Gas Prices and Cruising

It is such a joy to see the gas prices fall below two dollars a gallon, although I have no doubt we will see them rise once again. In the meantime, I am enjoying this new phenomena. I remember a time when gas started rising toward one dollar a gallon, with never a thought it might rise to two dollars a gallon. Way back, in the sixties, when I started driving, gas was cheap. Teenagers cruised around town without a worry. The only worries we had was whether we would find that special person cruising around town as well.

These were the days, when we would, literally, combine our pennies, and head to the gas pumps. Many times we would pump in twelve or thirteen cents, which, believe it or not, provided a lot of cruising time. Unlike now, pennies and nickels meant something more than “disowned step-children”. Finding loose change meant gas … and gas meant cruising. If we couldn’t find change, we would clip food coupons and cash them in to buy gas (we had a friendly grocer). Someone would take the family car “as is”, which meant, if the tank was full … great, if not …we put it in, as parents were not expected to “keep the wheels rolling”.

Unfortunately, teens no longer cruise, but what fun they are missing! Crowding into the car (no license restrictions or seat belts) to cruise. You would be amazed at how many kids would fit into one car, or how many phone numbers can be exchanged in just a few hours. Anywhere cars parked for food service, you would find cruising teens. Who remembers cruising, The Spot, Carson Newman Campus, Cherokee Dam, The Piazza Palace in Knoxville, Shoney’s, The Silver Spur and The Blue Circle in Morristown, and many more? Cruising was today’s texting, a social network for teenagers.

Gas prices are down, so why are teens not cruising? Oh yes, I almost forgot the license restrictions, and what’s the fun without being able to pack the gang into one car?