What is cruising? Your thoughts please

Paul
Normally I would disagree with you just because I can but the bottom line is that it don't matter how damned mobile you are it just doesn't get any better than that. Pickin up chicks, fightin' racin'. Irs all good but at the end of the day lost in your thoughts, exhaust in stero and G forces it is all about that. Isn't it?

 

Cruising in Erie, PA in the late 70s was about seeing and being seen. Looking for girls and showing off your car. Most of the action centered on the strip from the Public Square on 6th and State Street north to the Public Dock overlooking the bay and Presque Isle, with the dock being the usual center of attraction. Circle and repeat.

Smaller groups would often head east from the square downtown out East Lake Road (Rte 5) to the old McDonalds that used to stand near GE and grab some burgers before heading east on Rte 20 to the New York state line for beer. Drinking age in PA at that time was 21, NY State was 17. Heading back to Erie with your "supplies", Shade's Beach on Rte 5 was a popular rural spot on the lake to stop and hang out for a few hours, tip a few back and make out if you managed to pick up a girl out at the dock earlier in the evening.

Any racing was usually on Rte 20 as we were headed to NY State... it was a fairly rural and desolate stretch of road back then.

Every once in a while some of us would spend a Saturday night at the drive-in movies, there were three in Erie at the time but it was hard to sit still when you knew everyone else was downtown cruising.

Ah, the memories.

 

I think times have changed cruisings definition and style. When I cruised in the fifties there wasn't much else to do. TV controlled by parents if you stayed home, no malls and few interstate hwys. You cruised downtown because that was where girls, friends, the excitement were at. Late shopping nights were best, the girls walking along window shopping and we cruising doing the same. I don't remember a lot of fighting either and the cops were pretty reasonable. There were times we cruised to more distant places, but mostly local. When shopping centers came along and then malls, the downtowns pretty much died and cruising with it. Now there are so many things to occupy ones time, it takes a true rodder to do much cruising and a cruise night is not cruising, you have to be on the move, otherwise it's just hanging out !!

 

I am 67 years old, and to me cruising can be a variety of things, but all basically the same:
Taking your ride and family if you have one, for a drive either alone, or preferably with one of several others thru towns, back roads, stopping at cool places to eat, and just enjoying life.
This can be an organized cruise night, or just some folks getting together......
Good thread!
Cheers..........

 

It was the mid 70's by the time I was old enough to drive. There was no "cruising" in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC at that time. At least nothing like American Graffitti. That movie was what "cruising" was all about. The closest I ever came to that was visiting friends in Junction City, Kansas in the late 70's. Life for them was very much like American Graffitti, except the cars were Camaros, Challengers and Mustangs, and not 58 Impalas and Deuce coupes. As a high school kid I thought that was pretty cool, and longed to have had an experience like that growing up.
The more modern version would likely be the Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit, or Bryce Road in Columbus, Ohio during the Mopar Nationals, but thats just too much of a big traffic jam for my taste.
The closest I ever came to seeing "cruising" in my home state of Virginia, was watching the locals in the 1990's in Luray, Virginia cruising back and forth on Main Street from the Tastee Freeze at one end of town to a shopping center on the other end of town. The round trip took 14 minutes if you didn't get stuck at the crossing when a train went through. The cars they cruised in were whatever they had borrowed from Mom and Dad.

A "cruise in" is a destination that you cruise to to show your car. It is an informal car show. I like this much better than just "cruising" Main Street. You can see the cars, and talk to like minded people.

A "Road Trip" is a long drive to a destination or to no place in particular.
To me, the 40 minute to two hour drive to a car show or cruise in is the "road trip" and yes if its a nice drive and the weather is good it can be just as much fun as the car show I'm going to.

So, I like car shows, cruise ins, and road trips, but cruising, not so much.

 

Back In The Day hot rodding and cruising were a huge part of my life. After getting married, buying a house and putting two kids through college, I attended an NSRA Nats event and said to myself, this stuff is neat, why not get back into old cars? Had I not had a car background from years prior, I probably would have never gotten back into the old car scene.

 

Funny how that happens.

 

Yep that's what it was in 1965 around where I lived.

Now my car club sets up "Cruises" in local towns and all we do is park our cars on the main drag or in a lot.play music and hand out a few door prizes. They are generally fund raisers for local charities.

What we used to call cruising we now call "rides" and organise them with a starting point , some interesting stops along the way, and a ride home.

I miss the good old days..... and 25 cent a gallon gas would be nice,too !!!!

 

Kid you got that right! im 20 and if you tell a girl you have a hotrod, they look at you funny. Chicks dont dig these cars anymore

 

Cruising stories from the Bean!

 

@porknbeaner look what has popped up...my turn to shoot the poop on the subject...

Most of the time it was with My best school time Friend also a Hamber as he always had the cool cars...It was much as you describe getting together in his Oxide Primered 57 Chevy 2 dr hrdtp and cruising to the Big Smoke (Toronto Ontario) and literally going up and down Yonge Street the main vein in TO and takin in the scenery...lots of it...lots of yahooing, whistling, thumbs up, side by side with all the other Hoodlums.

My buddy liked to step on it here and there and I can recall countless times seeing the old stock hubcaps passing by after coming off on power turns and snooping around to find them.... He also liked to get that ole cast iron powerglide to chirp into second gear and he did many times Stogy cheering away...We would stop at Harvey's or Micky D's for nourishment afterwards. Neither of us ever met our sweetie through these channels but we sure did a lot of Babe Watching...I'm surprised we managed to keep the wheels on the road as the eyes were wandering a lot.

That played out on and on for the youthful years...lifes moved on.

I get out hanging the arm out the window now and head here and there mostly solo sometimes with the missus and cruise around still pressing the gas here and there to experience the elevated thrill that lurks ready to say hello on demand...and do the cruise down the main streets of the towns I pass through and there are many head held high and suck in the appreciation if its presented and wave to the waves. The rural country is abundant and provides total escape a lot of the times and I always feel the Hotrod and the Wild are naturals. That's cruising to me.

Hope all is well your way...​

 

Back around 1973-1981 there was always a place to drive around, looking at other cars, looking at girls and racing once in a while. Parking lots were a congregation point until the cops chased us out. I still run my old route at least once a week. Actually have a few of them and I rarely see any other cars that are more than 10 years old.

The cops hide in the AC of their cruisers, you really have to do something dumb to get their attention. Back in the day it was a running cat and mouse game. Tickets were like $15 or $25 if you got busted, now they are more like $200 to $500 if you get caught racing or speeding (over 85).

It was fun, we bar-hopped, probably should have not driven on many nights. Blow a rear or transmission on Friday, you had to hustle all weekend so you could go to work on Monday. Traffic court was a minor disruption in life, now you need a lawyer when you go. It was a simpler time. I don't see how the current definition of a "cruise" is old farts sitting around their parked cars for a couple of hours. There should be a better name for it.

 

My take is cruising is driving your car, back when I was a teenager we cruised around the square on the weekend and up and down the main drag to the new shopping center on the outskirts of town where the new Micky D's was built and that was cruising.

Cruise in is when you park and walk around and look at what other people drive up and parked, sometimes chairs are included.

And where I live we still cruise to that same Micky D's for cruise in's. HRP

 

Simpler times. I miss it.
Free time, not many deadlines, friends in every street corner, dreams and aspirations amuck.
It was our entertainment. Couldn’t afford much else.
Cheap gas filled our free time. Running the boulevards in many small towns and stopping at drive ins to get a shake and burger. Hoping to run into old friends and prospective girl friends.
Now in my 60’s it’s just as rewarding.
Taking my sweet baby girl out for a ride on the weekend and stopping for a more expensive meal at our favorite restaurants. Or.......
Taking week or weekend trips out of state along the back roads, stopping at antique shops or just anything that interests us and hitting a B&B for an overnight stay.
We just did this last weekend. Thank God for radiator stop leak, the trip continued.
It’s fun taking off not knowing where you’re going or what will happen.
Now that’s really really fun

 

We drove up and down main street in the county seat back in the 70's. Did some red light to red light dragging, if anybody wanted a serious race we went to the river bottoms, two lane county roads with no houses around, cops never messed with us. Had to go through the Sonic a couple of times, especially if you had your ride shined up and the cam toting a lick. Most of the girls had mommy's 4 door family cars, they'd get 4-5 together and ride a while, park a while in one of the parking lots. Back then, Sonic was it, no other major chain burger joints, and the mom and pops closed up at 5 or 6. Our rides were mostly 60's stuff, pony cars and muscle cars, there were a few Tri Five Fords and Chevys, but not many. Nothing older than that. It ended in the early 80's, all the kids had econoboxes then, not many hot rods left.

 

Small midwest town. 1st cruise to find a girl, 2nd cruise to find beer, 3rd looking for a race, 4th avoid the fight due to the girls and winning the race.
Funny street racing used to include cruising to find the cars to race, now its race cars, trailers and TV crews.
Looking for a new home in Colorado, a town with a square to cruise is high on the list.
Salida, co is where I'm going. Will try to bring cruising back there.

 

Athens, Ohio, 1977. We would go 3 blocks north on N. Court St. (it was the main street, downtown, with all the department stores and shops and bars and such). Go west one block on W. Carpenter, then go three blocks south on N. Congress St. (this is where the occasional competitive acceleration contests happened). Go east one block on W. Union, turn left back onto Court St., repeat as needed. We weren't much into HAMB friendly rides at that point, most of us were thrashing late sixties muscle to death, with an occasional 2nd gen F body thrown in. Cragar S/S wheels or aluminum slots, with 60 series rear rubber were quite popular, header mufflers scraping the bumps in the pavement. Back when Downtown was where it was at, it seemed like everyone was there. Real racing was done on the US 33/50 bypass, we would go east of town to Harmony Rd., turn back toward town, and have at it. This was everyday life, nothing like a planned happening. We jokingly called it "Making the scene".

 

The city/cops closed down Colby Avenue here in Everett, Wa to cruising about 35 years ago. They even put up ,"NO CRUISING" signs, with a $1000.00 per violation citation (I don't know that that's ever been dealt out). It was primarily a business decision; businesses were tired of the trash, having their entryways used for bathrooms, and residents just off "the Gut" being fed up with the noise and all. I can't really blame any of them, but I sure missed it a lot back them. It did lead to more legitimate cruise-ins and car shows; the city even has the Colby Car Show once a year. Now, what "cruising" means down in San Francisco, Ca, I would't know, that's for sure!!!!!
I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

So several years have passed the voice has no doubt got deeper and you have the Hotrod looking even spiffier maybe even have 2 now...have those gals that should know what's cool come around?...

 

We learned fast that there were places to cruise and places to race... the 2 places weren't good for both. Cops would see the hot cars lined up and keep an eye peeled. I went back to an old haunt with the Ford one night when it was fresh 2 years ago. Now the TUNERS are all over, low to the ground, sound systems... and the cops still pulling them over.

 

For us in the '60s to the mid '70s cruisin' was actually cruising. We had no village square
(thank God), we had a north side and a south side connected by a two mile straight. But
cruisin' wasn't confined to just our little area, we cruised to other towns to see what was
shaking and to show off our cars. From Joliet, Illinois to Chicago and all points in between.
Some drive-ins may not have liked all the action but few hassled us, though they might have
come up with their little rules to bug us: No backing in, no opening hoods, you must order
something. It was no big deal. If you had half a brain you didn't cause trouble, just talk about
the cars, chicks, work or whatever. Then cruise over to the next spot. For me, true cruisin'
ended in the mid '70s because that was when the gas crunch hit and too many guys were
selling off their cars. Don't you wish you could pay 44.9 a gallon now?

Cruise nights bore and bug the hell out of me. Don't get me wrong, there are a zillion bitchin'
cars brought out, but so are the California Dusters, mini fold-up picnic tables and lawn
chairs. When we were parked at Dog 'N Suds or White Castle we didn't worry about correct
hose clamps, having the original glass windshield washer bottle or inspection chalk marks
in the right places. It's like cars aren't supposed to be fun anymore, they're potential
investments. If you're lucky some fellow from Japan will offer you twice your inflated asking
price and ship it back overseas.

I like taking photos of cars, used cars that aren't 100 point perfect restorations. You can't
imagine how badly I wish I had taken a few Instamatic shots of what was going on at the
drive-in or the shopping center parking lot in 1968. If any of you were around Lemont,
Illinois in the '60s and '70s I'd love to hear from you.

Oh, one other thing. At home it got to the point where my old man would ask where I was
going. Just as I'd open my yap he'd say "and don't me tell cruisin!" .

 

When I was younger Cruising for my Brother and I was like you said, to be seen. We had a street called Dewey Ave and most of the guys would spend the weekends and summer nights "Cruising the Dew" and parking by an Ace Cleaners store which we called "Ace Drags". Two of the girls that liked to ride in our cars went by the names "Dead Arm and Hatchet face. I wonder where they are today. If we went down town it was usually to cruise slooow down Main Street where your car always looked cool in the big glass windows of the storefronts. We called this "profiling". A friend was once stopped by a Cop who asked what the hell he was doing driving so slow near the curb. He said " I'm profiling. Look at my car in the store window, ain't she a beauty". The cop laughed and agreed his car looked cool as he went on his way. I showed my Grandsons the art of profiling and they always like to check whatever we are riding in as we pass the big glass panels on the old Kodak Park building near my home.
My big cruising each year is a trip to Michigan to visit my Son and his Family and cruise Woodward Blvd. Friends from our car club enjoy cruising to different locations for ice cream, monthly Rods in the Park lunches, garage tours and other more Family oriented day trips. I guess any time I am behind the wheel of one of my cars either alone or with Friends, I'm Cruising.

 

Cruising in my mind never had anything to do with lawn chairs and small aluminum tables. Mostly street racing and looking for hide.

Gary

 

Whittier Blvd was the place to cruise when I came of age in the 70's. Hot rodders stayed east of the 605 fwy, low riders stayed west of it, and the two didn't mix. Going there mostly consisted of driving down the blvd, turn around and go the other way, then turn around and do it again. As others have posted, we went looking for races. Then we'd head down to the industrial area behind the La Mirada drive in theater to race, or watch the races. This video on the tube is hard to see (camera's weren't very good back then, no cel phones, no cam-corders, mostly 8mm movie camera's) and the sound isn't very good, but it's realistic.

 

Back in the day we cruised the main drag that's where all the girls hung out.

Now a days you need a lawn chair to sit and gab with the car guys and girls. No more girl chasing, its car talk mostly and if it's not car talk its politics where we solve 50% of the worlds problems. Occasionally some will complain about how big the wife's ass is getting.

Boy things have change.


Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.

 

I'm finding the older I get the more it looks like this!

 

When I was younger it was driving up n down the streets, parking up in the trees, girls ride up front across the bench seat, car loaded with drunks, coolest car/s, sober driver, looking for keys next day, selling junk to buy new tires, lighting tires up, making use of the back seat, making use of the bonnet/hood, road trips, beach hops, girls, girls , girls, gas, tunes, girls, talking shit like the lords of the world. All the cars I had being early to mid 70s muscle cars. Fast n loud.

Now its low n slow, rumbling along with my bird in the middle next to me. Lil go pedal when called for. Tunes blasting and big smiles as I look at kids on the side of road fix'n up Jappers.

Its all about image now as then and that feeling you get that creeps up to your lips when you press the gas and get pushed back in your seat with a throaty roar. Add a chick all dolled up next to you and your the king of the world.

 

Cruising is a state of mind in which your car becomes an extension of your personality, and vice versa.
It's not going to the drug store, the auto parts store or the grocery store. That's "running an errand".
It's not going out for something to eat or drink. That's "going out for something to eat (or drink)".
That's not to say errands, food, and beverages can't happen while cruising. They often do. But time spent on errands, food or wetting your whistle is time off the cruising clock.
The truest form of cruising doesn't involve a destination or an itinerary. If you're going to the usual spot to meet some friends and hang out, then just call it "meeting friends and hanging out". Because, well, you're not actually cruising, are you? It's the burning of the fuel, the rumble of the exhaust, the freedom to spontaneously turn left, or right, or go straight ahead. It's freedom, Baby! No more riding in the back seat staring at the back of Mom or Dad's head. You control the radio, you control how fast or how slow you roll. You've got 250+ horsepower totally under your command. And some of those horses are wild horses.
You might not own the road but you can certainly try and liberate it for your use out to the middle distance.

 

You guys are making me feel nostalgic.
..........and old. Lol.

Used to do some cruising north of Detroit on Gratiot Ave in the '70s.

I guess my favorite "cruising" was later with my wife out in the country among the old farms in this area.
I remember a warm summer evening, driving down an old 2-lane road with no traffic, just the parking lights on, windows open, the glow from dashboard lights and the old AM radio playing some soft oldies. You could almost imagine it to be decades earlier.
Sandy must've been feeling it too, 'cause all of a sudden she slid over right next to me and laying her head on my shoulder and holding me tight, she exclaimed, "Oh Rickybop!" Lol.
She was being funny and silly and overly dramatic and teasing me a little...
...but kinda not.

 

This is a really educational thread, very interesting. Now I know what cruising is. I'm glad it doesn't require any hard and fast rules. As a teenager in the 60's I had a stock Henry J and an XK150 roadster that I bought it in the fall of '67 with the $750.00 I'd saved working at a Mobile full-service station. It wasn't as fast as the Chevelle SS's, Boss's, or even some of the less racy cars, but not many guys asked to race against it because they thought it MIGHT be fast and when I was challenged I'd say "OK , I'll race you on the turnpike from Topeka to Bonner Springs." Never any takers. That's about 35 miles of relatively flat Kansas 4-lane. Anyway, I lived out in the country and I'd drive to towns and cruise around with the real people to SEE what city kids did and try to be cool like them because they knew what was cool and important. I still haven't figured out how to be cool, but any excuse to go for a drive in my rural Missouri surroundings or an important mission to the hardware or parts store or Tuesday lunch with car friends or a cross-country to the HAMB drags, etc. is a vital component of my state of well being.