Memories of a Time Period in Atlanta 40 Years Ago

Today I thought of when I was a timekeeper for the Postal Service at the Federal Annex in Atlanta. At that time the Federal Annex had several thousand employees that were managed in three shifts, 24x7. I remembered, being a timekeeper, the next two days after a time change you could always count on a lot of people either being one hour late, two hours late, or early – it was dependent on just what they did when setting their clocks, falling back or springing forward, or if they did nothing.

Then I thought of across the Spring Street of the Federal Annex, The Atlanta Train Terminal (above picture).

While I worked at the Federal Annex that beautiful landmark (the train terminal) was bulldozed away. After it was deleted from the face of the earth for years it was a big vacant lot. Weeds and bushes grew high. It was on the edge of the Atlanta viaducts which would in a few years become Underground Atlanta.

But before it became Underground Atlanta the big vacant lot became a hangout for postal employees on their breaks, lunch and regular breaks. There sometimes in the middle of the night a supervisor named George, from Rome, and I would go out to the vacant lot and smoke and watch the socializing and loud music playing, it was always party time, around the clock.

About a 100 feet away under the viaducts the homeless hung out. I parked my car there until I a man who just escaped from prison pulled a knife on me, took my money, then got me in a bear-hug and sung religious songs to me. After he let me go, I knew Jesus Loved Me, Yes He Did, Because the Man With a Knife Told Me So.

Yessirree! Memories!