Police raid cruise night...

[Tom.A]

They were supposed to be building Drag City which is real close to me but I just read it ain't gonna happen http://www.dragcity.net/
Hopefully somebody will come through and give people a safe place to have fun. I went to some of the Riverside street races in the late '80's in high school(pre-ricers ) and there would be hundreds of people. Way unsafe and likely worse now.

[AM.MSCL]

Originally Posted by Steve1968LS2

I remember a story of a car show in Texas where the highway patrol waited at the exit and gave out "fix it" tickets for stuff like no plate, exhaust and other nonsense.

They moved the show from that town and the area lost a lot of revenue. At least that's what I heard.

They story you may have heard about was the Texas Heat Wave some years back. The sponser of the heat wave moved it from the original Travis county expo to the Dell Diamond of the Round Rock Express. Well the last day of the event the Round Rock police, Williamson Country Sheriffe and DPS got together and decide to block all the entrance exits off and started giving out tickets. They even gave tickets to some vehicles that were strickly show and ever even get driven on the street. It was a big upsetting to the main sponsor that he moved back to where it used to me. Lot of things happened that year to get everyone upset; things that had nothing to do with the police showing up, like trash cans and portopotties never getting emptied during the 3 days in August heat.

[Musclerodz]

You would think that eventually someone will start a class action suit against the cities for this reckless misuse of the law. At least then the city would not profit anymore from these actions. It would be spent to fight all the lawsuits.

[Tony@AirRideTech]

unfortunately, nothing that happens in California surprises me any more. With the rampant extreme liberalism happening out there anything goes. A good friend of mine that lives in San Diego put it well.... " California has become Canada where the unpopular 5% has a louder voice than the remaining 95%".

[cheezer]

Originally Posted by Tony@AirRideTech

unfortunately, nothing that happens in California surprises me any more. With the rampant extreme liberalism happening out there anything goes. A good friend of mine that lives in San Diego put it well.... " California has become Canada where the unpopular 5% has a louder voice than the remaining 95%".

Just a quick observation here. Whenever someone puts in a comment mildly criticizing the policies of the US government, he is quickly put on notice of being banned or "on thin ice", but people can slam my country all day long.

If you really want to politicize this issue, may I suggest that:

1- Canadians consistently have a much greater voter turn out (except Alberta, the most American-like province) than ANYWHERE in the USA. So if any country has a minority speaking for the majority, it certainly is the US, where less than 25% of the population actually votes for the leader.

2- The police crack down at issue here, if anything is a RIGHT wing reaction, not LEFT or liberal. The measures enacted in Ontario, where by the police can actyually crush your car, were brought in by the Conservative government. Here in Quebec, which by US standards is mid way between Cuba and the Former Soviet Union, we have police crackdowns on Sport Compacts, but nowhere near the draconian laws of our more right wing and conservative neighbours in Ontario.

I don't want to offend anyone, just showing that people from other countries can be just as patriotic and proud of their heritage too.

cheezer

[BRIAN]

I totally agree with cracking down on the street racers. I think the problem at least in my area is with the Import cars is the racing and weaving in and out of traffic on highways and public streets no so much as actual drag racing.

The idea of wasting 1/2 million dollars to write $5000 in tickets is just crazy. Think of how that money could have been spent to better enforce the laws they are trying to actually enforce.

I guess just because you have a K&N filter it is an alteration that means you have the intent to speed? So when that brain surgeon's wife checks off the box for the 250hp v6 VS. the 125hp 4cyl for her mini van that means she also has the intent to break the law? It is capable of exceeding the State speed limit? What else would she buy it for???

Do not blame the officers they are just doing their job. Blame the Politicians who are simply trying to get your attention away from all the stealing they are doing with your tax money.

Problem with our sport is NOBODY voices their opinion. Out of all the members on this board how many have ever written a letter??? Shame, but do not blame others for you being lazy. That Church group who hates the buzz of an Import car just wrote 200 letter complaining to their local Police department. So it gets enforced.

Sad but I do agree it will be spreading to a city near you!!

[byndbad914]

Originally Posted by Musclerodz

You would think that eventually someone will start a class action suit against the cities for this reckless misuse of the law. At least then the city would not profit anymore from these actions. It would be spent to fight all the lawsuits.

I agree. Having lived in SoCal up until last January when I got the hell out of there, I too would cruise out to the street races in Corona (from OC) back in the late 80s and early 90s, as well as Compton, and yeah, I was young and dumb and street racing is dangerous.

But to assume that everyone is out to street race is BS. They use street racing as a blanket excuse, but exactly when did law enforcement get a crystal ball?? They can tell who is going to race just by looking at them... hmmm... very interesting.

If they want to roll out to known racing spots, catch racers and bystanders in the act and sight for racing and aiding/abetting (or whatever you get as a spectator), then I am okay with that.

The law is the law, so citing people for all sorts of illegal modifications is in fact legal, but bringing cops in on overtime (wow, that is tax dollars at work for you) and specifically targeting a peaceful assembly in a vacant parking lot seems a bit silly. I mean, there is that little crime in Riverside these days??? Really???

Call me biased, but there is a bit of a difference between breaking vehicle code and "real" crime (in quotes as breaking VC is crime). If they are racing down the freeway playing fast and furious, then cite them for every single thing you can find because that is reckless endangerment. Otherwise, a peaceful assembly of hot rodders (even ricers are rodders, just diff'ernt) is just that, a peaceful assembly.

[rwhite692]

Originally Posted by BRIAN

....Out of all the members on this board how many have ever written a letter??? Shame, but do not blame others for you being lazy.....

I for one am pretty active, when it comes to letter-writing, and in particular with regard to any legislation pertaining to the car hobby. I believe that there are many other folks on this board who are, also.

If you join SEMA (Anyone can, and every auto enthusiast most definately should!) they will keep you up to date on pending legislation at the state and federal levels, through the SEMA Action Network (SAN). -Rob

[slyck68]

I've learned over the years that there are always at least two sides to every story. My gut response was "here's another money-maker for the cops", but then I thought about this story a little more. Why would the cops do an all out sting for a few fix-it tickets and modification fines? I found this thread on pro-touring.com and someone posted the actual article. As you will see, there is a significant information difference between the two articles. Here is the link:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/riversid...1.4234d9b.html

[slyck68]

If that link didn't work, this one should:

http://www.pe.com/localnews/riversid...1.4234d9b.html

-Josh