Not proper standard of proof but I expect it's where they'll be coming from:

"Const. Kent Taylor said that if a car looks like a racer and sounds like a racer, then it usually is. The co-ordinator of project ERASE, which aims to drive racing off the streets, said police want to rid the road of menacing-looking vehicles."

I'm against street racing particularly in built up areas but it's difficult not see the cops and government representives as just a collection of stupid ******.

 

My only problem with it is their approach...porfiling and the harrassment.

I was out at a local hang out(M&M as it's called here in ottawa last night) and everybody was just standing around in the lot having a good time...Chatting about cars and enjoying food and drinks from timmies.There must have been a good 9 or so cops come crawling through the lot hassling people.

At one point an officer pulled up to a large group and accused them of trespassing(yet they all had tim hortons coffee cups in their hands)An older guy in the group stepped forward and told the officer.."you dont want us on the street because you think we are racing,yet now you dont want us in the parking lots because we are tresspassing?" the officer replied " well if you dont want to get the tickets..go home" the older guy basically came back with "who are you to tell me where to be on a saturday night at 11:30."

I couldnt believe it...now it's a crime to be a car enthusiast?

 

I started a thread very similar to this on another Fbody forum the other day.

I think the latest comments to come out of Const. Kent Taylor's mouth are pretty alarming to say the least.

I mean, what kind of reasoning is that?

"...if it looks like a racer and sounds like a racer, then it usually is..."

WTF?


Then this little beauty,

"...rid the road of menacing-looking vehicles.."

What a load of B.S.

Under this guy's way of thinking, everyone who owns a Z06/Viper's/Porche's/Cobra's/Fbody's etc. etc. etc. are all "racer's".

I mean, after all, these cars look and sound like racers, therefore, they must be, right? ....

Good way of thinking there buddy...

These new bills that they're going to be passing will effect each and every one of us enthuists. That much I can promise you.

It's discrimination plain and simple.
What do you think the cops are most likely to be pulling over. SUV's and mini vans or Z28's/TransAm's?? You already know what the answer to that is...

Here in Scarborough, I get harassed like you wouln't believe. When I had my Firebird on the road, it got to the point where I really disliked to drive the car at all, because I was CONSTANTLY being pulled over all the time for no other reason other than the fact I was driving a sports car.

Evn now with my new beater (the Firebird is being built up in my garage) an '88 IROC, I've been pulled over 16 times since last summer. 7 of those times were this year alone.

It has officially become a crime to own a sports car in the province of Ontario. Mark my words, we're on track to be the next "California", where anything so much as a sticker, is illegal and a criminal offence.

Before you know it, it will be illegal to even buy a new sports car, much less modify an existing one.

Fu**ing Natzi's.....

I'm a law abiding citizen who works 60h/week, pay my tax's and don't bother anyone. Why shouldn't I be able to enjoy this little hobby of mine without being harassed and treated like some sort of criminal.

With all the pimps/prostitutes, drug dealers, rapists, pervert pedophiles and such, wandering the streets, with all the murder's, shootings, and stabbing's every weekend here in Scarborough, you'd think the cops would have more important things to do with their time than harasse guy's like us.

Apparently not.....

I have lost all respect for our law enforcment. Infact, I down right despise them....

 

I agree LT1FUN..there is alot more things they could be doing with their time and energy rather than accusing people of street racing.

I dont get how they can be so thick headed as to not realise that people do drive their cars on the street and race them on the track.

It only gets worse for us younger crowd(sub 20's).Because they dont believe a word that comes out of our mouths.I truly hate that.I'm going out to buy a tape recorder so when i get pulled over i can record everything that is said to me.If i even get the slightest bit of harrassment something is going to be said.

 

please show me so much as one that has not been...ever!

 

I've never been to a street race either.

I don't care one way or another if people race each other in the middle of nowhere - it's probably not the greatest idea but it doesn't bother me that people do it. The retards that start it up in residential areas and so on are another matter.

 

I can't say I've been hassled by the heat before. But to be honest with you, it's been over three years since I last been actively driving my Z on a daily basis. I am planning to bring her out this year very soon as a major tune-up is just around the corner. I don't plan to tear up the streets, and if the fuzz has taken a more agressive stance towards street racers (and anyone who looks like one), I am not looking forward to finding out.

If this is the case, I DEMAND they start cracking down on vehicles like Honda Civic SI's, Grand Prix GTP's, Impala SS's, Charger RT's, Cobalt SS's, EVO's and STI's, Porsches, Vipers, Corvettes, etc etc (see a trend here)....

In fact, why don't these dumb f*cks go after the Automobile manufacturers who are making these things for the general public.

Case in point; Chrysler with their "SRT" line of vehicles. We know that SRT stands for "STREET RACING TECHNOLOGY". So shouldn't Chrysler be held liable and accountable for this crack down on street racers and anyone who "looks" like one? Does Chrysler put a disclaimer on these sort of vehicles before they are sold as "Not for street use"? I don't think so.

Generally (and I am sure most of you heard this before), why do we need automobile manufacturers feeding the general buying public vehicles which nowadays are hovering in the 300 hp range (some with 400+) which can do 0-60 and 1/4 times in excess of many of the old "muscle" cars from back in the day, when it is (and in even most parts of the world) illegal to exceed 60 miles per hour?

In fact I see alot of street bikes on the road whom look like they are decked out to hit a racing track. Shouldn't they have their equal share of harassment?

Hell, with this scorching hot weather lately I see alot of scantilly dressed woman walking the sidewalks too, but do we start harassing them for prostitution?

It would be suicide for the government and authorities to go after big business (why bite the hand that feeds you huh?). Instead, and as usual, they adopt the "let's f*ck the little guy" routine.

Where does this sh*t end?

Hypocrites.

 

I have yet to "see" this new federal law/bill and am unsure why all these officers of the law are running around talking about "looking and sounding" like racecars. If the feds have made it a criminal code offense to be involved in "street racing" doesn't there need to be some sort of charge laid and a trial? Criminal code issues are a bit more extreme than highway traffic act violations and involve a greater 'burden of proof' I would think. Am I wrong?

If my idea is correct, it strikes me that the cops can continue to harass people until everyone stands up and states "arrest me now- or *** off officer" and people start to make this a huge issue to their MPs. Cops around the GTA, and York region especially have been harassing drivers for years now using vehicle safety standards issues and pollution control (MOE) laws as their basis/method of operation/justification.

Personally, I'm a bit offended such a piece of legislation just jumps right through the hoops and becomes law with no notice/time for any public input- just so the new(er) federal government can beat on a dying horse and create what they think is "positive" public image. Maybe the media should also get off this "street racing" line of crap they've been talking for the last 5 years. Every time someone's in an accident driving a vehicle with a performance sticker on a window is seems the newspeople label it "potential street racer" or "street racing". I think there have only been 30-ish deaths attitributed to "Street Racing" in the last 7 years in the Greater Toronto Area- and most of these were the drivers of the vehicle(s) involved and/or their occupants- and some of these 'incidents' were only called "racing" because there were no witnesses and it was a higher-speed incident (i.e. hit a lightpole at 90 km/h)- thus it "must" have been some sort of racing incident.

 

I'll tell you what the problem is, it's these stupid ****in F & F movies that keep coming out!! Everytime I see a new one ready to hit theaters, BOOM, articles all over the paper, and the crack down is on. I know the movies are not completly to blame, but they play a big role in the constant bul sht. Another problem is these foolish 17 year olds who take there dam Civic's and act like idiots on the road. Alot of the kids want to keep a race going through traffic, and they think its fun to race around corners. I mean think about it, you really dont (usually) lose control in a straight line.

Are these new law out yet??

 

[QUOTE=91wtROH17's]I'll tell you what the problem is, it's these stupid ****in F & F movies that keep coming out!! QUOTE]

Street racing has been around for a long time. Alot longer before these absurd F&F movies which glorify this ricestyle lifestyle. But I agree with you, especially when you hear stupid muthaf*ckin lines outta the movie like;

"If ya ain't outta control, ya ain't in control".

This **** just glorifies stupidness.

Gimme a break

 

This could not have happened at a worse time. We finally finish the project car after 3 years of work and idoits are street racing and crashing vets and killing people and *&^($$(%_+&|+& fast and furious movies all coming out at the same time as we are trying to get insurance for the car. It looks like we may have to remove the roll bar from the car just to get insurance. If I ever catch some idiot street racing they are going to catch one of my size 12's upside the head. I just can't believe it. It is not the government or the Cops they are all reacting to the Idiots that are making the headlines of the papers and spawning these third rate F + F movies.



Ric
Do us all a favour
Slap a Street Racer today.

 

It's funny, off the top of my head, I can think of 5 people that habitually drive drunk...........They never get pulled over.

Drive a "musclecar" past an OPP officer that has a bee in his bonnet..........BOHICA.

 

BOHICA?? paul...for the acronim challenged please define.I hate having a father in the miltary too cause i hear so many different acronim's in every conversation.I get so lost all the time.

 

No kidding about the drunk drivers... stop by any bar at 1 in the morning and i guarantee every one will blow .08 ++, I don't see police there. Meanwhile all i wanna do is hang around Tims (if I ever get it finished ...) and that's somehow a big deal, Huh??

 

Off hand I'm not sure how old the car is but what about Lant Insurance - all the modded stuff shouldn't be a problem with them and you've been driving for more than 10 years right?..lol

 

You mean were not suposed to Damn no wonder I keep getting smacked around

 

BOHICA- Bend Over Here It Comes Again


This is just bad for all of us. If you have issues with the legislation write you MP and MLA (MPP). They listen to the people who vote them. Unless they LIbEralS.

Steve.

P.S. My "Toy" is a track only car. 1988 ex -players.
But wife drives a Jetta with BIG rims and tires! I am waiting for her to get pulled over. BTW it is a TDI um..85-95 HP?

 

Legislation wont do jack squat to squash the street racing issues. Sadly I think the main issues are for the FIRST time the street race "crowd" that love a particular import style of car are coming from families that dont know jack squat about cars or more specfifically how to drive them. Many in fact come from families trhat never had cars. There is little to no driver savvy in a good amount of the new crowd. They just have dough and buy and think thats enough to qualify them as Juan Pablo Montoya down any old street they happen to be driving on.

Consider this. Back in my day ( ya older now shad up ) we drove 60's and 70's cars with great big engines that literally FLEW. Cornering? BRAKING? Ya sure nice dreams pal. If we had fifty bucks it went into the engine or trans if it still worked lol. Tires? Gimme a break. My friends 67 Chevy 2 had 8" DRUM brakes on the front and we raced the heck outta that car and never so much as scratched the paint.

Nowadays these punks are buying cars that are so much safer and easier to drive not to mention the actual real fast ones are so far and few between. Most are just fart can 140 horse slugs.

Yet there are plenty of accidents. Street racing or not just try and get insurance on any Honda civic. You know the Cadilac CTS is the CHEAPEST car to insure in Canada?

Anyways not to sidetrack but the issue in my opinion is mainly the drivers skill and general stupidity for racing in residential areas. In my day guys learned how to drive in the back 40 in a field car from the age of 10 in some cases ( yes me lol ) and thats in Richmond Hill right at Yonge and Major Macenzie. RIGHT BEHIND the cop shop and they didnt care. Alos the parents were involved HEAVILLY preaching about respecting the residential areas and school zones and not to be messing around in dumb places. We were taught how to think about safety before we stuffed the go pedal to the floor. Sure there were issues here and there but it seldom made news or was considered a public safety issue by anyone bnack then. It really wasnt. Late night industrial area running was harmless to anyone other then the potential risk for those actually racing. I never saw one accident in all those years from Oshawa to Woodbridge an everywhere in between. There was lots of back then us too.

Solution to this "new" problem? Newer facist laws? Nope.

How about making driving standards a little tougher? Like a LOT tougher so these turds can actually learn to drive and teach them about public safety and step up on the morality issues. Truly difficult testing that covers a multitude of issues not just when to yield the right of way. Sounds good by me.

Fines??? If caught racing there are automatic 3 month sentance or give the option to the convict to take a SAFE DRIVER course that is thorough and in depth with both moral education of residential dangers and more importantly driver safety that goes far beyond the lame standards required to get a license.

Skid control
High Speed cornering
High speed braking
etc etc etc.

Best of all? Make em pay the 10 grand it should cost for such a course or lock em up for three months. Most guys with dough enough for a car ( or mommy and daddys divorce dough ) can afford it and will pay it and will become safer as a result. Safer for everyone including themselves. Not to mention take a skill set with them for life that will only help all of us even when they become grandparents.

New fancy charges or blaming the cars themselves does nothing to solve this issue. Its as dumb as the gun registry for gun crime. Total lunacy and a waste of our governements breath when there is bigger issues at hand. Afghanistan? Terrorism? Come on....

This is a people crime and needs a people solution.

 

Good points '87.

I think the cops should also take the 20 zillion bobble-heads some of these guys got on their dash. Their Sony Playstations or X-Box's they have installed. And their fancy cell phones aswell.

 

That's what it was like when I was growing up in Stouffville. Too bad all those fields have been paved over and populated by outraged ratepayers who hoard and sleep and breed and feed and run red lights in their schitty little cars - fortunately though we still have gravel trucks to cull some of them out..lol

 

[QUOTE=freestylzz]

Case in point; Chrysler with their "SRT" line of vehicles. We know that SRT stands for "STREET RACING TECHNOLOGY". So shouldn't Chrysler be held liable and accountable for this crack down on street racers and anyone who "looks" like one? Does Chrysler put a disclaimer on these sort of vehicles before they are sold as "Not for street use"? I don't think so.


QUOTE]

actually, SRT stands for STREET,ROAD, and TRACK.

But it doesnt go without saying that there will be a BIG increase in police presense this year. So, if you have a vehicle that is modified, make sure its legally done and you wont have to worry.

Case in point, my iroc was taken off the road last year. It wasnt safe. I cut corners. I didnt have a horn, nor did my ebrake work 100%, mind you i dont agree to any extent on how far they are going with this.

I went to school looking to become a police officer, and I hope that this doesnt create an ANTI LAW stereotype, but it appears that it is heading that way.

With all due respect to the members of project E.R.A.S.E, they dont know the difference between their asses and a hole in the ground when it comes to vehicles. They know their cruisers are quick and they have power.

Another piece of info for you all to ponder on...

The reason project E.R.A.S.E was created....
a young lady was killed because of "street racing" (still not proven)...and that young lady that was killed, just happened to be a york regional policemans wife. Coincidence??? I think not

iroc2nv

 

People generally understand the need to have laws about things but they also know stupid bull**** when they see it and unfortunately that is all too often a characteristic of government and law inforcement.

There are numerous examples but look at the OPP turning a blind eye while people are being beaten up by native protestors - it's difficult not to see them in a negative stereotype.

That said though I'd have to say that the Toronto cops do a tough job with all the bangers we have running around. However, the recent behaviour of the OPP is just cowardly.

 

With those of you who talked about how people learned to drive in the good old days, right on. I'm a youngin', a mere 22 years old. However, I live in a rural area. I drove my father's old Toyota 4X4 pick up in the fields and on the frozen lake more times than I can count when I was around ten or eleven. I was taught early on that even the person with the most driving ability in the world is a ****ty driver if they're careless. Act as if you're the worst driver in all of Canada. For reasons I don't want to get in to, by the time I was about twelve or thirteen I wound up driving my mother's early 1980s Cougar on a number of occasions.

In effect, my G1 stage of my license (in Ontario, it's your first stage of license. You need to drive with someone who's been driving for four years or more) for like eight years. I think a lot of what that does is give you a little extra touch of confidence when you are driving by yourself. A really nevrous driver is a dangerous one.

All that being said, yeah, I've street raced. I've done it on a flat, straight stretch of pavement, flanked by a deep swamp on either side. No one call pull out of their laneway, because their are none. There are never any pedestrians, it's the middle of nowhere. You can't come over a hill to find a car stalled, there are no hills, you can see for at least a mile. The bottom line, there isn't a local drag strip. Places like these become our local drag strips. I think of myself as a pretty cautious person, but as far as I can see, the only way anyone can get hurt is if the guy racing me slams in to me, or if I slam in to him. There's just as much opprotunity for that on the track as on the road.

You'll problably all laugh at me for this, but to tell you the truth, I ease up on the hammer when I hit about 90KPH. Which is ten KPH over the speed limit. You can drive by cops all day doing that speed and never get pulled over up here. I guess I've never owned a really hot car, and in my experience, you can tell by the time you've hit 90 who's going to win. Why push it past that? It's all just for fun.

I suppose maybe I'm just ranting a bit here, or maybe trying to make myself feel a bit better about seeing all you good responsible guys bashing street racers. We're not all bad guys. Like anything though, there are a lot of f***wits out there, and they are causing problems. But someone seriously needs to tell the cops, harassing people with nice cars isn't the way to go. Set up in some bad areas for street racing, keep your eyes peeled. Stop people who are actually doing what you're out there to stop them from doing.

All this posing and posturing is more than a little stupid. It's never been the fear of the law that's kept me in line as far as car safety. (Unless I get caught doing something stupid, then that fear hits.) It's fear of hurting someone that keeps me from doing things I know are stupid. The kind of person who isn't worried about killing some poor bastard or just plain doesn't even think of the possibility isn't the kind of person who's going to worry about a traffic law, they problably won't even think of the possibility of getting caught.

Just my two cents, I suppose.

 

I think the other problem is enforcement.Instead of patrolling the highways looking for a car thats weaving in and out or people that "forgets" to signal when changing lanes,they rather sit in the shade and play with their radar guns.