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Show TheSalt Lake Tribune UTAH Cruising State Street NowDiscouraged @ Continued from C-1 Salt Lake City and 2100 South in the heart of Sugarhouse The sluggish pageant starts at 10 p.m., begins to build at mid- night andfinallydissipatesat 3 or 4 in the morning. Cars loopendlessly from South Temple to 1300 South. For six hours, northern State Streetis reduced to a rowdy promenade of cars, trucks, jeeps and bullet bikes and the people in and on them. All of them are struggling in one nightto see and be seen 10 p.m. — The numberofcars on State Street is no more or less than traffic on a mid-Interstate15-reconstruction afternoon. Middle-aged couples are head- ed homefrom dinner and movies. The whole townis probably glued to their televisions, watching Game4 ofthefirst-round NBA playoff series between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings Three teenagersin a truck from Wyoming gaze down into the sen- sible sedans, hoping to see other cruisers. No luck. They gun the engine after a white Dodge Neon filled with giggling. Slurpeeslurpinggirls. Paola Dell-Ossolivesin the Bel vedere apartments, 29 right over State Street. South. “The noise is unbelievable, Dell-Osso says. The booming bass of competing stereos, honking and yelling permeate their home each weekend. “Unless you're really, really tired, you can't slee Police have stopped a 1970sera American-madeboatofa car. A tow truck backsup to the front bumper while the driver stands by, watchingin dismay 10:45 p.m. — A erush of carsis growing,slowly. An Isuzu Rodeo filled with girls tails a Nissan Pathfinder filled with boys, flashing their lightslike eyelashes. The in pulls alongside the Isuzu. oneboyleaning out the window in his effort to convince the girls to pass along a number. Director George Lucas immor- talized cruising in Graffiti.” “American filling the movie with lassic cars and youngactorslike Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford and Ron Howard Basing the movie on his own ad. olescence in Modesto, Calif., Lu- as lent cruising a carefree air and likely spawned a nationwide revival Cruising has spread, from Ket hikan, Alaska, where teen-agers drive a 30-mile strip of highway. know their kids are down here. curbcruising in Seattle, Reno and They think the Portland. Even Modesto, the unofficial home of cruising, finally outlawed the practice in 1990. But American Civil Liberties Union director Carol Gnade worries the cruising ban could be an watchinga vide,” he says. p.m. —Managersof the Chevron on 900 South have hired private security to direct traffic around the gas pumps and tow troublemakers. In years past, the Fred Meyer parking lot was the place to congregate. When that yacant build ing was turned into a car deaier- excuse forviolating residents’ civ- il rights. “Lawenforcement officers can- notstop a driver unless they have a reasonable cause to suspect ship, cruisers started gathering at Chevron, Sears on 800 South and the Carl's Jr. on 200 South. At times on Friday and Saturnience store parking lot is filled with nearly 20 cars, some drivers seeking gas, some a soda, some just curious Blake Carling, a 20-year-old downtown. MoranVision Center physicians, part of the ling says, “you can be the ugliest In a nearby Acura, Juanita Fry waves Carling over. After a brief conversation, he moves on — he’s got a girlfriend, he says. She trusts him. Luckyhe’s notinterFry and her friends have their LASIK PRK ¢ ai own plan for self-preservation. “We onlygive out the cell phone number, not home numbers,” says 21-year-old Ann Sloan groupof Latino young mer ner tarted jawing with three white nina truck. The Latino youths © sitting by their car in hand. ffs the white kids are uncuffed alkingto officers Two nervous blond women who witnessed the altercation speed off in their economy car when po lice are done questioning them There are a lot of good kids But a lot of them are bad ou don't want around your good kids,” says Brad Davis. a cycle officer y a to the street on weekends ised State himself just years age Most of the parents don't ~FREE SEMINAR~ We can take care of our- selves,” adds Fry 12:34 a.m. — The Chevron parkinglot is empty for now. The security guard lounges against the corner of the building. Cp MINE VISION CENTER Call 585-EYES (3937) Nd Mill Medical Center 5000 East, Suite to register for the seminaror to schedule an appointment Police cars have ed on State Street. The crushof cars movesin synch, like a swarm Newdrivers turn into traffic at everyintersection. The crowd is giddy. The Jazz held on to beat Sacramento andforce Game 5 12:38 a.m. — Athree-car fend- er-bender between 300 and 400 South slows the crawl of cars to a creep, a perfect excuse to exchange numbers. Someone miscalculated the slice of space between cars that Canon Acer Flatbed Scanner Bubblejet™ Printer * Prints up to 4 pages per minute + 720 x 360 * Indudes C meansyou'reinterested andstill gives youtimetostop. The young truck driver from Idaho explains the accident to a Utah Highway Patrol officer. In the smashed Mitsubishi Galantin cal boys ponder how toexplain to Mom and Dad. The girls in the Honda in front of themare re There are morecars on State Limit Limit 1 MaxRebate front of him, five embarrassed lo- Fax Machine * Plain paper fax S:sheet auto document feeder + 150 sheet paper cassette hour: The peak hour last August was 9 am. on a Thursday morn ing Still, police say they are Duster on StateStre can, he says. “And there will be something going on there and more violence e citations as quickly as I there andover there Davis has seen sawed-off shot guns. pistols. “Therearefights all nigh jong. You get so fed up with sitting thesekids." he says “tn 1997. police reportedon Street, 402 as. alls for public e and order Last year. Ber nard Repreza was fatally stabbed by a Straight Edge gang member after a Halloweer sing cor frontation Police 79 ” $129” Multifunction 3DNow!™ ee That's why its time cruising stopped. Wasdensays “We don't like seeing kids hurt We don't killed” he says propose setting up check point on State where offi cers would monitor cars from 11 pm to 4amFriday and Satur 5299” _-100 =f Articulating Leather" Manager's Leather’ Task Chair** Task Chair** ; atx. he © Adpsitatihe a day nights. watching license plates and citing anyone whc passed thecheck point more than twice It's a systemthat has worked to TSM ew eer Ff: Call: 1-800°788°8080 Fax:1800-995-9644 >OOR COPY ioe team eo . -150 [oo another 525 assaults and 1 455 98 4 5 INCLUDES oe + Zoom upow 5012 200% Technology Computer Package 1 i‘ responded te public peace and order calls last year Peoes AMD-K6*-2/475MHz Processor with ene aia XEROX =z, Canon : 39° ene Won Fri Tempe & 763-0120 oT Ah es tk custow Pr re aris State Street is clear forcruising CORNEAL RING IMPLANTS ested in Juanita. an a dozen officers converge on © intersection. Another two po- ns. police responded to four The three-car accident is gone the highest quality care p ossible and a full range of refractive surgery options Financing Available bike. squealing U-turns to reach a nt at 500 South. There's just a lot more of every thing: moretraffic, more weap whitesport utility, one leg in the yard, streets with similar traffic loads. calls and two calls, respectively University of Utah Health Sciences Center, providing kid and you'll still get tons of numbers because you've got a Saturday-night cruise time akan during morning and afternoon rush hour Most of the weekend calls are for traffic accidents drunken drivers and racing This Friday night is nothing. Davis says til July and ol is out. “1 n, like most native Utahns ruised State. “It's changed: a lot 25 years.’ Wasden says ately straddles the tirewell of her ible, crowds have been more man. social prowess. “When you havea bike,” Car- “Ash and Sara's” number Color Printer © Prints up to page e cars close the 600 Southinter tion, diverting cruisers to oth. treets Assistant Police Chief Roy Was. fewweeks, with police plainly vis FREE SCR EENING & EDUC “ATION: IL SEMINAR pulls a post card outofhis pocket with Street during the morning rush Inall, ninepolice cars and more from Chevron, a young woman ri fling through her purse deliber- Thepast Onthis Friday, police received 2 complaints from State Street On 700 East and Foothill Boule 1:30 a.m. — Across the street cruising violence, without shut scrawled on the back. Proof ofhis Shawn Christensen, 21, proudly those too youngtodrink. cruising s the socially acceptable. even 91. way to meet Sport-utility vehicles and Jeep 11 p.m. — The monotonous downtown, move Willey warehouse before heading LEXMARK. of cars suddenly breaks as olice officers meandering in raffic suddenly swing their cars one onthe street a clear view uf her skirt. Except for a few ca calis, her efforts are ignored “You just exy See forr yourself. group of young mendrag at an RC lieved only the bumper was dam iream car, one on the road, giving every Dell-Osso says. it on Friday and 1 That's part of living on Street. If you don't want to live EvenDell-Osso, who struggles to sleep weekend nights, believes police could do more to curtail ting the tradition down. ageable, more quiet, sh Cruisingis a rite of tionally vague restriction on the fundamental freedom of movement. assembly and expression.” from Taylorsville, and his friends park their motorcycles outside Chevron for extended breaks in cruising. Nearly every Friday, the aged car of choice. The well-equipped ruiser now carries a cell phone criminal activity,’ Gnade says This amounts to an unconstitu- Freedom from Glasses & Contacts? day nights, the Chevron conve- pulling over periodically to gab to O Street in Lincoln Neb. For Wranglers have supplanted mus: cle cars and convertibles as the c5 Sunday, May 23, 1999 wit ate WRIDWALLEY, Farry ant Woda Pay MURRAY State peoy Spr San. bam pm ve Five" 4 ox he & 9 27-3738 299-9112 37-4018 s21-4330 sma-4714 we 7ST8 06-2000 or es s ww. 202-3338 = |
