End of ban on cruising goes before Modesto council, which also may toughen rules on sideshows
A vote Tuesday evening could end the 1990 ban on cruising Modesto streets, enacted after this tribute to “American Graffiti” got out of hand.
The City Council will also consider tougher rules on sideshows, a more recent kind of vehicle gathering that does not evoke the same fondness. Fines for drivers, organizers and even spectators are possible.
Police Chief Brandon Gillespie proposed the repeal after hearing from car clubs whose members would like to cruise regularly. They are now limited to a small number of sanctioned events, notably the Graffiti Summer parade and car shows each June.
The 1973 movie by Modesto native George Lucas recounted his own early 1960s cruising on and near 10th Street. It led to an annual Graffiti Night later in the 1970s, Gillespie said in a memo to the council.
“As the notoriety of cruising in Modesto grew, so did Graffiti Night and the numbers of people who were drawn to the city from all over the United States,” he said. “Starting in the mid-to-late 1980s, this traditionally fun and celebratory weekend began to experience an increasing amount of violence, assaults and shootings.”
McHenry drew up to 5,000 cruisers
The ordinance targeted McHenry Avenue, which police said drew as many as 5,000 cruisers at the time. The city manager could designate other no-cruising streets, but that did not happen.
The ordinance defined cruising as “repetitive driving of any motor vehicle past a traffic-control point in traffic which is congested at or near the traffic control point.” The fines range from $100 for the first violation to $250 for the third within a year.
Gillespie said his officers have not enforced the ordinance “in many years.” He added that increased funding allows the department to pay overtime for patrols during cruises. It also recently purchased an airplane that helps with responses.
Several other cities, such as Sacramento and San Jose, have repealed cruise bans. Proponents, including Latino low-riders, noted the cultural value of the activity.
Modesto did not invent cruising, but the Oscar-nominated film by Lucas made the city a symbol of this youthful pursuit. More than 30 news outlets around the nation reported on the 1990 ban. The council enacted it amid a crowd of about 500 at Modesto Center Plaza.
Sideshows are another matter
Sideshows involve taking over streets or parking lots for racing, spinouts and other dangerous stunts. State law allows vehicles to be impounded, but police have been looking for other tools.
Gillespie proposes fines of up to $3,500 for drivers and passengers in the offending vehicles. People who organize or promote sideshows could pay up to $3,000. Spectators could be fined up to $2,500.
In a memo to the council, the chief said organizers communicate about sideshows via cellphone and social media. They also monitor police radio scanners.
“These street takeovers and sideshows are done for entertainment,” Gillespie said, “and the mere presence of spectators at sideshows serves to exacerbate the occurrence of these dangerous events, creating an environment for these activities that place the safety and welfare of the public and spectators themselves at risk.”
The council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 11, in the basement chamber at Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St. Instructions on taking part online are at www.modestogov.com/659/City-Council.
