and saw the driver had a Snapple bottle next to him with a mysterious looking liquid in it.

 

[RobInBigKC]

Engineer's friend?

-- Rob

 

[Snowysmom]

I worked in one of those booths. One day a guy in a camper tried to drive up to the window and almost knocked the roof off. And bathroom breaks were taken at nearby stores or fast food places. I didn't last long. It was a lonely, boring job.

 

[mtblujeans]

I was 17 the last time I saw one of those. I wouldn't be able to work in there....I'd have an anxiety attack from my claustrophobia!

 

[motherhen17404]

OMG, this is too funny. I did work for Fotomat in the 1980's. I worked in a "store front" store most of the time, but I was transfered to a "hut" for a few weeks to cover vacations. I hated that! And I always got the question about the bathroom. I used to tell everyone that you push a button and the seat turns into a elevator that took you to the basement where there was a full apartment with bathroom. You would not believe how many people believed me! On the plus side, I did meet my DH there. He was a customer. So I do have fond memories of Fotomat.

 

[Jrsy Boy]

I worked in one of those booths.

OMG, this is too funny. I did work for Fotomat in the 1980's. I worked in a "store front" store most of the time, but I was transfered to a "hut" for a few weeks to cover vacations.

OK, so next question: did you look through customers' photos and, if so, what was the most interesting thing you saw?

 

[motherhen17404]

OK, so next question: did you look through customers' photos and, if so, what was the most interesting thing you saw?

Oh, no, I never looked at customers photos....yeah, right. We had to do spot checks. I never saw anything interesting. But back then if you sent in "those kind" of photos to be printed, they would just send them back without printing them. They were strict on that sort of thing. But I knew this guy who would print them at this private store he worked in. I always sent customers with naughty photos to him. He got to see all the "interesting" photos.

 

[micki7337]

I worked for Photo-Drive-Thru back in 1978 when I was 16 y/o and always feared someone would plow into the booth at any moment.

OK, so next question: did you look through customers' photos and, if so, what was the most interesting thing you saw?

How else do you think we passed the time? I looked at every single picture in the booth. Heck, I even sent some out for reprints! I still have great pictures of Queen in concert, pictures of the Astros up close and personal on the playing field and someone's amazing vacation shots from the Grand Canyon. Can't tell you how many times someone would come in because the pictures were due in only to hear, 'sorry, maybe tomorrow'! LOL!!

I will never forgot the lady who pulled up with her kids to pickup pictures with an old, torn photo slip. The kids were jumping around in the backseat. When I checked the log, it showed that the envelope had been placed in the out of date bin. So I gave her the envelope with her pictures and she immediately throws them to her kids in the back seat. As I'm giving her her change, the kids are looking through the pictures and yelling, 'hey mom, why aren't you wearing any clothes?"! LOL!! It was only then that I remembered what pictures she had just picked up! We had laughed and looked at those pixs for months just waiting for someone to show up and claim them!