Yes I remember the old FSU's too and while they could and did refuse to accept a VFR flight plan at times this still did not prevent you from departing if you were sure the weather was good enough or you was silly enough too, depending on your point of view/circumstance at the time. You simply departed no SAR no details. ( simular to todays flight note in so far as you got someone else to look out for you not the system).
And while some pilots were indeed silly to depart, some FS officers were overly cautious and not accepting your flight plan was more to do with protecting their backside ( in case you did go missing) than basing their decision on factual weather rather than a forecast. I remember one day in Bankstown having just that happen to me as he was adamant that the weather was non VMC at Bowral even though the wx system had passed through the area and you could almost see Bowral from the ramp. I flew home to Cootamundra in sunshine no sar no details that day.
While the old system had some advantages at times,at the end of the day the pilot in command has to make the go/ no go call themselves and be trained well enough to make the right one.