Video Rental Store Clerk
Many of us miss the days of visiting video rental stores to take out our favorite films for the weekend. While most have now closed down, they were once a popular work option for teens. They were expected to handle late night shifts and were sometimes exposed to inappropriate material. As a result, age restricitions were eventually implemented. But for a time, this was every teen's dream job.
Gas Station Attendant
Back in the day, teens would work at gas stations in their free time in order to make some extra cash. They would pump gas, check oil and help out with anything else customers needed. However, they would also be exposed to dangerous gas fumes for hours on end, which many parents wouldn't allow nowadays.
Soda Jerk
Another popular job that many teens took up in the 80s was working as a soda jerk. This essentially entailed them mixing drinks for customers at restaurants, bars or diners. Back in the day, there were very little hygiene oversights. More so, most parents nowdays don't want their children exposed to environments where alcohol is involved.
Cigarette Store Clerk
This part-time job was problematic for many reasons, even though it was surprisingly common amongst teens in the 80s. The main issue was children selling cigarettes to other people when they themselves were still underage. Unsurprisingly, an age-limit was eventually implemented.
Movie Theater Usher
Back in the 80s, smoking indoors was legal and very common. For this reason, when teens worked as movie theater ushers, they were exposed to smoke-filled auditoriums, which obviously wasn't good for their health. Nowadays, most parents wouldn't allow their kids anywhere near such a job.
Arcade Attendant
Arcades used to be the hang-out place of choice for many. Not only did they have fun games to keep you entertained for hours on end, but they were also dark rooms that made supervision very difficult. While many teens worked as arcade attendants back in the 80s, parents nowdays wouldn't approve of such a work environment.
Factory Floor Helper
This one may come as a surprise, but teens actually used to work as factory floor helpers. They would be surrounded by heavy machinery and dangerous equipment, often without any sort of protective equipment.
Construction Site Runner
Another common job amongst teens in the 80s was construction site running. This essentially entailed carrying around tools and equipment on worksites. As you can imagine, this wasn't the safest profession, as they would be unqualified and surrounded by dangerous machinery. Most parents nowadays wouldn't let their kids anywhere near this job.
Farmhand
While working as a farmhand may seem like an easy way to make money, it was also quite dangerous. Teens would be tasked with handling pesticides, heavy equipment and livestock - all without any sort of protective measures. After more than a few incidents, safety regulations were quickly implemented.
Car Wash Worker
One of the most common part-time jobs that teens would take on in the 80s was car washing. While it seemed like easy money, it was actually also pretty dangerous. They were exposed to harsh chemicals for hours on end. More so, they would spent entire afternoons in the blazing hot sun.
Pre-Dawn Newspaper Delivery
Newspaper delivery was a popular job in the 80s. Teens would wake up before school to drop off newspapers around their neighbourhood. While it seemed easy enough, it was also dangerous for kids to ride around on their own in the darkness of the early morning.
Fast Food Fry Cook
Even though working as a fast food fry cook was fairly common amongst teens, there is no denying that it was dangerous. They would be exposed to incredibly hot oil, leading to frequent burns. Nowdays, most parents wouldn't allow their children near a deep fryer.
Mall Security Helper
Many teens worked as mall security helpers in the 80s. However, in reality, this job was basically just unoffical crowd control, which could get very dangerous. People didn't take teen security guards as seriously, meaning that they were more likely to face abuse from customers.
Bowling Alley Pinsetter
Back when bowling alleys were much more popular and before there were machines to do it for them, teens would work as pinsetters. While it seemed like easy money, it was actually a pretty dangerous job. There was a high risk of injury from flying pins and balls, as other lanes would continue to play.
Carnival Ride Operator
Back in the day, teens were hired as carnival ride operators, despite their lack of experience and knowledge. More so, safety regulation weren't anywhere near as strict as they are today, making the rides that much more dangerous.
Record Store Clerk
Back when records were still used, many teens jumped at the opportunity to work as a record store clerk. Not only could they earn some extra cash, but they would also be able to listen to their favorite music while at work. However, it actually wasn't the ideal work environment, as they were often exposed to cigarette smoke and inappropriate content.
Parking Lot Attendant
In the 80s, teens were hired to work as parking lot attendants as certain events or at busy restaurants on weekends. As you can imagine, this wasn't the safest part-time job. In fact, most parents nowdays would never allow their children to do such work, as they would be exposed to intoxicated adults during all hours of the night.
Janitorial Work in Office Buildings
In order to make some extra cash, teens would work as janitors in office buildings on weekends or after school. This meant that they were exposed to toxic chemicals for hours on end. Nowdays, most parents wouldn't allow their children in such an environment.
Telemarketing Caller
It's safe to say that working as a telemarketing caller wouldn't be anyone's first choice. In the 80s, however, it was pretty common amongst desperate teens looking to make some extra cash. They would be expected to make sales to angry adults who often weren't interested or afraid to speak their mind.
Lifeguard
Back in the 80s, teens were hired to work as lifeguards, regardelss of whether or not they actually had any sort of formal training. Not only was this dangerous for the swimmers, as they wouldn't have trust-worthy aid on-hand in case of an emergency, but the kids were also at risk of drowning or facing abuse from others.
