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MalibuJack

iTrader: (5)

Good point.. Fast is fast.. but I was glad that the entire show had both sides of the story.. both good and bad..

What was interesting was the fact that the police really were pretty sympathetic to the kids, though they couldn't give them any breaks since they are breaking the law.. It seems that they almost don't like to do it would would rather be bothering real criminals.

Another portion of the show had the cops explaining that it wasn't really a problem until the movie came out, then the parents and town elders began making a big deal of it. And they implied that they looked the other way for awhile if the activity wasn't causing any complaints.

Its hard to think of a possible compromise since our laws (And ambulance happy lawyers)are too inflexible to allow the occasional closing off of a street to allow people to do this in a fairly controlled environment (Many other countries do allow this) of course, those places people don't think of calling a lawyer before they call for an ambulence..

WestSideBilly

iTrader: (1)

I'll use this as the source of my response.

Much like sex, stupid petty crimes, and bullying other kids, there will always be a desire to race among kids and younger adults. Our current governmental mentality is to legislate behavior rather than address the source of the problem and provide safer venues. The ridiculous penalties combined with vague definitions of street racing don't solve the problem - just makes criminals of kids who choose cars as their source of entertainment. I'd love to see a mayor, particularly one in an area where street racing is prevelant (LA, Houston, etc), step up and let the racing go somewhere safe (old air strip, abandoned industrial area, etc) without charging the kids $25 to race such as at a 1/4 mile strip. The cost of putting a police prescence is pretty trivial - since the officers are most likely patrolling anyway.

My city just built a fairly expensive skate park for the skate boarders and rollerbladers so they're not messing around downtown and endangering other people; but as soon as street racing is mentioned the reaction is increased fines, jail time, revoking license priveleges, etc. I'm not sure how much of this is due to liability, but criminalizing the behavior isn't making people safer because the racing is still going on. The penalties are just forcing those who want to race to be sneakier.

Standard disclaimer: I've maybe raced 3 or 4 times on the road. I know how fast my car is, don't feel the need to prove anything, and don't want to jeopardize my career (which requires my license). I'd love to be able to hang out with the racing crowd and not worry about getting in trouble just for association, though.

kamokazi

i agree totally... i remember i used to go to the races all the time, and they would go on for hours at a time... it got to the point where u started to get to know everyone.. import and domestic... i remember i saw a prescreening of F&F and knew what this was going to happen. On opening day, i went with some friends, after that (street races down the street from this movie theatre). it was croweded with youngins and bystanders getting in the way. most people ive talked to say that u can never stop street racing.. alot in this area has died down alot but i think the worse part off it is the people that have nothing to do with it, that are there..

hueman

iTrader: (17)

i think the problems really arose because of the deaths involved with street racing. innocent people died and there simply wasn't any other option but to crack down on street racing. i don't think many on this site can honestly say "i haven't raced my evo" or taken their evos to 110+ mph. it's hypocritical to an extent, but i understand that this site, due to its size and apparent influence, cannot condone street racing in any way.

and not everyone likes the track, or organized events.

Jadiem

iTrader: (6)

i went to the races last night in New Orleans... it was right infront of our NASA facility on a plainly deserted 4 lane road with industrial buildings and such.... about 150 people were there and although it is always dangerous i felt comfortable and as safe as if i was at a real drag strip... a friend of mine has an 04 cobra with nitrous, he was running all the Camaro's and Firebirds there... i got called out by a guy in a SRT-10.... when he asked why i wouldn't race him, i simply said " i've already lost a car to street racing, i'm not about to lose another" ...

being that i have street raced before, i know the consequences of it... most of the kids today do not know the consequences of it...

i can say that i really don't care if people street race until one of them kills me...

Kwman

iTrader: (4)

Hey everyone, I thought id throw in my opinion/2 cents blah blah. Im only 18 years old and technically ( or in contrast to you all) an inexperienced driver. I've attended 3 or four performance driving schools and have never been given a speeding a ticket or been in an accident (lucky). Alot of people my age are into the street racing seen, i know a few of them that actually prefer it to track which IMO is stupid. Being an avid autocrosser with the THSCC and road courser...if that could be used for a noun...anywho street racing, no matter how looked at can be dangerous there are always idiots who will ruin it for everyone with their bad driving but street racing is something that cant be ignored, no matter how much legislation is passed it will still go on, much like westsidebilly's ska8boarding analogy. The best and safest action is to embrace this fact and give them places to go. Being an evo owner and 18 years old i CONSTANTLY get tested on the street and have to turn them down in fear of NC police and the penalty for racing (which is harsher than the penalty for vehicular manslaughter).

I won't admit to blowing away a few cars to get them off my back but its hard to ignore sometimes and the danger, to most people, is the most attractive attribute of street racing. The adrenaline of running from police or the possibility of being caught is looked upon as escape from daily life.

There are many negative points to street racing and the ones that are positive could be considered pride driven (sometimes monetarily) and arrogant. Import or domestic I'm a motorsports fan i love all cars of all shapes and sizes a gt35 garret series dual ball bearing turbo or a gm 572 crate motor, they both give me that tingly sensation in the crotch area.

Street racing is one of those things that has too many points to argue either for or against, i realize this was long and drawn out but i thought the opinion of a teenager may seem interesting but being the owner and purchaser of my evo i love it too much to loose to impounding or wrecking so i stay away. In the end its illegal, potentially dangerous, noisy, arrogant, and wrong, but its a damn good time and all of the afforementioned negatives are the main reason people do it.

masterevo

There is something in street racing that entices us all. There is always a risk in doing anything; just like the old saying: "if you want to play, you gotta pay". Simple as that. I street race sometimes and usually dont do anything stupid. I never raced anybody going over 120mph. That's my stopping point.

By the way, I like all cars; regardless of where they were originated from: domestics or imports.

evilevovegas

iTrader: (12)

I used to go to street races a couple of years ago here in vegas.I had a chevy xtreme at the time and would race every friday and saturday night. I even used to take my quad out and race it to. I t was always fun and everyone was cool. The cops would roll up park and turn on there lights not really ticket or arrest anyone. I actually saw the girl wreck form the show. The chick with the honda. Now she races all the time out at the speedway here in town. After the movie came out just like they said the cops really started cracking down because people were bringing thier families out and there were so many young drivers. And i like any car thats nice import or domestic.