The way we were indeed................
Your post 601 reminds me of more that has changed, the overboard IMHO safety departments.
As I have said I spent my whole working life around aircraft, NEVER once had to use those cones or a high vis jacket (thankfully).
And computers, I truly love my computer, they were obviously a great advancement in that reservations environment, but what about when they stop working, several times I have seen checkins at airports when the computers are down and because the available checkin staff ONLY know computers they are not sure how to do their job like in the good olde days.
Same too with aircraft, I have been with aircraft in some quite remote places where the aircraft is 100% serviceable mechanically but we were stuck there because some damn on board computer wasnt happy.
