Despite gradually expanding (and much-needed) light rail systems in North Texas, the automobile remains the transportation of choice around here. It’s therefore inevitable that people would maintain a certain fetishy relationship with their cars. Auto enthusiasts wash their rides obsessively, deck them out, trick them up, and get an almost kinky thrill in displaying them in public places. And we’re not talking billionaire classic car collectors, either. The best car meets and cruise clubs are made up of working-class Joes and Janes who use their vehicles daily to earn a living, then gussy them up and take them out in the evenings to meet like-minded folks. There is something undeniably blissful but “shooting the shit” with friendly strangers in a parking lot under the night sky, sitting on top of or leaning against your ride. It’s the closest thing 21st century urban Texans have to understanding the intense relationship between cowboys and their horses.
For anyone so inclined, the DFW Meet and Cruise group hosts informal weekly car meets in the area. This Sat Sept 27, the evening begins 8:30-10:30pm in the Garden Ridge Parking Lot next to Dairy Queen, 2650 I-20 in Grand Prairie. Participants will then cruise down the highway to meet up again 10:30-midnight in the lot of Gander Mountain, 459 I-20 in Arlington. It’s free and open to everyone, but there are a few major rules that must be observed. No alcohol or drugs will be allowed in the meeting area; if you appear obviously drunk or high, you will be asked to leave. Also, no weapons of any kind. DFW Meet and Cruise organizers also expect people to leave the showboating behind: No engine revving, rubber burning, or other lame teenage “my first car” behavior. For more info, contact Dfwmeetandcruise@gmail.com.
