Street Racers Cars Crushed

[Garage Dog 65]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

racing from one side of town to the other, swerving in and out of traffic trying to maintain a speed of no less then 100MPH (we have a "High Rollers Club" here and that is their critia, to maintain no less then 100MPH from one side of town to the other in traffic, about 30 miles)

Thats just insane - for them and us.

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

As for the show off in my story, he was able to get the "Street Racing" charge dropped, probably due to his maturity (Old Fart). The judge decided it was not really street racing, just a stupid move.

Could have nailed you for bumper height and loud exhaust - and you'd be building Cobras in the Vegas pen... (not sure that's a bad thing ... )

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

The judge did get a chuckle when he asked the show off why he did this right in front of a cop sitting behind him at the light.

I told him the truth, I told him I did not check my mirror!

You're a very lame criminal Frank ! Still ROFLMAO !!!

[skatinjay27]

haha great story frank!!

[rockdogz]

Originally Posted by ProdigyCustoms

Now to me there is a HUGE difference between "Street Racing" and "Exhibition of Speed", or even "Reckless Driving". Under this law, the show offs car could be crushed?

I was thinking about that too, but it looks like they have to find stolen parts or filed off/missing serial numbers to get to that point...

[nitrorocket]

That is rediculous to take a car from someone. I have raced my buddy from a stop light all in fun up to about 70 in a 55, and similar stuff on the street. So if I get caught they will take my $60,000 car and crush it? What is the point of even having a hot rod then. 98% of the stupid accidents and deaths are due to Honda driving idiots that think a wing and a resonator will give them a Top fuel Indy car!

I have been pulled over and accused of street racing just by blipping the throttle, saying I could have gotten out of control. If I would have done the same thing in a toyota Corolla or Dodge Caravan he would have never thought twice.

It's all politics.

[Kris Horton]

The line between "street racing" and "exhibition of speed" here in CA is a blurry one, at best. They seem to punish people the same way for both these days (suspended license, hefty fine, and 2 points on your record) yet I consider the two infractions very different.

To the lawmakers I'm sure that if you roast your tires or jet up to the speed limit in less than 3 seconds, you might as well be racing...I can understand why they see it that way, but to be so firm on it is stupid. I just know that I won't be doing much of either anymore to avoid any further trouble or getting my car crushed.

I actually got popped for exhibition of speed in April...it was a lapse in judgement on my part. I was about half a block away from my office at a red light. I was in my Lightning and I wanted to get a bit of a rush before going and sitting at my desk for the rest of the day so when the light turned green, I rolled into the gas, lit up the top of first gear and barked second really hard. All the while my blower's whining and my exhaust is rapping...I let of the gas and started to brake to enter my work's parking lot and I look to my left and see a cop waiting in the parking lot right across the street...I figure I'm finished, so I pull into our parking lot and he lights me up. Fortunately after a few choice words, he informs me that while he could basically take my license and my car right there, he was only going to write me for not using my turn signal when entering the parking lot (it wasn't the first thing on my mind...) and that I should slow the hell down...

Thank god the cop was forgiving, but I learned my lesson...I don't think I've seen 14psi on the street once since then.

Kris

[Croaker]

Here's an interesting read out of the Toronto Star...this is taking it one step past crushing your car if you get caught, they want to take your car if they *think* it might be used for street racing. Yay for fascism!

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/227464

[rocketman]

Well California is the only place I've head of doing such dumb ****.I know of place that impound and auction of car's but the owners just buy them back,I always said there's a time and place for everything.


considering California hate's car's in general let alone hot rods..

[rocketman]

And some guy's import doesn't quailfy has a hot rod either

[mazspeed]

This is a two headed sword for me. I don't think that you should have the police crushing cars on a whim. I think this sets off a horrible pressident. I think heavy fines and jail time is best, but taking the property and then destroying it is just an abuse of power IMHO. I do see where street racing is a problem, but go after them with fines, jail time and such. I think it's giving too much authority on the cops to do whatever they see fit. Nothing scares off people more then jail time, and if you get caught a handful of times, you should be doing lots of time, but you cannot take someone’s things and destroy them because you think they are doing something illegal with it. I have a problem with this law.

[rwhite692]

To crush the vehicles certainly makes for exciting press, but doesn't make any sense...If the vehicles were seized as part of a drug bust, for example, they would simply be auctioned off and the money would go into the state coffers.

The way the law is right now, it's comparable to catching a bank robber, and then burning the money. Yay! That will teach them!

What a waste. Sell the damn cars off and at least do something with the money.

With the way things are going with lawmakers and environmentalists, we need to defend our hobby more voraciously than ever (stick close to SEMA and stay informed and be active on legislative issues!) because it's going to be getting to the point where if you have ANY kind of performance vehicle, old/new/ricer/musclecar, whatever, you are going to be looked upon as a no-good SOB / street race hooligan / baby killer / environmental enemy.

One of the other problems contributing to all of this is that a LOT of later model cars with HP levels high enough to be dangerous in the wrong hands, are now reaching old age/low $value and are in the hands of young kids (and goofball idiots of all ages) who can now afford them because they are nearly used up. These are the big-time professional idiots who are going to ruin the car hobby for us, as we'll all be lumped into the same ideological group by lawmakers, etc.