Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Road to Nowhere

This will be the first year that cruising is officially banned in the West End. Every year around this time we got the official excuse from those involved that the people cruising couldn't afford to go to Derby like those in the East End and this was their way to celebrate.

Maybe I just don't understand how a several hour traffic jam that wastes a tankful of precious gas, gunfire, and angers many of the locals is a good time. I've been to Derby twice in my life, both times as a worker. Every other year I've stayed at home or gone to a party at someone's house. I never suffered because I didn't have my own, media recognized event.

This year it is banned, and the threat is that it will move to another part of town. Given the tensions that seem to arise during cruising each year, I certainly hope it remains peaceful Derby Day. But given the amount of people who come in from out of town, and the impression that the event has given in previous years that basically anything goes, I'm not holding my breath.

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