Remember the Service Stations

I lived in Lancaster California then and cruising the blvd. was what every kid that had a car did. The age of 15 and ½ gave you the right to drive as long as you had a licensed driver sitting beside you. But when that age of 16 came around it meant that the blvd. was the place to be. It was the days of the 4-track stereo and 32 cents a gallon gasoline, then of course when the gasoline wars came along the gas prices didn’t go up they came down. The wars I’m talking about didn’t happen over seas in the desert they happened right here between the different gas stations. I remember then gas at 28 cents. Five dollars and you have a full tank of gas to cruise with.

Those were the days of the hot cars with big engines and dual four-barrel carburetors or three duce’s and cheater slicks for rear tires. The 409 engines were the thing to have and the chrome four speed gear shift on the floor. Those were the cars to cruise in, and car clubs were in, and they were cruising the blvd like the rest of us.

The words 10th and K meant more than just the name of two streets. It meant a race was going to take place. 10th street east had two painted stripes on it that just happened to measure a quarter mile. After the race, it was back to cruising or a stop at the Foster Freeze on avenue I and the words Duke Of Earl could be heard playing in the night air.

I met my wife cruising the Blvd. she was driving a new 65 Mustang red in color and I drove a 64 Pontiac Tempest blue green in color. She would have a car load of girls in her car and I would have a car load of boys in mind and together we would pass in the night.

The 4 track would be playing in both cars and the waving at each other would begin. Then it would be following each other to the Foster Freeze or to Paxtons drive in the in place to get that coke and meet the chicks or the chicks to meet the guys.

The cruising is how I met my wife and now we been together for 40 years, I guess you might say cruising wasn’t all that bad of a thing to do.