Buggin’ State Street
Author:
Nancy J. Schaaf
I remember when I received my
driver’s license in 1965, my sophomore year in high school.
As a teen with a driver’s license, the coolest activity was to
“Bug State Street.” This meant driving your car up and down
the main street in Erie, PA. A car load of teens, music
blasting from the car radio tuned in to WJET, the local Rock
and Roll station, and the street was a combination of pure
bliss and freedom.
Most teenagers doing this same
activity referred to this “cruising.” However, we Erie teens
always called it “Buggin’ State Street.” The main street in
Erie was a four lane road named State Street. This street ran
north and south through the center of the city stretching from
the Public Dock on Lake Erie and heading north for about
forty-two blocks.
In 1965, I was driving a navy blue
Pontiac Tempest with a convertible top. I was a very fortunate
teen as it was a brand new car given to me by my parents. For
a couple years, that car was my transportation to school and
for “Buggin’ State.” Many Friday and Saturday evenings were
spent on State Street. For many of us teens, the Sunday
afternoon drive which as children we had taken with our
parents had now with our teen years become a Sunday afternoon
“Bugging State Street” with our friends. Summer music in 1965
and 1966 was the Mamas and the Papas, Mitch Ryder, the Beach
Boys, and the Righteous Brothers. Summer in the City,
Wild Thing, and Sonny and Cher’s I got You,
Babe were the tunes being played.
In the summer of 1967, my last
summer bugging State prior to college, my brother and I shared
a vehicle, a 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400 convertible. This was a
beauty and one that attracted a lot of attention. We both
loved the car.
My friends and I would begin
driving at about 29th Street near the Academy High
school football stadium. From there, we drove to the Public
Dock at often times a snail’s pace as traffic many weekend
nights and Sunday afternoons especially was literally bumper
to bumper.
When we arrived at 12th and State,
the location of the radio station, often we would see up on
the second floor ledge DJ Johnny Holiday as he broadcasted the
tunes. He would wave and we would honk in return. Aretha
Franklin’s Respect, the Spencer Davis Group’s Gimme
Some Lovin’ and Beach Boys music were “Buggin’ State
Street” tunes.
Everyone completed the entire
drive and slowed to a crawl at the Public Dock. This area,
jutting out into the bay waters of Lake Erie, was a popular
hangout where teens could park their cars, sit upon them, and
converse with those driving by. Up and down this twenty six
block track, the cars snaked along with teens hanging out the
windows, convertible cars with tops down, waving and talking
to friends.
Later in the evening, when the
hunger pangs needed soothing, the place to go was the Home
Drive-in restaurant at Eighth and Peninsula which was located
several miles from the activity on State Street. I remember
sitting in the car with friends devouring French Fries with
gravy, a house specialty.
Many hours were spent in this
harmless and fun rite of passage. Now I wish I had a nickel
for every gallon of gas I used up while Buggin’ State Street.
