It is easy to get nostalgic for the 1980s. The music was great, the hair was big, and the movies were iconic. We often look back and think of it as a “simpler time.” The truth, however, is that it was also a wildly different time. In fact, many “normal” activities from that decade would be unthinkable today. They were not just frowned upon; they would get you arrested.
Our laws and our understanding of public safety have changed dramatically. This is especially true regarding children and public health. It is fun, and slightly shocking, to look back. Here are 10 normal things from the 1980s that would get you in serious legal trouble today.
Kids Bouncing Around in the Car
This is the most universal 80s memory. Kids never wore seatbelts. We were rolling around in the “way back” of the station wagon, sitting on the front seat armrest, or even sleeping on the rear windshield deck. This was completely normal. Today, this is a serious crime.
Every state now has strict child restraint laws. An officer seeing a child loose in a car would pull you over immediately. You would face a heavy fine. More importantly, in case of an accident, you could face charges for child endangerment, a jailable offense.
Leaving Kids Home Alone (or in the Car)
In the 80s, the “latchkey kid” was a normal part of life. Kids as young as seven or eight would come home to an empty house and be alone for hours. It was also common to see a kid waiting in the car while their mom “ran in” to the grocery store. This was just how things were done.
Today, this is a legal minefield. For example, many states have laws specifying the age a child can be alone. Leaving a young child in a car, even for a minute, can get you arrested for child endangerment. Public awareness of the dangers, like heatstroke or abduction, has made this completely unacceptable.
Smoking Literally Everywhere
It is hard to believe, but in the 1980s, people smoked everywhere. They smoked on airplanes, in movie theaters, and even in hospital waiting rooms and grocery stores. It was so normal that “non-smoking” sections were the small, weird exception. Today, laws criminalize this behavior.
Clean indoor air acts across the country have made this illegal. If you light up on a plane, police will arrest you when it lands. Fines for smoking in public buildings are massive. This is one of the biggest “normal things from the 1980s” that has completely vanished.
Driving After a “Few Drinks”
The “one for the road” culture was still very real in the 80s. Public awareness of drunk driving was just beginning, as groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) were starting their crusade. However, it was still common for someone to have “a few beers” and then drive home. Enforcement was often lax.
Today, a DUI is a life-altering arrest. The legal limit is .08 BAC, checkpoints are common, and the penalties are severe, including jail time, massive fines, and loss of your license. Consequently, the 80s-era casualness about drunk driving is shocking to modern-day sensibilities.
Casual Vandalism and “Pranks”
The 80s teen movie was full of “pranks.” These often included things like egging houses, toilet-papering yards, or “soaping” windows. Parents often dismissed this as “kids being kids.” While it was always technically illegal, parents rarely involved the police for minor property mischief.
Today, the response is very different. This is not a “prank”; it is vandalism. With the rise of doorbell cameras, you are almost guaranteed to get caught. Officers will arrest you and force you to pay restitution for the property damage.
Buying Cigarettes for Minors
In the 80s, it was common for a parent to send their kid into a store to buy them a pack of cigarettes. Vending machines in restaurants and bowling alleys sold tobacco to anyone with quarters. An older teen buying for his younger friends was a rite of passage. No one thought twice about it.
Today, this is a serious offense. The federal smoking age is 21. An adult caught buying tobacco for a minor faces huge fines. Police can also arrest the store clerk who sells to them. Authorities now strictly enforce this as a crime.
The Playgrounds of Pain
This one might not get you arrested, but it would get the city sued. 1980s playgrounds were brutal. They featured towering metal slides that burned your legs and see-saws that could launch you into the air. Builders constructed everything on concrete or hard-packed dirt. Manufacturers designed the merry-go-rounds for maximum velocity.
Today, these are known as “death traps.” Consequently, playground safety standards are incredibly strict. Now, manufacturers make everything out of plastic, and soft mulch or rubber covers the ground. Authorities would condemn and tear down an 80s-style playground immediately due to liability.
Selling Unsafe “Lawn Darts”
This was a popular backyard game. They were giant, heavy, metal-tipped darts. The goal was to toss them into a plastic ring on the lawn. As you can imagine, they were incredibly dangerous, responsible for thousands of injuries and several child deaths. Yet, they were a “normal” part of any 80s barbecue.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission finally banned lawn darts completely in 1988. Today, selling a set of these original, metal-tipped darts would be illegal, as it falls under laws prohibiting the sale of banned hazardous products.
Riding in the Back of a Pickup Truck
On any summer day in the 1980s, you would see kids and teenagers piled into the open bed of a pickup truck. They would be sitting on the wheel wells, flying down the highway. This was a normal way to get the whole team to a baseball game. It was just a part of life.
Today, this is explicitly illegal in most states. As a result, the law now sees this as a massive safety risk. An officer would pull you over in a second. This is another one of those “normal things from the 1980s” that now looks like reckless endangerment.
The “Stranger Danger” Talk Was… Lacking
This is a cultural shift that borders on neglect by today’s standards. The 80s parenting style was famously “free range.” Kids would leave the house in the morning and be told, “Just be home for dinner.” There were no cell phones or tracking. Parents often had no idea where their kids were.
If a parent behaved this way today, they could face an investigation. If a child got lost or hurt during this time, authorities could arrest the parent for child neglect or endangerment. Our entire standard of “supervision” has changed.
We’ve Learned a Lot About Safety (Thankfully)
It is fun to be nostalgic, but it is good to remember the context. Ultimately, many of the “normal things from the 1980s” were, in fact, incredibly dangerous. Our modern laws are not just “less fun”; they are the result of lessons learned. They are in place to protect children and the public. We can keep the great music, but thankfully, we should be glad to leave the lawn darts in the past.
What’s something you remember doing in the 1980s that would be totally shocking today? Share your memories in the comments!
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