For decades, many California cities banned car cruising. Activists are slowly getting those laws repealed.
Few things are more beautiful on a California summer evening than the sight of lowriders cruising slow and low and bouncing up and down through the streets. But for decades, municipalities across the Golden State have been declaring war on lowriding.
Today, why cities banned car cruising in the first place and how activists are finally winning. Read the full transcript here.
Host: Gustavo Arellano
Guests: San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Tammy Murga
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tape: I'm really excited for today. Today's the first of our six cruises on Highland Avenue. [applause]
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Gustavo: Few things are more beautiful on a California summer evening than the sight of low riders…
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Gustavo: Cruising low and slow and bouncing up and down through the streets.
Gustavo: The boats and the bombs, your Chevy fleet lines and Monte Carlo's and Aldos all Chrome and leather seats and just firme.
Gustavo: But for decades, municipalities across the golden state have been declaring war on low riding.
tape: Our main goal is to repeal the no cruising ordinance in National City. Yeah. That's our main goal.
Gustavo: A no cruising ordinance? That's not cool, carnal!
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Gustavo: I’m Gustavo Arellano. You're listening to The Times, daily news from the LA times. It's Thursday, June 30th, 2022. Today, why cities banned car cruising in the first place and how activists are finally winning.
tape: Because who do these streets belong to? Who do these streets belong to? This is our street. We organize and we mobilize
Gustavo: Tammy Murga is a reporter with the San Diego Union Tribune. And she recently went to cover a low writer cruise in National city, Tammy, welcome to The Times.
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Tammy: Thank you for having me, Gustavo.
Gustavo: Okay. So national city, what is it? What do you find there? Who are the residents? All that stuff.
Tammy: So National City is located in south county of San Diego, predominantly Latino, low-income. It is a place that's really close to the border. So you see a lot of Spanish speakers. You see a lot of Chicanos, a lot of Latinos, and a lot of these residents are part of the lowrider culture.
tape: Where's the car, this one here. 71 Chevy. 71 chevy nova. Are you excited to get your cars out here. Oh yeah. Tell me what, what do you feel, what's going through your mind? Well, it feels good because you’re doing this for the community…
Gustavo: Yeah, lowriding is a big part of any Latino community in the United States, especially Chicano community. And you know, it's not just a thing to do. It's just part of who you are. So how did that scene take such a hold among Mexican Americans?
Tammy:You know, I think it's a little, it's important to add a bit of history here. So the exact birthplace of low riding culture, I guess, is up for debates; some might say Los Angeles, others, New Mexico, or, other, you know, border cities. But I think it began in the. 1940s and fifties, the postwar era. It was most notable in Mexican American communities, particularly among Chicano youth. You know, the time of the pachucos, the zuitsuits. But in National City and really many parts of San Diego county, the lowriding scene grew during the Chicano movement. And specific to National City, Highland avenue became the place to cruise.
Clip: When you’re in a relationship, it’s sorta hard to be with someone who doesn’ lowride, right? Yeah…definitely.
Tammy: It attracted people from all parts of Southern California, even people from outside the low rider scene to just, you know, be spectators because all of these cars they're really pieces of art.
Gustavo: Oh yeah, the cars. Beautiful. I have myself a seven, three El Dorado convertible. It's not a low writer, but it's still freaking beautiful. So you go out there and you just feel like these are working class folks, but they're spending thousands of dollars as a point of pride on these things
Tammy: Absolutely. You know, at You know, the core of the culture is really personal expression. There's pride, there's respect. We see that in, in both the engineering and the artistic side of, of modifying these vintage vehicles, even bicycles, they're known as low bikes. So with technology, of course, they're the way that cars are customized. They changed over time, but we typically see the hydraulics, the three wheeling, we see the vibrant paint jobs, Chrome, everything, um, um, And you know, the cars there's Cadillac coops, even Chevy pickups. The Impalas, the Lincoln town car is a little bit of everything.
Gustavo: And you see families like it's not just like a man thing. It's men, women, kids, familias all of that.
Tammy: Exactly. It's a very generational thing in both brown and Black communities, but the majority in Mexican Americans and you have grandparents, their kids and their grandchildren and fixing up a car is kind of like a Rite of passage thing. You know, you grow up helping your dad, your uncle, your mom, your. Yeah, whoever it is. And, and then you inherit that car. So National City, there's a lot of that, you know. There's people that, they were cruising in the eighties and then now they have their children that are fixing up these cars. So I had the chance to meet a lot of, of these folks. A lot of these parents.
tape: Back in the day I used to cruise. Oh, really? Yes. Here on Highland? Yes. And when they stopped all that, it was kind of a bum, of course, because it was no more cruising down Highland on Sunday, but I heard cause we're down on vacation. I said, oh my God, they're going to have the cruise. And we're not going back home till Monday. So she says, yeah. Then I'm like, well, I want to go to remember.
tape: How long have you been doing this for? 30 years. Wow. And did you, did you cruise in Highland before? Yeah. How old were you when you were doing that? 18. Wow. And how old are you now? 72. Are you excited to get your cars out here? Yeah. Yeah? Tell me what, what do you feel? What's going through your mind? What feels good? Feel good because you're going to for the community.
Culture clip: This is about so much more than just cars. It's about. It's about expression, about love family, community, uh, supporting our small businesses, uh, music with food language. And then most of all culture cruising here. This is part of our identity here in National City.
Gustavo: So Tammy, I don't get it. If lowriding is such an important part of Chicano culture and national city and beyond why was cruising made illegal there in the first place?
Tammy: Yeah, I think it's, it's important to start at defining cruising. So cruising means the repetitive driving of a motor vehicle two or more times within a four hour period in the same direction. Right. And with cruising driving. Slow and with how extravagant these cars are, they naturally attract a crowd, right? So a lot of these bands came or aimed to curb traffic, congestion And noise pollution, but it's a little more complex than that. Low writing became a symbol of resistance during the Chicano movement. It was their way of preserving the Mexican American culture. And not to assimilate to mainstream culture, like the hot rods, which are faster and taller vehicles. So you see lowriders weighing down their cars with bricks and things like that. Then you start seeing all these laws that really target those riding low and slow. So California, for example, in 1958, they made it illegal for car parts to be lower than rims. And that's where you have hydraulics come in. you have drivers that can lift their suspensions at a street legal height, and then switch back down to a lower level. And they also have drivers who would remove their front seats to lay low and avoid being seen by police. So low writing really kind took on that derogatory meaning, especially with the rising gangs in the eighties and nineties. And you see that clash between police, who say that they're just enforcing the law to curb crime and traffic and the lowriding community saying that these laws are criminalizing their culture.
Gustavo: And it's interesting because all car cultures are gonna be smacked down by police. Like you mentioned, the hot rods. You also have the import scene that made very famous by grand theft auto and fast and furious, but specifically with low riders, they are the ones who are being penalized for decades with these ordinances. How did the band play out in National City?
Tammy: Yeah so, National City's cruising ban went into effect in 1992 in response to those concerns that some residents raised of the popular pastime, which often attracted crowds from outside the low rider community; gangs that were not necessarily low riders themself, but they just came out to the streets and that brought out also a lot of, uh, traffic congestion. So the prohibition really under the national city municipal code, it makes cruising punishable by a thousand dollars fine, or even imprisonment of up to six months.
Gustavo: And it's not just National City that did that. Like the city where my wife has her store Santana. They banned cruising. Uh, you mentioned California in the 1950s. They basically made lowriders illegal, but I was surprised that there was even laws against cruising and low riding in Los Angeles.
Tammy: Right in Los Angeles. The city council passed its most restrictive bill in 1988. And that said that the new law, uh, would limit cars to one round trip, every six hours on streets where police determined that cruising is a problem.
Gustavo: What did lowrider owners do in those early days to fight back? And why do you think they didn't succeed? I mean, a lot of these bands they've been on the books for decades.
Tammy: That's right for decades. You know, the ban did work in that cruising significantly died down in National City. But instead, what we saw here in San Diego was that there was a lot of momentum in Southeast San Diego among multiple car clubs and they organized events that Are that we see today, we see car shows, cruise night series, like La Vuelta cruise. Uh,
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Tammy: But those are permitted shows that we haven't seen a National city until recently.
Gustavo: Yeah, all these activists kept at it and all these decades later, things are slowly changing.
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Gustavo: More after the break.
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Gustavo: So Tammy, there are activists then in National City trying to overturn these laws.
Tammy: Yes. So for about a year now, the United lowrider collision // has been trying to get that 30 year ban on cruising lifted, especially because the law really hasn't been enforced for years.
tape: We are fighting for a meaning. That is something bigger than what we can, we can't even understand, like. All in the family, all of you guys, we're all here. We're not just a unit. We're a family and we're fighting for this for every single one of us.
Tammy: So they're, part of a low riding scene themselves. They're people who used to cruise on Highland avenue before the law was in place. They're also looking for all the acknowledgements that would come with a repeal, like trust between the low rider community and law enforcement, you know, and so, uh, they've given presentations on why the band should be lifted. They've conducted studies with businesses about their thoughts on cruising and their latest, uh, was a cruising pilot program. So, last year, The city council agreed to temporarily suspend the cruising ban to allow for six test cruises on Highland avenue and afterward the city would assess what to do with that law.
Gustavo: Who are some of the people at the United lowrider coalition? Like…what's their stories?
Tammy: Yeah. So there are several members, for example, there's Sophia Torah.
tape: That's our number one goal. In order to get that, no cruising. Repealed. We want to be able to show that we can have these cruises successful every single time, but we're asking. The chief of police, please, you know, let's come together and negotiate.
Tammy: She has a 1965 Impala herself. She's been a resident of national city, her, uh, grandfather and father used to cruise on Highland avenue and she fixed up a, uh, fixed up the Impala when she was younger. And now it's hers, you know, and there's also Jovita Arellano.
Gustavo: Not related
Tammy: Are you sure?
Gustavo: I'm sure I don't have any cousins down in, uh, San Diego. .
Tammy: All right. Well, she's been one of the faces here in national city to, uh, come before the council and really kind of, uh, push for this repeal. And she was really, oh, one of the main organizers for the first cruise in national city That was part of this pilot program.
Tape: That's our number one goal.
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Tape: In order to get that, no cruising. Repealed. We want to be able to show that we can have these cruises successful every single time.
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Tape: Let's find a solution because we want to have these cruises. They're great. I mean, it's a, it's a live art gallery. Somebody told me over the weekend, it's a live art gallery.
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Gustavo: How has the national city council or officials responded to this push to decriminalize low riding?
Tammy: Well, you know, there's been some tension between the city and the United lowrider Coalition after the first cruise, which happened last month, it brought out hundreds of cars and spectators. Most, including the city, deemed it a really successful event. But with upcoming cruises, the city and police recommended that organizers should pay about up to $20,000 per cruise for police services and other city, uh, services to better organize the event and control traffic. So collision members said, you know what, we can't afford those fees. So they opted out of that pilot program. So the national city police, chief Jose Tellez set at a press conference, really explaining why these fees are recommendations. And he said, you know what, the cruise just was a lot bigger than they expected. These, uh, police services will really kind of help, uh, organize the event control traffic.
tape: Obviously we have to be honest with everyone that the event that you had was extremely successful and actually the crowd that you had a Highland avenue was really unprecedented. So it's also unfair for the community, for us to pull resources from what is already a busy night to now address this while we're shorting our patrol staffing.
Tammy: And the mayor, Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-Solis, had also mentioned, she really wanted to clarify that these recommendations, these fees are not exclusive to the cruises. Any other event, like. Of parades or other types of events that go through that permit process also get charged these fees. And so she wanted to make it clear that it wasn't exclusive to the low riding collision.
Alejandra Sotelo-Solis: We wanted to clarify that the cruises will not be eliminated And secondly, there aren't any resources for requirements that are being asked that the ULA United little writer, Polish, and that are not being asked of any other TV permit holders.
Gustavo: But while National City goes through these growing pains of trying to decriminalize lowriding, you're seeing other cities just doing it. I know in Sacramento, they repealed their anti-cruising laws, San Jose in late June did the same. And then the California Assembly voted on a resolution this summer encouraging cities to overturn their cruising bans and embrace the lowrider culture. What’s changed in California that's leading to all this?
Tammy: I think a lot of cities are realizing that these bands that have been in place for decades, haven't been enforced for so long. And I think as we're seeing more people really returning to that, or voicing that this is our culture and reclaiming that and wanting to resurrect that culture, is… let's start that conversation again. What are we doing with these laws? If they're not in place, let's get rid of them. And so I think a lot of cities are starting to realize that and national city is not alone.
Gustavo: So what's next then for a United lowrider coalition?
Tammy: So coalition members are saying that the test cruises were simply one component of their overall efforts to resurrect the lowriding culture. They say they're still going to lobby to repeal the law. And as far as the city goes, there's been efforts on the city council Dias to start that discussion about possibly repealing the ban now. But majority of the council is saying they wanna take a little more time to figure out the logistics, and if it works, then they'd consider a repeal. So this is still ongoing in National City.
Gustavo: But you're seeing other successes in San Diego county, like in Barrio Logan.
Tammy: Right. they still have their cruising nights. They have events. Those are, permitted as well. We're seeing also an Escondido in north county of San Diego. They're happening for sure. National city wants to have that themselves in their own community.
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Gustavo: And finally, Tammy, what's your dream low rider?
Tammy: Oh, my goodness, 1964 Impala.
Gustavo: Uh, that's the old school classic. What do you like about those?
Tammy: oh my God. I just like the shape of it. I think it's really classy for me. I'm more, less is more, keep it simple. And I think that's just, That's the way to go.
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Gustavo: Tammy. Thank you so much for this conversation.
Tammy: Thank you for having me.
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Gustavo: That's it for this episode at the times, daily news from the LA times, madalyn amato was the jefa on this episode. And this is the first episode she's produced. Feed Meja Madeline. Seriously. Thank you. And our show is produced by Shannon Lynn, Denise Kera, Kaha, David Delto, nationally brown.
Our editorial assistant is Madeline AMA. Our engineers are Mario Diaz. Marketto Mike Kelin, our editors Kinsey Morelin. Our executive producers are Hasam and Shawn Hilton and our theme music it's by Andrew EIN. And Hey, quick favor. If you got a minute, 2, 3, 4, go to LA times.com/podcast survey, and answer some questions for us.
HEAs the HEAs the HEAs. They wanna know what you folks think Ruka homies and all that just don't call from Chino. Actually, the more calls from Chino the better. So thanks in advance. I'm gusta. We'll be back tomorrow with all the news in this mother.
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