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Old Port Authority Ad Called for 'Husky Men' to Work as Traffic Officers

By Ben Fractenberg | February 22, 2016 5:06pm
 A Port Authority ad from 1945 called for
A Port Authority ad from 1945 called for "husky men" to work as auxiliary traffic officers.
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Reddit/TimSPC

An old Port Authority job posting was very specific about the type of person they were looking for.

The ad for auxiliary traffic officers, which an agency spokesman said ran in 1945, called for “husky men” to apply for the opening, and touted the Authority’s “vacation privileges” and pension.

What constituted a brawny man was a bit different back in the day, with the poster noting you had to be at least five feet, eight inches tall and more than 150 pounds.

The ad, which was posted to Reddit Sunday by TimSPC, would, of course, break current hiring laws, which prohibit employment discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, age and disability.

The opening may have also been a good opportunity for soldiers returning from World War II as you needed just a “grammar school education” and to pass a physical exam to get the job.