OK, you know the way your mind works when you’re in a state of semi-consciousness? The way something just floats into view and synapses just spark, linking old obscure memories together? Then, if you’re really sad you decide just to post them on your blog?
Today’s obscure thread is… segs. Does anyone else remember these? I’d expect the ones of around 30 and over to perhaps have heard of them. Basically they were steel toecaps for the outside and underside of shoes. Little plates of steel with spikes in that you hammered into your footwear so that they made a clacking noise as you walked.
Utterly useless for assassins, teachers, mothers or anyone else who’s day-to-day life required stealthy movement. I found one once, just lying on the pavement. I had one seg. How sad is that? *clack* *thud* *clack* *thud*. One seggy foot, one leathery one.
They’ve not been around for years. I suspect it’s for safety reasons. A good kick with a seg on concrete would raise sparks. I can just imagine someone “putting a tiger in their tank” (another weird advertising slogan for Esso in the 80’s. I never figured that out. Surely the fur would clog the spark plugs. But I digress…) then walking to the cash office.
*clack* *clack* *clack* *spark*
WOOF
Hmm… ok, so maybe a dog rather than a tiger. But anyway. There’s where they went. Actually, I think I remember that. A sudden increase of spontaneous garage combustions pinned on the steel foot decorations which were thereafter banned from public use. I wonder if you can still get them on the black market. Suicide Seggers could be marching towards your local BP station as we speak. Kind of like a martyr’s version of Russian Roulette, never knowing if those sparks will set anything off or not.
Oh, and while I’m on the subject of pointless things that make you look “cool”, how about putting Calypso drinks cartons between the spokes on your bike so it made a “Vrrrrrrrrrrrm” noise when you pedalled?
I didn’t use drink cartons. About five playing cards taped to your back fork and slightly touching the spokes. Hey, you almost had a motorbike! or so it seemed 🙂
One classic you are forgetting is SpokeyDokeys (or spokidokies, I don’t do spelling). I think at first they were given away with Kellogs frosties, but someone soon noticed that all the kids wanted them, so they appeared for sale in little plastic bags.
And wagon wheels were always bigger, drone, drone drone……………….
🙂
I remember the snap bracelets… had a load sent from my Aunt in Hong Kong and annoyed all the teachers by selling them in School! 🙂
Ok this ones rather girlie but there was also things called snap bracelets. usually came in very loud neon colours, pink and greens… They where a long strip of plastic covered in fabric that when u smacked on to your arm, they snapped around to make a bracelet. Every body had them… they cost about 50p and were no use to anybody… u always got in to trouble if you took them in to school and for some reason.. they were always left at Argos.. i used to find loads in the lost property box when my mum worked there….
Remember the old plastic tags that used to be used to close bags of bread? Square-ish ones with the corners missing? I know people who had dozens clipped to their brake cables.