Originally Posted by
But seriously
I realize that most of the last paragraph was partially tongue in cheek, but...
I was an FO at EGL before ENY was even a gleam in Dan Garton’s eye.
I was hired at 1450hrs
No one had a GoPro, but many of my CAs had me taxiing in with pedals from 27R so they could pack up their sh*t and bolt the second the door opened.
My IOE CA as a NH met me in the terminal wearing tennis shoes and a backpack
The last three weeks I don’t think there has been a single MEL on any plane I’ve flown. That’s probably because half are parked in ABI and the other half fly two legs then terminate for the day...
Your memory might be a little affected by nostalgia

Yeah, you're right.... probably should have specified pre/post-2004 for pilot stuff and after the bankruptcy for the major company changes like the MEL's and cheapening everything.