MrBigOne's post brings something to mind, actually...
I think the familiarity of cruising places is definitely very much at work here, but it's a double-edged sword. There is such a thing as having a cruising location be TOO familiar.
As we all know, some cruising spots are very well suited to it geographically: great places to hide out, good view of surrounding areas and new arrivals, ability to move from the main location to a more secluded one if privacy is desired, a general knowledge of the lay of the land so movement is simplified and exits are easily obtained, having an alternate reason to be there (hanging out in a park is acceptable -- they are public places and just your physical presence there is not any indication that you are looking for another OTHER than what a park is SUPPOSED to offer).
So in this way, the more comfortable we are with an area, the more likely we are to return to it. We know what to expect, more or less. We feel more in control.
[Hazy sepia-toned flashback sequence again]:
I used to know every street, every alley, every hidden corner, every bit of everything back in the cruising areas in New York. I'm saying I had an intimate knowledge of every freaking HEDGE in town. If it was possible to have sex there, I probably did. Not only did I learn the areas from cruising as an adult, but I also grew up there and played as a kid in almost all of these spots, too. Hell, I even led a few dudes down to "Old Lady Name Deleted's" root cellar a few times (she went to bed early and slept soundly all night).
Now... cities and town are being rebuilt and changed dramatically on a daily basis. There just aren't all that many root cellars inside the city limits anymore, right?
Yet having a place be TOO familiar becomes a detriment, too.
At my one and only cruising spot, some of the guys are FAR too comfortable. I've seen many of them do things that attract attention to what is going on there. No subtlety at all. And I've seen the fruits of these poor choices, too: cops coming around and shining their big, bright flashlights. It isn't that the cops don't already know what goes on here, it's that when guys get too comfortable and act obnoxiously, phone calls and complaints start streaming in. And, of course, the lone cop who might be driving by and would otherwise just KEEP driving by will be much more likely to stop if he glimpses a group of five guys all walking into the woods together -- or vehicles parked in places where it would otherwise be illogical to park unless you were doing something untoward. For heaven's sake, guys... WALK a little further, please. Be discrete.
Also, there is the familiarity of the same old faces that MrBigOne mentioned. Sometimes, as well also all know, the same guys are in the same spot day after day after day. Now and then, these guys are men we aren't interested in at all. Maybe we just want something new, or maybe we don't like to be around them for some other reason. Many times I have left a cruising area when I see a few familiar faces or vehicles. I know for sure that other men do the same -- they will leave and maybe come back later (if at all) in hopes the familiar guys have left. Usually the mainstays NEVER leave, though.
And when there is just ONE car or ONE guy in a certain place, and everyone else just keeps on driving and won't stop, that is also noticed by anyone else who goes there. Why bother to stop if there is just ONE car and it's "that dude" again?
Cruising is fascinating. It's got so many different levels to it. Sure, most of the time, your penis guides you to it, but I know a lot of you dudes are just as into the little psychological dramas that play out as I am. Our entire subculture is great fun, despite the ups and downs and little frustrations that come with it. Cruising is STILL our little secret game. No matter how many cruising spots fail and close up shop, we still keep on doing it. We'll even visit our old spots JUST on the hope that maybe... maybe someone else will be feeling sentimental about them, too.
Finally... do not dismiss the election year issues that relate to cruising. It will all simmer down after November 2. Hopefully. Gays aren't the only ones being targeted, either. Yesterday, twenty-some odd straight guys were busted for soliciting prostitution here in a huge sting operation. Lots of prominent members of the community, too. Their mug shots are all over the news. It's really disgusting and pointless. It's called "the world's oldest profession" for a reason. Geez. It's NEVER going to stop. Just fucking leave it alone...
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