Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (June 4, 1987)
r Diversions Photo by Andy Cripe Cruising ‘The Gut* Midnight isn't exactly the time of day you'd expect to gel caught in a traffic jam Hut it you're traveling on Willamette Street in huge no on a F riday or Saturday night that's what you'll find Why do so many young peo ple frequent “The Ciut ’ “It's just a happenin’." says Monty Reynolds Reynolds is a 14 year old graduate ol Pleasant Hill High School He is a regular on l ire Gut. and although he lives in Oakridgc he still likes to hang out in Eugene on Fridays and Saturday s Reynolds knows a lot ol cruisers, and many kids seem to -UQ Bookstore^ You can’t beat our low, low photo prices I Film & Photo Processing Guwuudeed Lowest Prices Wall match or baat I ha prica ot any local photo coupon. One Day Service In by 4 pm — back by NOON I ha naxl day (C41 color print film). Enlargements, Reprints & Slides Qraat sarvtca and prlcaa in ;>our lull sarvlca Photo Dapt \ Your full service Photo Dept. Your store since 1920 1 3th & Kmc ant Mf 7 X> •» .10 SAT t0 00 4 00 AM 4331 know him just by his car He looks real cool in his sleeveless muscle shirt as he aiiiusts his tight lic-dycd jeans so his gray eel skinned cowboy hoots show He appears at ease among the hordes of kids that hang out on I'hc Gut As he drives around the loop that runs along Willamette Street trout 20th Avenue to 2^th Avenue. Reynolds smoothes out his dark brown, leathered hack hair and comments about not wearing enough hair spray His gold colored Pontiac Trans Am has a I top. and for him the wind is less of a factor than being seen "It's a big deal to rev your engine and show off your car," Reynolds says The Gut is "a modern car museum" in his opinion. "High schoolers get flicked a lot of shit for driving momma's car. and your car makes a hell of a lot of difference whether you're noticed or not." he says Reynolds' car is one of the more decked-out cars It has matching gold-colored sheep skin seat covers, a radar detec tor. Dunlop radial GT qualifier tires. Thunderbird exhaust and. of course, a very loud stereo Reynolds says only a lew cruisers have "fu// busters,” as he calls his detector, and estimated the total number in cars that night to be only 10. But that's not as important an ac cessory as a stereo, he says Part of the game to being noticed is to see who is playing the loudest music. Most of the cars commonly seen are the usual mix ol small economy cars, but Reynolds says there are a few outstanding cruising vehicles. "The cool cars arc Trans-Arm, pickups, four-wheel drives, camaros. TR-7's and Fiats.” he says One strange sight was a yellow Ford pickup with an in flatable (Rxi/illa in the hack w ith a hall a dozen other riders Members of this group were flashing signs that read "Nudist in car" and pleading for pretty girls to |oin them A live cockatiel was climbing on the hood of another car that had been pulled over by the police. Once in a while you might even see a limousine or two on a prom night. Reynolds says Pur mg the last prom there was one limo cruising around, but as Reynolds pointed out. the smok ed windows negated the purpose ol being seen "A lot of people walk down here." says Reynolds, looking at a group of 12 teen-age guys lined up in front of Music West. "Most guys come here to show oil and try to pick up girls, but it never works," he says. "I just like to get out and see peo ple It's kind of like a meeting place to get something going "Any girl can have her pick ol any guy." Reynolds says "That depends on what kind of meat you want to get," Reynolds' friend. Aline Jacobsen, rebuts The Gut is your basic partying place with lots of yelling and cat calling going on. says Jacobsen, a 19-year-old freshman at the University. "Don't be surprised if you get called a bitch." she says Jacobsen, a very stunning brown-eyed blonde, is a stereotype of the typical Califor nia girl She says the girls yell things at other girls because they arc jealous. 'The girls are more boisterous than the guys here." Reynolds says "It you're c<x>l to most people and say. What's happenin'’’ they 'll be friend Iv back " "Every once in a while you'll see a ’grandpa' or 'grandma,' but most of the cruisers are under 21. Jacobsen savs Two young men deliberately dressed as "nerds" were stan ding on the sidewalk trying to entice girls The nerds apparent ly were making fun of the guys who had come to pick up girls Jacobsen gets "hit on" a lot. she says. It tcxik her 30 minutes to drive the loop, and she got 21 comments from male drivers She says most people ask her il she wants to "have a party ” The guys pull alongside your car and take a quick peek so you don't know they are looking at you. she says They drive by slowly and say "hi" into your car. "You want to go to my house and party? Meet us in the Safeway parking lot at 2:15 a m Be there or be square." one stranger yells A fight breaks out every once in awhile. Reynolds says, but bystanders break it up before the police arrive. "They know we’re down here, and they play a little cat and mouse game with open con tamers." says Eugene police of ficer Thomas Schulkc, pointing out the high use of alcohol among cruisers Even though the Eugene Police IX-partment is there to Continued on Page 12
