'Usually when people come in from the Cruise, they're looking for a bathroom,' notes Christina Rogers, the shop's manager.

Even the products best suited for gridlock-dazed cruisers, including 'Managing Your Anger' magnets ('great for road rage,' she suggests) and a 'Letting Go of Stress' CD ('although you can't play that one in the car ... it's just not safe.') are unlikely to tempt the drivers of Barracudas and Mustangs and Galaxy 500s.

So the shop, probably the best place in town to buy the August issue of 'Psychotherapy Networker,' will close.

'Let's face it: The Dream Cruisers are focused on the road and maybe buying a drink from a stand,' says Jason Schusterbauer, who presides at the John K. King Used Books -- North store in Ferndale, also closed on Saturday.

The store's automotive section ought to be a huge draw, containing everything from three copies of Lee Iacocca's autobiography to a single copy of the $25 collector's item: 'What I Know About Pontiacs,' by Howard S. Christie Jr.

The Pontiac book, hard-bound in faux leather, contains 300 blank pages. It's the perfect gift for the Howard S. Christie Jr. on your list.

Other automotive titles worth a look include the cleverly titled, 'What To Do With Your Bad Car,' by Ralph Nader et al. and -- a favorite on my nightstand -- 'Rochester Carburetors: How to Select, Install & Tune for Street or Strip.'

On Wednesday, the Valvoline oil-change depot was in the process of hoisting up a large 'no-waiting' sign, and at Ray & Sons Auto Repair, Jayson Preston, grandson of Ray, admitted he'll be on hand Saturday largely because Ray & Sons have rented out the adjacent parking lot, not because the shop will be open. 'We will be open until 6 p.m. on Friday,' he said.

The Cruisers, despite their numbers and cheerful demeanor, are a huge disappointment to Woodward merchants.

For the rest of us, though, there's this comforting thought: They are keeping their eyes on the road.