Cruising (driving)

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Cruising is a social activity among teenagers in many United States towns that primarily consists of driving a car around looking for friends. For teens, cruising is often an expression of the new-found freedom that a driver's license bestows.

What distinguishes cruising from regular driving is that the object is not to go anywhere in particular, but to be seen by one's peers. Usually there is a popular route (called a strip) that most teens will drive. As such, "cruise nights" can end up with cars full of teens driving slowly bumper-to-bumper through town.

Perhaps the most famous cruising strip (or main drag) is McHenry Avenue in Modesto, California. The cruising culture of the early 1960s was depicted in the film American Graffiti, 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.


As of the year 2004, 82.9% of all 16 to 17 year olds have their driver's license. This majority makes up a substantial number of those who partake in the cruising experience. [citation needed]

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[edit] Cruising in the UK

In the United Kingdom, this term is used to describe the modified car scene. A car meet is usually referred to by them as Cruises or the Cruise Scene and can be found in seaside areas, industrial estates and areas that have a large carpark within a retail area (Thus it can be called a misnomer as they are more commonly parked). These commonly incorporate a McDonalds which is popular for them particularly the carparks. It is not unusual for these meetings to attract the attention of the local police, especially with drivers pulling out unauthorised burnouts and doughnuts especially in crowded areas purely for show and these events are sometimes run illegally but recently, more authorised meeting are beginning to rise. Recently, towns who felt the scene is doing bad for their areas, are attempting to depose the scene by placing speed bumps on roads with minor effect.

The UK cruise scene has existed for many years but was pushed by magazines such as Max Power, FastCar, Redline and Revs, meaning more and more young drivers got involved with car modification. Films such as The Fast & The Furious series helped elevate this scene to record levels between 2001-2004 with the aforementioned magazines reporting record sales figures and many small businesses appearing to help quench the thirst for aftermarket styling and performance products that could be shown off at cruises across the country.

With the explosion of the internet over the past number of years finding a cruise locally has become a much easier affair and with new sites and meetings appearing on an almost weekly basis you won't have to travel too far to find one in your local area.

[edit] Cruising in Australia

Numerous car clubs cater for the youth of Australia. Late night shopping on Thursday night's, at least in Queensland, is a perfect opportunity for youth to get in their cars and go for a drive. Car forums act as the communication medium, where members organise upcoming events, including social outings, official competition events (such as drift, drag or circuit races), as well as the organisation of Thursday night cruises.

Illegal activity such as street racing, drifting, drag racing and burnouts, all referred to under relative "hooning" laws, is not as common close to the CBD areas of Brisbane. Such activities are generally frowned upon by other cruisers due to the attraction of police presence. Instead, these activities occur in outer regions of the city, mainly industrial areas and wide open spaces.

On the Gold Coast, Saturday nights attract numerous (read: hundreds) of cars at the Broadwater Car Park (BWCP). This long established location frequently gets visited by Police, who mainly inspect vehicles for defects.

[edit] See also

[edit] For the UK and Ireland see:

[edit] External links


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