Watching the cam at close to 9PM on a Friday night and seeing very, very few people on main. Do the kids not drag main like they used to?

Kids today. They're all at home playing with their Wii's.

....and those not playing with their Wiis, are playing with their wee wees. See the Pregnate girls thread for details.

All the congragation spots are closed up so the kids have no place to meet up. They just go to house parties now. Progress?

I have had the same question. Is there no cruising?? The route from the ball park to the Red Rock and back and forth and back and forth ... was always packed.
Ken Z

I cruise, but most of the time I am done with that by 10ish. Gets boring after awhile, seeing the same ol thing. Plus, I'd rather park somewhere and talk with a friend, watching people go by. More fun to me.

Have any of you looked at the price of gas lately? Now that i think about it the kids who's parents pay for everything dont care. I guess the whole dont drink and drive started working for a few people. Josh, you still have that Red car? what kinda mpg you get?

I don't think that dragging main and drinking are automatically connected or ever were. I guess I wonder where all those kids have gone who used to keep main good and busy from 9PM to 1AM on Friday and Saturday nights. The turn around down at the ball park was so crowded!

I've been told there's a curfew of 11pm... thought not sure how thoroughly it's enforced...

I've been told there's a curfew of 11pm...

And no dancing allowed. This is, afterall, a respectable town.

I think this is what Polar Bear was really talking about:


If this gets organized Josh will you show it on the MilesCam? More interestingly, will you be a participant?

[This message has been edited by Kyle L. Varnell (4/17/2010)]

Miles City does not have that thriving feeling it had years ago. It's not just that the kids are not dragging Main in huge numbers, but downtown just isn't that busy at night either. In the early 70's the theatres (yes, both) were full of people, the Elks and Eagles had functions going on every weekend, and the bars were all jumping. Now the Log Cabin no longer exists, the Range Riders is gone, the clubs have lost so many members simply to old age. Things change.

I did it once with some friends and was astonished at how BORING it was. Driving down a street you are familiar with and seeing people you see every day. What was the point of that?

I suspect gas prices and computers have a great deal to do with why no one drags Main anymore. Maybe today's kids are a bit smarter than we were, not wasting energy to do something pointless and dull.

I think a lot of the reason kids don't "drag Main" is that it's no longer the only way to find or socialize with their friends! When I was in high school if you couldn't get a hold of your friends by calling their house, then you took off in the car to find them. Now they can communicate with their friends all night long while laying on the couch with their cell phones!

The only reason to drag main was to look for a buyer.

Honestly dragging main wouldn't really seem to have any purpose. Nothing of import is on main. Haynes on the other hand has everything.

Haynes had only the radio station and bare fields when I was growing up in MC.

You mean the Gaslight isn't so packed with people dancing and interesting bands?

If I remember right, and this has been LOTS of gallons of beer ago, there was a city ordinance passed that prohibited dragging main in the late 80's. Further, business owners complained and had police patrols through their parking lots kicking kids out. Back in the day you cruised main to find your buddies or hook up with chicks. The old fuddy duddy's and technology have pretty much done away with that. But I think this thread brings up a better question. What is there for kids to do in MC? Do away with dragging main, the arcade is gone, there used to be teen night at the Range Riders (?). All of that is gone, so what do kids do? Or more importantly what can we do as a community to provide things for kids to do other than toss back a few brewskies. Face it this town sucks for kids and it is only getting worse. Any input? (other than blah, blah, blah)

Do you still have that pool place? Corner Pockets or something like that?
What do kids do in MC these days?

It is the Yellowstone Tavern now. Kids binge drink and go to movies while we still have a theater. MC has done everything the old dust farters could do to make sure ther is nothing for teens to do.

when i was in high school dragging main definatley was the thing to do. Meeting girls, etc. there were really no Xboxes, Wii's, or any of that kind of thing to do. There was the movies, corner pockets and dragging main, also back the sacred heart also had the high school and i had many friends that went there and it was a way to see them and have fun! Much more fun than what the kids do today IMO!

Steve Z,
I grew up in Miles City and raised my children in Miles City. I feel like I have a few answers for you about what kids living in Miles City can do with their time.

First of all, make the most of your time in school. Learn how to spell. Study. Any future college or employer's first impression of you will be your application. If you cannot properly spell or fill out an application you already have a black mark against you.

Make plans for game nights with your friends. Playing games is good for your brain.

Go bowling. It's good for your health. Go for walks. Clean up trash around town.

Offer to walk an elderly neighbor's dog. Vounteer at the nursing homes. It will give you a chance to see the full circle of life and perhaps you will appreciate where you are in your life.

If you believe in God spend some time in mediation or prayer each day. Center yourself. Figure out who you really are as a person.

Spend time with your family. Your friends will come and go throughout life. But your family is your family. Maybe you'll learn that your mom is really more than a two dimensional person and more than just your laundry lady. Perhaps you can see that your parents
are busting their humps trying to provide for you so you can have a future.

Plan your future. Life isn't easy and you're not going to be prepared for it if your biggest concern is that the city doesn't provide you enough entertainment opportunities.

kacey, are you for real? Ya, all the things you mention are good ideas, but we are talking about Friday and Saturday night activities for teens. They need to have fun or they are not going to be involved. How many of your friends can you take on a walk with an elderly person? Learning to spell? That should be what they do in school. I know I am guilty of the occasional misspelling on MC.com but I certainly make sure spelling and punctuation is correct for job aps and business plans. Try to come up with something that kids will actually do and enjoy.

Yes. Very much for real. Graduated with honors. Kids graduated with honors. Now both have masters degrees and good jobs. Real enough for you?

Kids actually do enjoy playing games. I had over twenty kids at my house on weekends sitting around a table playing board games. They also love to bowl. And just because it's Friday or Saturday night doesn't mean they need to be "entertained". I always told my kids only dumb people get bored. They learned to paint and draw. They played the piano and violin. They used to sing with their friends around the piano. All things they had fun doing. They would just hang out in the yard and talk, listening to music. Why do you insist that there must be some specific sort of entertainment or kids will be left with nothing to do but drink?

Kids in Los Angeles whine there is nothing to do. Kids in New York whine there is nothing to do. What they mean is they are bored and too lazy to do anything themselves. There are always a million things to do but if all you want to do is sit around and whine, then that is what you do.

Many, many attempts have been made to provide that "entertainment" to kids and it always fails because cool kids wouldn't be caught dead doing something "wholesome" put on by adults and hoods want to cause trouble and smart kids and jocks can entertain themselves.

There were other things to do besides drag Main but that's what kids wanted to do. Kids do what they want to do and it rarely involves carefully supervised entertainment sponsored and controlled by adults.

Arcades don't really make sense anymore. Everybody's got games that are far better than what you can do in arcades at home these days.

Some communities truly do have things that kids love to do. Our community has so many things going on that the kids love to be involved with. It makes a difference. Skate parks, remote airplane fields, sledding sites, indoor ice rinks, indoor swimming pools, the Y has wonderful programs and a packed summer here. The public library has 3-4 weekly activities for kids in the summer. Book stores in the area have kids' clubs. Campfire is very active. Biking clubs, camping clubs, sewing clubs, art classes. So much for kids to do and the kids pack these events. Rock climbing walls, and many of these things the teens are very involved in. Also lots of volunteer opportunities.

[This message has been edited by polar bear (4/18/2010)]

The town I lived in in CA had one of those remote control airplane airports, but it was never kids using it, every time I went by there it was old gray hairs from the lab.

The skate park was popular with the kids though. Wonder if Raven Clan ever made any progress with that.

every time I went by there it was old gray hairs from the lab.

WOW Levi!

anyone for beer pong? anyone?Subject:


Your Reply:
anyone for beer pong? anyone?




big grin confused cool
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beer

I think that technology has destroyed the art of dragging main. As mentioned before, cell phones have replaced that need to go out and find who and what was going on. Dragging main was more than just driving, if that is all that you were doing, then you weren't doing it right. It was a time when you could listen to loud music that your parents didn't like, chase girls, tell lies, preview the new mixed tape, find parties, start parties, meet the local authorities, and generally learn how to socialize semi-responsibly.

Gas prices have little to do with dragging main. Most cars now are 3X more efficient than what we cruised with, so with a 3X increase in gas, it is a moot point. And if you didn't have any gas, you just parked at Beacon and waited for the people to come to you.

You can have a good time, be sociable and not be locked up in your parents basement on Friday and Saturday night. You may witness fights, start fights and break up fights. Same goes for lovers quarrels. Life skills not taught in schools and hopefully not learned at home!

Kacey,I too am an honor graduate, of four college degrees. I don't think that makes me real. What does make me real is my connect with what kids need in social developement. I do agree with a lot of what you are saying. Kids have many more oppertunities for self entertainment these days. When I was a kid I too had to find things to do and I did very well with that. But, kids need the socialization aspect of entertainment also. They need places that they can all go and mingle. I am sure not many households are going to want 50-60 kids in their living room. Not only that but a lot of them will not feel comfortable in that setting. Board games, community involvement, family and friends are all wholesome, value instilling activities that should be encouraged. I just think kids need a neutral meeting/socializing area. That is what we had in dragging main.

[This message has been edited by Steve Z (4/19/2010)]

M T Zook wrote:

"It was a time when you could... meet the local authorities"

Oh the familiar complaints! Amorette nailed it very well with regard to the universality of teens' "boredom." Do you writers know where the Drop-In Center is? Fifty years ago that was the teen hangout. And they created it themselves with adult help. It was guided by elected representatives(teens by teens), who in turn, hired sponsors (chaperones) for the satisfaction of both the parents and those responsible teens who didn't want the building and idea destroyed. There were problems at times but handled by the adults in charge. It fell into disuse by teens when drugs entered the picture and irresponsible teens began to abuse the privilege of guiding themselves. Actually MC had the only incorporated teen group in the state due to the activity of the Hangout. Now, those teens are the "old grayhairs" who are enjoying the atmosphere and activities they enjoyed when it was the Hangout. Moral: take charge of yourselves and develop something non-destructive for entertainment.

[This message has been edited by Bill Zook (4/19/2010)]

Miles City is lacking things for teens to do.When we were younger we had rolling skating and crusing main.it was fun.but kids now are doing drugs,drinking,fighting,getting pregant and to many children suicides.i do believe that the community and the city should provide activities that will be helpful in keeping the children out of trouble.instead saying that they should find something constructive for themselves we should be helping them by providing them possitive ways of having fun.

OH MY GOD!!!! DRUGS!!! FIGHTS!!! SEX!!!! Why no child ever took drugs, got in a fight or had sex before, what, last year?

I went to high school more than 30 years ago. Dragging Main was the whole point of life for some people and some people, while dragging Main, did drugs, got in fights and had sex.

Every time I hear one of these "Oh, poor kiddies are getting in trouble now that they aren't entertained" I want to SCREAM.

Some of the poor kiddies have been inclined to do drugs, get in fights and have sex from the beginning of time and will until the end. No amount of entertainment will stop drugs, sex and rock and roll. If you have a nice wholesome place for the kiddies to gather, the wholesome ones will be there are the others will be out back having sex, doing drugs and getting in fights.

Thanks, Bill Zook, for reminding some of us "gray haired" folks about all the fun we had at the Harmony Hangout in the 1960s. Sorry it met such a tragic demise. Have to think it would not survive today's internet social networking. But today's social networking is a good way for many of us to stay in touch -- therefore Miles City Forum. .

Delayed response... But Matt... I have a Dodge Caliber now. About 25 MPG. Pretty good.

I'm with Stone. We only dragged Main until we found someone old enough to buy for us. A bottle of Strawberry Hill eliminated the boredom pretty well. Ssssshhhhhh. Don't tell my teenager.

I draged main in the late sixties.I clearly recall there being little else to do, especially in the winter.Had there been any drugs or fights or sex going on I think I would recall that.
But I don't! We had to drive all the way out to the drive in theater to have that kind of fun. I do recall that!
I hope Miles City gets something going that kids will want to do. Something fun, something good for them. Like a recreation sports complex that would be open year around. Wouldn't that be awesome?

So, any community that has a year round recreation complex has no drug problem, no crime problem and no teenager pregnancies?

Ah, if only life were so simple!

Growing up in Miles City I think I thought it was pretty boring, but as a result I learned how to entertain myself and I had lots of time to read tons of books, to dream up projects, and to really get to know my friends and neighbors.

I couldn't wait to get out, but I still have fond memories of all of those seemingly "boring" things we used to do such as build forts, play in the parks, fish in the Rivers, climb Carbon Hill to slide down the sandstone slides, explore the entire town (speculating about which houses might be haunted), and yes, drag Main, where I and my friends weren't so "cool" that we didn't liven it up by doing Chinese Fire Drills or (once) stop to T.P. someone's car while he was in the movie Theatre...looking back, I got a lot done every day despite the fact that I complained all the time about having nothing to do.

I see that on here as well. I am very impressed by all of the things some of the Miles City teens have accomplished. One of them is checking in on this thread-he seems so much more advanced technologically than teens of the same age that I know. If he were out here he would probably be too busy playing Lazer Tag or doing the Extreme Rollercoasters at Magic Mountain or Surfing at the Beach or Hanging out at the Mall or all the other millions of things that vie for kid's attention in SoCal (Disneyland, slot car racing, pilot lessons, horseback riding lessons, hangliding, kayaking, outrigger, sailing, scuba diving, dancing, swimming, great concerts, rock climbing, 20+ movie theatres, sports, music, gangs....) I think in 20 years some of the "bored" teenagers in Miles City will have accomplished a lot more than kids out here that are too busy to focus on getting really good at something.....


I am not sure that is really good for kids to have "too much too do"....my 6 year old still says "I'm bored" and I spend a lot of time trying to impress upon her that the downtime is great-it leads to creativity and gives you time for reading and creating things (whether it be an art/craft/science experiment) and time to really get to know your friends. Sometimes I worry that in the future she will always expect to be entertained. I don't think that is particularily good for kids. Maybe Miles City is doing things right by letting the kids entertain and "find" themslves without a lot of "background noise"(not that anyone would think so when they are young, lol!)

Toni's 'I can't wait to get out' statement rings a bell.I've heard it over and over from young people for a long time.It would be neat to hear more from people who are gone, they have a better undertanding of the problem than those of us who have been okay with staying here.A suggestion to move away in another thread is pretty common too, huh?
I'll be thinking about that while I spend another summer at the coast. It might be more livable year-round than I thought.

It wasn't until I left Miles City that I realized many other communities make sure there are lots of things for everyone to do. We have hot air balloon stampedes and historical festivals, outdoor plays, symphony performances, and so many community events that the kids love to take part in. There is a basketball thing in May where they close off 10 blocks of main street and have competitions. We have many coffee shops appropriate for teens, book clubs, game nights at stores. Indoor hockey/skating, indoor and outdoor pools. Skate parks on each end of town. Bowling alleys are very kid friendly. Kids' clubs like Campfire, etc. are very active here. The YMCA and YWCA have lots going on including mobile vans that take activities to neighborhoods where kids might not have transportation. We have after school homework clubs, places to get free music lessons. The armory is a teen center for sports, computer use, music, etc.

I can look in our Marquee section of our newspaper and find several dozen things that kids could do here tonight that are very popular with kids. And while my community is not quite as small as Miles City, it is by no means a city atmosphere.

More than anything, when I was growing up, short of the swimming pool that made everyone sick and the bumpy ice skating rinks, kids mainly wandered around.

Yes, we still have a drug problem, but NOT due to nothing to do. The drug problem is far more complex than that.

I also forgot: roller rinks, laser tag, paint ball parks, air soft parks (very, very popular) 3 rock climbing walls.

The size of the town has LOT to do with THINGS TO DO of course. But I'm sure it is more about how much the people who live there are willing to PAY for entertainment and fun and recreation.
It really hit me the last time I visited Miles City. I got to see some old friends who lamented they can't afford to do much. Bummer. Thanks again, my dear late friend Leonard, who once told me it's a great big world out there, get out of this town and go find something to do, you don't want to have to work in this dirt like a dog... and lots of other things. Thanks again to Ed, the Navy recruiter who gave me a bus ticket to the whole world. But thanks again to Miles City, for still being there when I want a trip down memory lane. It makes me appreciate where I live now. I once actually thought I wanted to be a Kinsey farmer... bad idea, huh?
My kids have the whole house spiffy, that's all I had to ask for in return for a ride to the Summit, where they will be till midnight. It's Teen Night there, very safe. No drinking, no smoking, staff has pretty good control over the gym, exercise rooms, rock wall, pools, tennis court, raquetball, ping pong, etc... I'll ask what the odds are of getting pregnant there and report back.
Our town's population is about twice yours, maybe almost three times. The median income is just a bit more according to the sites I studied recently. The cost of living is alarmingly more here than in Miles City.

I'm with Amorette. Lets abolish all laws that pertain to minors, since they do what ever they want whenever they want anyway. Obviously nothing can influence their activities so we should just give them free reins. Nothing could possibly persuade them to do anything but fornicate, fight, and do drugs.

Don't put words in my mouth. I am quite capable of doing that myself, thank you. For starters, laws weren't even the topic. The topic is, can Miles City afford to entertain their children to the same standards as can be found in bigger, wealthier cities, and the answer is no. Does that mean Miles City is the deepest pit of hell from which all are desperate to escape? Also, no.

Sorry Amorette, I didn't mean to infer that you are for abolishing laws pertaining to minors, just that you are against the idea of creating anything for the poor kiddies to do because they will still screw, fight and smoke/drugs anyway. I think the topic was if kids drag main anymore. It morphed from there to suggestions of what a community like Miles City could offer. Why can't Miles City catch up to Forsyth, Terry and Broadus and offer a real swimming pool? The nay sayers just object to the idea of spending money on things for kids to do, when in fact the number of social events for kids has dropped to almost null. If there were more opportunities for kids to socialize we would see less vandalism and teen pregnancy.

[This message has been edited by Steve Z (4/25/2010)]

If there were more opportunities for kids to socialize we would see less vandalism and teen pregnancy.

Is this an anecdotal theory, or a scientific one? Do you think that large metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles and New York, where kids have more to do than they can possibly imagine, have more or less vandalism and teen pregnancy, per capita?

Yup. Places with concrete swimming pools and organized activities have no problems with juvenile delinquency. It's amazing. There is no vandalism, no drug use, no teenage pregnancies, in big cities with all these resources.

Or maybe not. . .

I have NOTHING against places for youth to engage in healthy forms of recreation. I used to hang out at the pool and I can't swim. I belonged to various groups and had a good time. I just get tired of people claiming that if we have concrete pool, everything will be perfect. If we have a youth center, all good children will attend and there will be no bad children.

No matter how many activities you offer kids, some of them will reject them in favor of bad behavior for what ever reason.

Be honest. Nobody has a 'cure' for bad kids. Having a place to play won't change that. Build a place for GOOD kids but don't pretend it will solve any problems.

[This message has been edited by Amorette Allison (4/25/2010)]

What we do know is that kids involved in good activities are far less likely to be involved in negative things. Kids who are in band, take music lessons, in sports, swim, do crafts, are in clubs, etc. absolutely DO have lower drug use/alcohol use, pregnancy rates, etc. Kids with too much time on their hands is one of the top risk factors for getting into trouble--not because they are bad, but because they are not engaged positively.

Nobody claimed that any activity or decent pool would solve all our problems. Just like locking your doors won't keep every thief out, offering kids something to do will not keep every kid out of trouble. The problem with all the activities that have been offered in town is that the bad ones end up overrunning the good. This is what happened to teen night in the bars. This is why the local business owners put an end to kids hanging out in their parking lots on weekends. But something for kids to do will entertain some of them and prevent them from getting in trouble. Yes, it is a scientific statement. I got it from psychology class years ago. I doubt I could find the specific piece now but I am sure with a little research I could find something similar. It amazes me that a person can try to do something positive for the community ask for suggestions and be faced with negativity and conflict. Forget that asked. After all nothing could possibly make a difference anyway, right.

Steve, I'm not making a statement either way. I am responding to your assertion,

"If there were more opportunities for kids to socialize we would see less vandalism and teen pregnancy."

Is it a fact that Los Angeles and New York (and other similar metropolitan areas) have fewer pregnant teenagers and less vandalism, per capita? I do not know. I do know that the general theory that kids who have more to do partake in less risky behavior has merit, and is supported by psychological studies, however, I am curious as to whether the theory "trickles down" to actual solid numbers. My instinct would lead me to believe that this is not the case, and that the met. areas have increased per capita occurence of pregnancies, vandalism, etc., but I do not know. I will have to check that out sometime. I thought perhaps you had seen some hard numbers to back up the assertion.

Denise, the problem in big cities is really complex. There is not one simple solution. Also, some big cities don't have great things for kids to do either. Common sense says kids involved in good things taking up their time are less at risk.

I think that common sense says that there are too many factors to make a blanket statement such as "If there were more opportunities for kids to socialize we would see less vandalism and teen pregnancy."

Contributing factors such as economic status and parental involvement, in my opinion, would have much more impact on important issues, including teen pregnancy and vandalism. I believe that there are simply too many factors involved to attribute the outcome to one or two. It's over-simplification at its finest.

Like I said the specific piece that I read in class years ago is probably unobtainable now, but I will try to do some research in the near future, if I ever get a break from work. BTW I threw the part about reducing teen pregnancies in myself, I don't recall if that was in the journal I read, but it could have been. The Journal was focused on vandalism and violence.

Some interesting stats. 23% of vandals site boredom as motive for their actions. Diversionary activities, such as community involvement and recreation, are effective in reducing the incidence of vandalism by up to 12%. Diversionary activities become more effective when directed toward reducing vandalism. Diversionary activities save taxpayers $120 million annually. Most vandals are between ages 13 and 14 but range all the way to mature adults. Hope these numbers help.

Our police dept states that the time of day most teen-related crimes occur is late afternoon, after school but before mommy and daddy come home from work. It seems to me if there were more after-school activities for teens the crime stats would decrease. But I agree that activities do not cure teen ennui. It's a problem as old as time.

wow ppl are actually putting rock and roll in with sex and drugs? what's the problem with rock and roll may i ask? its not like you can get pregnant listening to it or get high so y did you even put that in the same sentence? but i do agree with the issues that this town has with its teenagers. how many high school girls are pregnant? how many high schoolers are doing drugs? lots and ya it prob has something to do with no where to go. even when you have money to go out and do something, there isnt anywhere to go. we could go to the movies but thats not till 7 or 9. we can go out to the tavern assuming its not league night or you can even get a table. but anyways im just glad to see that it's almost summer and we can go fishing and swimming and actually be able to go somewhere and do something. thank god its gettin nice outside and we dont have to search for somewhere to go hang out

wow ppl are actually putting rock and roll in with sex and drugs?

I bet that sentence alone makes all you boomers feel ancient....

Ummmm...sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll have been linked for a long, long time...

What I would like to know, is how the link is made from vandalism to teen pregnancy?

"Well, I busted the window in the front of the Bison....guess I'll go boink the old lady under the bridge."

i understand that it's linked together but its just the way she said it 'no amount of entertainment is gonna stop drugs, sex and rock and roll' or however she wrote it. it just seemed a little thrown in there.

Teen pregnancy is not linked to vandalism, but it is linked to alcohol and drug abuse which is linked to vandalism. Even though I threw it in there I doubt highly that any diversionary activities are going to slow down teen pregnancies. I think parenting and sex education would have a much better results. It is my understanding that some of the teens thought the methods they were using for contraception were reliable when obviously they were not.

Up until recently, there were few support groups with information related to teen pregnancy (that were not billings-based or specific church affiliated). The inception of the Pregnancy Outreach Clinic of Miles City will hopefully add much needed information and resources.
http://www.pregnancyclinicofmc.org/

Kelly, are you going to spam every possible thread you can?

Perhaps the adults in Miles City who feel the need to get drunk every opportunity need to take a look around. See the kids watching them drink. After all, if it's ok for adults it's ok to do right? Alcoholism is passed from one generation to another in Miles City. So for those kids it really doesn't matter if they had some other opportunities for entertainment. They would still be drinking because Mom and Dad drink.

Hahah, Kelly L, you astound me. Kudos for truly realizing ignorance is bliss.