High Gas Prices Chase Teens To Malls

KYW 1060 has a report today about how high gas prices have forced teenagers to cut down on cruising, a time-honored tradition where kids ride around in their cars for hours and hours and hours without any real point. (Frankly, I still find it kind of awesome as an adult.)

It’s a warm, sultry Thursday night and a portion of a shopping center in Richboro, Bucks County in Pa. is filled with parked cars belonging to teenagers who ordinarily would be out cruising the streets. But not this summer. Eighteen-year-old Greg Borden says times have changed: “We usually come here to make plans and we used to all take our separate cars to where we were going, but now that gas is so high we just take one car and we usually try to not go to far either.” [...]

It’s the same story all across America. Parking lots, shopping malls, and movie theaters are now the favorite gathering spots for teens.

It’s neat to know teenagers are now gathering in malls, parking lots and movie theaters. As opposed to my day, when we gathered in basements, malls, movie theat–hmm, wait a second.

Also: Kudos to Larry Gatti, quoted in the piece, for getting the word “sucks” (which actually offends some people) onto the radio. And also for having a rhyming name.

Gas Costs Force More Teens to Cut Down on Cruising [KYW 1060]
Photo via CGoulao, Creative Commons license

Arlen Specter: Comedy Genius

Perhaps invoking some ancient provision in Scottish law concerning cruising for sex in public bathrooms, Arlen Specter has decided he wants Larry Craig to stay in the Senate.

The toilet senator planned on stepping down on Sept. 30, but now he’s thinking of withdrawing his guilty plea and fighting an ethics investigation in the Senate. (This is a tremendous boon for the boys at Wonkette, and for those of us who enjoy humorous writing as well.) Craig said everything turned because of a call from our own magic bullet theorist himself!

A telephone call Craig received last week from Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., urging him to consider fighting the guilty plea - and for his seat - affected Craig’s decision to reconsider his resignation, Smith said. On Tuesday, Specter, senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggested Craig’s GOP colleagues who pressured him last week to resign should re-examine the facts surrounding his arrest.

“The more people take a look at the situation, there may well be second thoughts,” said Specter, a former prosecutor. If Craig had not pleaded guilty to a reduced charge and instead demanded a trial, “I believe he would have been exonerated,” Specter said.

There are a few options here, each one as good as the next. (1) Arlen Specter has been in the Senate too long¹ and no longer understands anything. (2) Specter also cruises for gay sex in public restrooms. (3) Specter is a pod person from Mars. (Personally, I think this one is true.) (4) Specter enjoys hilarity as much as I do, and just wants to see where this thing goes next.

Whatever the reason, more Larry Craig, Toilet Senator, sounds good to me. Thanks, Arlen!

¹ My AP U.S. History teacher complained about Arlen Specter being in the Senate too long. In 1998.

Craig Reconsiders Decision to Resign [AP/KYW 1060]

Gee, I Wonder How People Got The Idea This Place Might Be A Good Place To Cruise

Today’s Daily Pennsylvanian brings the story of the Stiteler Hall bathroom, which, who woulda thunk it, is on the Cruisingforsex.com list of places where gay men can hook up.

Whatever. It’s a bathroom at a college — chances are there could be some gay sex there. Penn has responded by monitoring the Stiteler Hall bathroom, and the comments section has exploded on the DP’s website telling the writer he’s a bad journalist. (Sigh.)

But here’s the fun part (emphasis mine):

Norma Bottomer, a custodian who has worked in Stiteler Hall for more than a year, said University officials asked her to erase graffiti announcing sexual messages and meeting times from the men’s bathroom in the building’s basement late last summer. [...]

Jennifer Bottomley, the manager for the second floor of Stiteler Hall, said police officials informed her that activity had occurred in the area during the summer but did not provide her with any details.

Peter Topp could not be reached for comment.

Sex in Stiteler? [DP]
Photo by Nika