The recent summer surge in gas prices has finally trickled down to American teenagers. The tradition of aimlessly cruising on summer nights appears to be a rapidly disappearing ritual. This distinctly American practice was best captured in the 1970s hit, “American Graffiti.” With the downturn of summer employment opportunities and the upswing of gasoline prices, parents and teens alike are looking for alternatives to driving.
A recent article from the New York Times reports:
Perhaps the summer’s most visible change is occurring in the downtown strips of small towns where, for decades, cruising on Friday and Saturday nights has been a teenage rite of passage. It is a peculiarly American phenomenon — driving around in a big loop, listening to music, waving at one another and wasting gasoline.
“We’re not cruising around anymore, with gas costing $4.50 a gallon,” said Ewelina Smosna, a recent graduate of Taft High School in Chicago, as she hung out the other night at the Streets of Woodfield, an outdoor mall in Schaumburg. “We just park the car and walk around.”
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With teens walking rather than riding they are getting needed exercise and perhaps developing a lifelong habit. Important since there is a national overweight epidemic. So as gas prices go up, waistlines may go down.
July 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 am