web1_NWSLogo_400x400.jpg

Warmer temperatures, showers in the forecast for the Wyoming Valley

City files to stop transit strike for Election Day only

<p>My buddy Alner looked unusually chipper carrying some packages into his house.</p><p>&#8220;I finally took your advice,&#8221; he said to me, trying to free up one hand to tap the side of his head in the universal sign for braininess. &#8220;I&#8217;m getting my Christmas shopping done early this year.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;That&#8217;s wonderful, Alner,&#8221; I said with a smile. &#8220;Ah, just for the record, is that a dent in your new car&#8217;s fender?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Unfortunately, yes,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;Just one of the hazards of the season, I guess. Early shopping isn&#8217;t as easy as it sounds. The stores are all so scattered and it&#8217;s hard to find convenient parking, and &#8230;&#8221;</p><p>Spooked by the familiar glint in my eye, he hurriedly tried to get his front door open.</p><p>But within seconds, thanks to my power of metaphysical travel, we were sitting in a Wyoming Valley streetcar of a century ago, heading downtown.</p><p>&#8220;What is this contraption?&#8221; he said, examining the wicker seat.</p><p>&#8220;This is public transportation par excellence, 1916 style,&#8221; I said. &#8220;It&#8217;s the way most people get around.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Yo,&#8221; he yelled as we felt a jolt at a rail crossing. &#8220;Haven&#8217;t these people ever heard of shock absorbers?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;What do you expect for a nickel a ride?&#8221; I said. &#8220;Catered meals? It&#8217;s iron wheels on iron rails.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;OK, where are we going?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Someplace where you won&#8217;t burn up any gasoline or get a dent in your nice car,&#8221; I replied. &#8220;We&#8217;re going to do some shopping, the one-stop variety.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Just what the people on my gift list are hoping for,&#8221; he sneered. &#8220;The latest 1916 fashions.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I was speaking metaphorically,&#8221; I said. &#8220;We&#8217;re getting off now, so look around.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Wow, I&#8217;ve never seen so many stores,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;ve got everything here.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just the old Wilkes-Barre downtown, blocks and blocks of it. But we could just as easily be in a lot of other local towns. Pittston, Luzerne, Nanticoke and Plymouth had really neat downtowns, and so did other places. By the way, watch where you&#8217;re going. These streets are really crowded this time of year, and everybody&#8217;s carrying stuff.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Hey, neat,&#8221; Alner said. &#8220;I like those window displays in the department store.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Creating show windows was once a great art,&#8221; I said. &#8220;Where do you think the expression &#8216;window shopping&#8217; came from?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;All kinds of little specialty shops too,&#8221; he said, looking around. &#8220;Men&#8217;s suits, photo studios, candies, fashions, lots of restaurants &#8211; I can&#8217;t believe all this. I &#8230; oops! Excuse me, Miss, didn&#8217;t mean to knock your packages all over.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Alner,&#8221; I said. &#8220;You&#8217;re embarrassing me.</p><p>&#8220;Sorry,&#8221; he said, picking up the woman&#8217;s purchases from the sidewalk.</p><p>&#8220;Sometimes you didn&#8217;t even have to go downtown,&#8221; I said, helping him. &#8220;The larger towns had neighborhood shopping areas with plenty of stores. Talk about convenience. It was like having a mall in your back yard, and you could count on running into your friends and neighbors. If we had more time I&#8217;d put you back on the streetcar for a little side trip.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Yow, I almost knocked that guy down. This place is crowded.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;I think we&#8217;d better move on,&#8221; I said. &#8220;You&#8217;re getting dangerous.&#8221;</p><p>Within seconds we were home.</p><p>&#8220;I guess I learned something,&#8221; said Alner as we carried the last of his bags into the house.</p><p>&#8220;So did I,&#8221; I said. &#8220;There&#8217;s a family story about my grandmother getting plowed into by some guy in funny clothes in front of the Jonas Long&#8217;s Sons store.</p><p>Alner shrugged. &#8220;Some people just aren&#8217;t careful. Hey, the game&#8217;s on.&#8221;</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TOM_MOONEY.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Remember When </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_TOM_MOONEY.jpg</photo0><caption0>Remember When </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Tom Mooney</p><p>Remember When</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Tom Mooney is a Times Leader history columnist. Reach him at tommooney42@gmail.com.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Remember When: Streetcars and one-stop shopping in downtowns of years past