Night Moves

For over sixty years, Main Street in Benson was the center of the universe for Johnston County youth on a Friday night. From horse-drawn buggies in the 1930s to polished Mazda RX-7s in the 1990s, cruising wasn't just driving in circles—it was the most analog matchmaking system in the county, a ritual of belonging, and a reason for a small town to come alive. But when two thousand people start showing up, things inevitably change. In 1996, the town put up a sign, changed the traffic code, and ended a sixty-year tradition. This episode explores what we found when the windows were down, and what was actually lost when the cruising stopped.