What perks did you have as a kid because of your parent's job(s)?

[jt10000]

My dad made enough to pay for my college.

Mom was a school teacher, so spent the summer with us when were were off school.

 

[Jersey Skier]

My dad was an Electrical Engineer. At about 12 when all my friends started delivering newspapers I started running Blueprints. I was then trained as a Draftsman so I had easy good paying summer jobs through college.

Of course I own a bicycle shop so every teen on our block thought my son would have the best bikes when he grew up. Too bad he could care less about riding so he never took advantage what was available.

 

[Mazama]

Silver tooth fillings that AMAZE my current dentist! They were built with old school mercury - which is another topic

 

[Nancy Hummel]

My dad was in real estate and helped with the development of Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
We used to ride golf carts around the stadium. We got to see many baseball games. We also used to let our Great Dane, Princess, run around the field.

 

[socalgal]

Silver tooth fillings that AMAZE my current dentist! They were built with old school mercury - which is another topic

 

[Tex]

My mother (only 19 years older than me) was very successful business gal, she did not go to college, but that did not stop her. 19 years old, she was a loan processor, worked her way up as loan officer, and in the 70's she was in the new paper all the time with her success, she moved up quickly serving on board of directors for leading mortgage companies. She was a leader in the women's movement in the 70's, and had an army women followers/ that liked to party, that came to our house. That was a great perk.

 

[Moose32]

Free summers in Aspen and Los Alamos. Loved Aspen in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

 

[Rod MacDonald]

My father worked as a plater and sheet metal worker in yards that built sections of oil rigs. So I had...
Steel toe cap boots.

 

[x10003q]

My dad was a ChemE for the pipline company that owned the pipeline that went over Great Gorge North. We are able to ski free at GG on Sundays for a number of years. We also got to fly in the helicopters that they used to inspect the pipelines. He also had access to free gasoline during the gas crisis of the 1970s from the pipeline company. We never had to wait in lines for gas.

 

[Uncle-A]

My dad worked for McGregor Sportswear, he was a designer and pattern maker. He was on the design team that made the first nylon golf drizzler jacket in the 1940's. It was modeled after the short jacket made for Eisenhower during WW II. He was riding in a carpool to work when killed in a traffic accident. The company felt bad for our family and I would get some McGregor Sportswear clothing when growing up. My uncle also worked at McGregor and was head of the outerwear department. The company had a box of four seats at Yankee Stadium so once or twice a summer my uncle, his two sons and I would get to go to a Yankee ballgame. That was in the 50's and 60's so I got to see some of the greatest Yankee teams. This is the same uncle that had the connection to Garcia ski division and get me my first pair of skis at cost.
My mom, after becoming a widow had to work and in the early 50's women didn't have a lot of options. She worked as a saleslady in a small local department store. As soon as I turned 14 and old enough to get working papers I would work in the same store as my mom. It was there I learned to use the Brannock Device and fit shoes. It also taught me some life lessons and how to deal with customers. These skills helped me when I applied for my jobs in the ski shops.

 

[newboots]

My father was a personal finance writer (as well as working for the American Bankers Association). In 8th grade I learned to type, and I typed his newspaper columns and later, helped type a book.

I knew the basics of personal finance from an early age. Didn’t always put that knowledge to good use, but I get by.

 

[nightingale]

Won't have to do my own taxes for a good while

 

[crgildart]

Military ID and PX (Base Exchange) access. Stupid good deals there. It was like Pro Form for stereo gear and groceries..

 

[Bad Bob]

Freshman year of High School saw us in Anchorage; well Dad was remote assignment in the Air Force and we were in Anchorage. 2 military owned ski areas with lights and a bus system for access. Put in a lot of miles on the little air force speed bump, Hillberg.
Learned a lot about skiing there. (Also learned never get in an Aceie Ducie game).

 

[Uncle-A]

Freshman year of High School saw us in Anchorage; well Dad was remote assignment in the Air Force and we were in Anchorage. 2 military owned ski areas with lights and a bus system for access. Put in a lot of miles on the little air force speed bump, Hillberg.
Learned a lot about skiing there. (Also learned never get in an Aceie Ducie game).

Did the Air Force have equipment that could be signed out for use? When my brother in law was in the Army he received on snow training and was able to practice in his off duty time using skis that the Army allowed to be signed out for use.

 

[Tricia]

If I broke something, my dad could/would fix it. He could fix anything.
He also owned a small excavation and septic pumping business in our tiny town so everyone knew I was "Jack's kid"
When I started driving, I got out of speeding tickets a few times. I learned to slow down because I didn't want to press my luck.

Because of my dad's handy skills as a machinest and welder, he did favors and fixed things for a lot of people which usually translated into people extending the favors to our family if we ever needed anything.
Kind of like Mayberry.

 

[Bad Bob]

Did the Air Force have equipment that could be signed out for use? When my brother in law was in the Army he received on snow training and was able to practice in his off duty time using skis that the Army allowed to be signed out for use.

They had decent rental equipment at both ski areas. Unfortunately they were all mounted with Cubco rental bindings so I was not going to be using them.
The army ski area was where they brought up the troops to "learn to ski". Here were squads of these guys on White Elephant skis in Bunny Boots connected with Bear Trap bindings. Always brought their own ambulance along too, and often needed it.

 

[Dave Petersen]

My Dad owned an auto body shop. He had access to good deals on cars. My first car as a teen was a '71 Mustang he bought. He also had deals with other car related businesses in town - I had chrome Keystone Sunspoke Wheels and Firestone tires with raised white lettering. It was a pretty cool car even though it sucked down the gasoline.

 

[jmeb]

- 3-4x a year access to a ski house at Holiday Valley in NY. Owned by my mothers sometimes boss always mentor. Al Pacino cooked me some pasta one time there when I was 9 or 10 and didn't realize how cool that was.
- Held overnight birthday parties on a full-size replica of the Santa Maria (mother managed it for a while)
- Lots of free golf at municipal courses (pops ran recreation and parks in various cities)
- Access to Red Sox spring training facility whenever I wanted. Parked next to Nomar and Pedro a bunch as a 16 y.o. (pops office was inside the stadium.)

 

[nightingale]

- Access to Red Sox spring training facility whenever I wanted. Parked next to Nomar and Pedro a bunch as a 16 y.o. (pops office was inside the stadium.)

Now THAT is really cool!