Those were the days

Posted by June Curran
a resident of Atherton: West Atherton
on Jul 2, 2014 at 7:31 am

It is interesting how many people in the early years between World Wars I and II didn't drive cars, and employed chauffeurs. Cars were so complicated then, and there were tool boxes with a whole host of tools that would be needed on many if not most trips. Flat tires were very common too. Chauffeurs were a real necessity for many people. Often the chauffeurs were single, and given rooms over or behind the garages. When not driving family members, a chauffeur kept the car(s) cleaned and washed, and often performed certain repairs. He might also take a family's cook to and from the grocery stores in town, and run a variety of errands. During W.W. II, many chauffeurs were called to service, and there were people all over Atherton (and the country) learning how to drive their own cars for the first time. Chauffeurs became less common with the passage of time.