Even when
we were half way around the world from the United States, we would run
into unexpected scenes that would somehow remind us of life back
home. This is a perfect example.
I'm sure by 1965,
most of us took the electric gasoline pump for granted. When seen
in Vietnam or anywhere in Southeast Asia, however, the somewhat "modern",
at least for 1965!, electric gasoline pump just didn't seem to fit
in with the setting. With very few exceptions, throughout Southeast
Asia, gasoline was pumped into gas tanks much as it was in the United States
in the 1920's, by hand pumping into the measuring device above, and then
by letting gravity "do it's thing" into the tank of the vehicle.
This "Gas Station", in Vinh Long, became a very popular gathering
spot for a bit of
conversation, and, of course, a cold XaXi "Sarsaparilla" (root
beer).
It
is well accepted that VietNam's economic development was at least a hundred
years behind the United States, so this was indeed very progressive for
it's time!
Shell Gas Station
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