Gone are the days of cruzing and hanging out

[Doright]

I think it's ironic that many of the arguments against cruising, and it's subsequent banning, have actually created bigger problems.  It wasn't until cruising was banned that street racing became a problem.  Kids who'd otherwise be happy to go cruising found that they'd had less choices for participating in the car culture in a positive (or at least not damaging) way.  Let's face it--what choices do todays young car enthusiasts have to enjoy their car or car culture?  Not many...tracks get shut down, they get run out of "cruise in's" by closed minded older folks who won't tolerate "Ricers" in their midst, they're hassled by the police if they DO try to cruise, they can't mod their cars anywhere near like older cars are allowed to without being hassled by the law (police & smog laws in some states).  I'm sure many would complain that many of these new generation act like asshats and don't know the rules--but why is that?  Is it because they have a problem, are they ignorant, or is it because no one passed down the etiquette to them because they've been shut out from participating from mature segments of the car scene?

I'm saddened and angered every time I see one genre of car enthusiast (for example, musclecar/hotrodders) pick on other enthusiasts of the car hobby out of ignorance.  It's really easy to lament the past when, if you look at it, we're so intolerant of the same attitudes today that we had when we were younger when it presented with it--but I consider that a form of hypocrisy.  Perhaps instead of pissing and moaning and then expelling the younger folk from the car hobby, it would be better to take them in and show them the ropes...that way we wouldn't have to worry about an usupervised, uncontrolled, unmentored and underground illegal street racing scene.  Car enthusiasts come from all sorts of backgrounds with all sorts of "specialties" in the things they like about cars...why do we need to exlude/diride them simply because they don't (and in some ways CANNOT) enjoy the same hobby as we do ON OUR terms?

I'd much rather have a mix of all enthusiast cars, old and new, cruising  peacefully on Main Street USA bringing fun and business to the area than a hobby thats split itself into cliques who can't stand each other along with aspects of the hobby being forced "underground"  (ie, street racing) in order to enjoy it.


I for one lament the fact that cruising has been banned from so many cities, and wish it were brought back, but brought back for everyone.  I make this observation as a car enthusiast with interests across the spectrum of the car hobby--I enjoy and own musclecars, exotics, european, and import cars...all for different reasons.

Amen Brother!
There all cars and there just Kids I like Rice rockets myself! Bring em on there all cool!!!!
No more clicks mentor a Kid! teach him a few pointers!  Like how to keep the Man off there but!

In the end it isnt about what year your car is its about ALL the cars and who we are! CAR CRAZY! all of us YOUNG! AND OLD! Old cars new cars there all cool!
I miss cruising and they frown on it around here But there is strength in numbers!


Some just cooler than others!   

[ACUDANUT]

 Whoa, "YOU LIKE RICE ROCKETS" 

[Doright]

I like ALL Cars 

A few of today's ricers are tomorrow's classics! 

A closed mind is a terrible thing to waste! 

Some of those rice cars are very cool cars wake up.
Don't get me wrong I love my Mopars.....( Plural! )

I have respect for what the kids are doing to there cars today though! that's what we did when we were kids soup em up! after all my father would rather have had his 40 Ford coupe or a 50 Merc rather than my Charger when I was a kid And I would rather have my old charger too.
AND My Kid would rather have a tricked out Toyota Supra than my old Charger any day

My point is every generation has there super cars and classics and too me to say I have a favorit well that would just be wrong I like them all!!!!

So yes I like Rice rockets! I have seen a few very cool Supras I would just love to have!   

And to separate the two on Cruise nights is a VERY UNCOOL THING TO DO! your being prejudice! too KIDS! Very UNCOOL!

So the next time your out Cruising before every one gets arrested I will be hanging with the Kids! I like there Music better any ways!

[The70RT]

Most play rap nowadays  ....I just can't do it 

[Doright]

Naw a Bunch are into the New Rock around here

I cant handle too much Rap either, If there a Thumpin I just move on down a bit.
But they all like a clasic Mopar! They just cant find them cheap enough to play with them like they can the Rice cars.

 

[elacruze]

I love my Charger. Duh. I've never had any other 'hot rod'. However, I'm no prisoner to the technology, and I've made sort of a lifestyle out of mentoring young mechanics. I'm all for getting as many hoods open in a controlled environment as possible-there's no shortage of kids to teach, and no shortage of modern rigs to learn from. The straw that broke the camel's back to move me into fuel injection was the fact that many if not most of the kids in modded ricers knew more about EFI than I did. Did I mention that I don't enjoy my own ignorance? 
I have never personally met a 'ricer' that had zero respect for 'classic musclecars', in fact it's patently obvious in the movie 'The Fast and the Furious' that the old cars are revered. Even the guys with modern rigs that can smoke most classics appreciate what they are, and how they've created the avenue for them to follow and express themselves.
I personally enjoy mixing with them, on my terms of course.