Cruising (driving)
Encyclopedia
Cruising is a social activity that primarily consists of driving
a car. Cruising can be an expression of the perceived freedom of possessing a driver's license
. Cruising is distinguished from regular driving
by the social and recreational nature of the activity, which characterized by an impulsively random, often aimless course. A popular route (or "strip
") is often the focus of cruising. "Cruise nights" are evening
s during which cars drive slowly, bumper-to-bumper, through small towns. Another common form is a "Piss Cruise" this is where a group of people go out 'cruising' and drinking.
. Cruising on this strip became a popular past-time with the lowriding
community during the 1940s before spreading to surrounding neighborhoods in the 1950s. Perhaps the most famous cruising strip (or main drag) is McHenry Avenue in Modesto, California
. The cruising culture of the late 1950s and early 1960s was depicted in the film
American Graffiti
. The film was set (but not actually filmed) in director
George Lucas'
home town of Modesto, which also hosts an annual "Graffiti Night" celebration in the film's honor.
Cruising in Detroit
took place from the 1950s to the 1970s in the city's northern suburbs along Woodward Avenue, from Ferndale
north to Pontiac
. Cruising along Woodward reached its peak in the mid 1960s, with muscle car competitions that were covered by journalists from Car and Driver
, Motor Trend
, and CBS World News Roundup
. The cruising culture on Woodward Avenue faded in the 1970s when new car safety standards and higher gas prices altered American automotive design. Other popular cruising strips in the Detroit area include US-24 Telegraph Road from 12 Mile Road in Southfield to Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, and M-3 Gratiot Avenue on the East Side.
The Dragging the Gut Festival
is an event held each year on the fourth weekend of August (August 24-25, 2012) in the historic downtown of McMinnville, Oregon
. The festival gives participants the chance to relive the classic 1950's car cruising on the main street that took place for decades in downtown McMinnville. The Dragging the Gut Festival was born out of a Facebook
group called "I Dragged the Gut in Downtown McMinnville" which grew rapidly and led to the creation of the festival.
The Woodward Dream Cruise
occurs on the third Saturday in August along the original cruising strip in Detroit's northern suburbs. The event is a tribute to the classic Woodward cruisers and attracts approximately 1 million people and 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, and custom, collector, and special interest vehicles.
Waukegan, Illinois
has an annual summer cruising festival called "Scoopin' Genesee".
In the 2000s, some cities (such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin
) began to consider cruising a traffic offense.
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
a car. Cruising can be an expression of the perceived freedom of possessing a driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
. Cruising is distinguished from regular driving
Driving
Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus.Although direct operation of a bicycle and a mounted animal are commonly referred to as riding, such operators are legally considered drivers and are required to obey the rules of the road...
by the social and recreational nature of the activity, which characterized by an impulsively random, often aimless course. A popular route (or "strip
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
") is often the focus of cruising. "Cruise nights" are evening
Evening
Evening is the period between the late afternoon and night when daylight is decreasing, around dinner time at 6pm. Though the term is subjective, evening is typically understood to begin before sunset, during the close of the standard business day and extend until nightfall, the beginning of night...
s during which cars drive slowly, bumper-to-bumper, through small towns. Another common form is a "Piss Cruise" this is where a group of people go out 'cruising' and drinking.
In the United States
One of the oldest cruising strips is located on Whittier Boulevard in East Los AngelesEast Los Angeles, California
East Los Angeles is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, United States...
. Cruising on this strip became a popular past-time with the lowriding
Lowrider
]A lowrider is a style of car originated by Chicano communities that sits lower to the ground than most other cars. Many lowriders have their suspension systems modified so that their ride can change height at the flip of a switch...
community during the 1940s before spreading to surrounding neighborhoods in the 1950s. Perhaps the most famous cruising strip (or main drag) is McHenry Avenue in Modesto, California
Modesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
. The cruising culture of the late 1950s and early 1960s was depicted in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
. The film was set (but not actually filmed) in director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
George Lucas'
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
home town of Modesto, which also hosts an annual "Graffiti Night" celebration in the film's honor.
Cruising in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
took place from the 1950s to the 1970s in the city's northern suburbs along Woodward Avenue, from Ferndale
Ferndale, Michigan
Ferndale is adjacent to the cities of Detroit to the south, Oak Park to the west, Hazel Park to the east, Pleasant Ridge to the north, Royal Oak Township to the southwest, and Royal Oak to the north....
north to Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
. Cruising along Woodward reached its peak in the mid 1960s, with muscle car competitions that were covered by journalists from Car and Driver
Car and Driver
Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. Its total circulation is 1.31 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011...
, Motor Trend
Motor Trend
Motor Trend is an American automobile magazine. It first appeared in September 1949, issued by Petersen Publishing Company in Los Angeles, and bearing the tag line "The Magazine for a Motoring World". Petersen Publishing was sold to British publisher EMAP in 1998, who sold the former Petersen...
, and CBS World News Roundup
CBS World News Roundup
The CBS World News Roundup is a radio newscast that airs weekday mornings and evenings on the CBS Radio Network.It first went on-air on March 13, 1938 at 8 p.m...
. The cruising culture on Woodward Avenue faded in the 1970s when new car safety standards and higher gas prices altered American automotive design. Other popular cruising strips in the Detroit area include US-24 Telegraph Road from 12 Mile Road in Southfield to Michigan Avenue in Dearborn, and M-3 Gratiot Avenue on the East Side.
The Dragging the Gut Festival
Dragging the Gut Festival
The Dragging the Gut Festival is an event held each year on the fourth weekend of August in the historic downtown of McMinnville, Oregon...
is an event held each year on the fourth weekend of August (August 24-25, 2012) in the historic downtown of McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville, Oregon
McMinnville is the county seat and largest city of Yamhill County, Oregon, United States. According to Oregon Geographic Names, it was named by its founder, William T. Newby , an early immigrant on the Oregon Trail, for his hometown of McMinnville, Tennessee...
. The festival gives participants the chance to relive the classic 1950's car cruising on the main street that took place for decades in downtown McMinnville. The Dragging the Gut Festival was born out of a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
group called "I Dragged the Gut in Downtown McMinnville" which grew rapidly and led to the creation of the festival.
The Woodward Dream Cruise
Woodward Dream Cruise
The Woodward Dream Cruise event is a classic car event held annually on the third Saturday of August in Metropolitan Detroit, along Woodward Avenue. The WDC Event spans much of the avenue, from Pontiac through Ferndale in Oakland County, Michigan, all the way to the State Fair Grounds inside the...
occurs on the third Saturday in August along the original cruising strip in Detroit's northern suburbs. The event is a tribute to the classic Woodward cruisers and attracts approximately 1 million people and 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, and custom, collector, and special interest vehicles.
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population...
has an annual summer cruising festival called "Scoopin' Genesee".
In the 2000s, some cities (such as Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
) began to consider cruising a traffic offense.
See also
- Car customizing
- Hot rodHot rodHot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
- Import sceneImport sceneThe Import Scene or Import Racing Scene or Tuner Scene refers to the subculture that revolves around modifying imported brand cars , especially those of Japanese brands, for street racing.-History:...
- Street racingStreet racingStreet racing is a form of unsanctioned and illegal motor racing which takes place on public roads. Street racing can either be spontaneous or well-planned and coordinated. Well coordinated races are planned in advance and often have people communicating via 2-way radio/citizens' band radio and...
- Woodward Dream CruiseWoodward Dream CruiseThe Woodward Dream Cruise event is a classic car event held annually on the third Saturday of August in Metropolitan Detroit, along Woodward Avenue. The WDC Event spans much of the avenue, from Pontiac through Ferndale in Oakland County, Michigan, all the way to the State Fair Grounds inside the...
UK and Ireland
- Boy racerBoy racerBoy racers refer to people, usually males in their late teens or early twenties, who "cruise" around in vehicles modified with loud exhausts and stereos, or modified body kits. This behavior is frowned upon by members of the public irritated by the noise and the criminal behavior associated with...
- ChavChavA chav is a term that is used in the United Kingdom to describe a stereotype of teenagers and young adults from an underclass background.-Etymology:...
- CruiseCruise (automotive)A cruise is a meeting of car enthusiasts at a predetermined location, organised predominantly through the internet but also largely through mobile phone, word of mouth or simply by a cruise being established enough that it becomes a regular event.-Description:There are two main types of cruise:...
- Scanger
External links
- BBC article on Guildford car cruises
- BBC article on Nottingham car cruising
- BBC News article on a rare legal cruise
- The Detroit NewsThe Detroit NewsThe Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
, "Let's get ready to rumble: Cruising in the Motor City" - Milwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee Journal SentinelThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
Online, "Cruising is getting harder to defend" - Milwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee Journal SentinelThe Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
Online, "Cruisers' cars may be seized" - Cullotta, Karen Ann. "Cruise Night, Without the Car", The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, June 29, 2008.