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OK, so Streetfire.net pulled the suburban sreet racing 'Vette video from their site, to which this post was originally linked. Fair enough. Commendable, really– if you adhere to the school of thought that presenting dangerous criminal activities to the general public may not be the best possible use of bandwidth. Rest assured I see the other side of this: first amendment and all that. Besides, there are plenty of illegal automobiling videos on Streetfire and YouTube. Do we really expect them to police every one?
27 Comments on “Do We Encourage Dangerous Driving By Watching It?...”
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Possibly, but no more than seeing DVDs of Bullitt, Vanishing Point, or Smokey and the Bandit. It’s fun to watch, I fantasize for a while, and maybe once in a blue moon get on it on a semi-secluded stretch of road. That’s not too difficult in New Mexico, especially on the rez, but watch out for livestock.
It’s about as ludicrous as saying that video games encourage violence. Yes, I went there. And yes, I’m a Grand Theft Auto junkie, but I never shot anyone in real life.
After watching that video, I’d say no. All I could think about was all the bad things that could happen or could have happened. Some kid running out in the street when he could have been avoided at 25mph.
That video was nerve wracking. Watching dangerous or close call type video’s actually makes me safer due to witnessing someone else do it and take that risk.
In this one, it doesn’t get bad, but it could have so I can see the why about the roll cage requirement for all the freak stuff that can and does occur:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TcIRvLnquA
One of the more amazing video’s you will ever see:
http://s25.photobucket.com/albums/c80/Thirdyfivepickup/?action=view¤t=shoebox3.flv
And this one:
All I’ll say is those guy are complete moronic retards for doing this on what is OBVIOUSLY a residential street.
–chuck
That’s not a video, THIS is a video……
All I’ll say is those guy are complete moronic retards for doing this on what is OBVIOUSLY a residential street.
+1
I hope they hit a speedbump.
I’m with you there Chuck…
There is no excuse for doing this on a residential street. If you’ve got the speed bug, you can get it out of your system for about $30.00 and a tech inspection at tracks like Raceway Park in Old Bridge, NJ. Great fun, cheap, (unless you break something) and SAFE.
I like going fast, but I like staying alive even more. Idiots doing this on public streets deserve to lose their license – permanently.
-ted
This doesn’t encourage bad driving…I’d say watching driving like this encourages aggravated assault. After watching this particular brand of stupidity, the only thing I’m tempted to do is find these dipshit little bastards and administer some complementary dental surgery.
Where’s the lady-in-Yukon-on-cell-phone to run a stop sign when you REALLY need her?
Watching violence or dangerous driving does not make us think it’s acceptable; however there’s a small percentage of the population – the lowest extremes of IQ – who watch this stuff and in their minds it makes them want to do it.
If you think I’m on the wrong track, consider that press all over the world censor stories of suicide because it’s long been known that publishing the stories results in many more people killing themselves in copycat style.
Too bad I’m late to the party – they removed the video if you try to click on it.
From the comments above, though, it sounds like something completely inappropriate. I get annoyed at anyone driving even the 25 mph speed limit on my street, because it’s only five houses long, and they really have to accelerate to even get to 25 before having to stop at the stop sign on either end.
The “Jackass” syndrome — a cretin percentage will try to top this…
Be Alert.
There is no excuse for doing this on a residential street. If you’ve got the speed bug, you can get it out of your system for about $30.00 and a tech inspection at tracks like Raceway Park in Old Bridge, NJ. Great fun, cheap, (unless you break something) and SAFE.
I’ve ran my car at raceway park before. Total PITA. It was so crowded that for my $30, the most I could get in was three runs for the entire day.
Of course, things could get worse if Old Bridge township gets their way. Over the years they’ve attempted legislation after legislation to force the track to shut down citing noise concerns from residents who live close to the track—residents who had their McMansions built there long after the track had established itself in New Jersey. The last drag strip in Long Island was shut down this way, and if Raceway Park goes (which is not as far-fetched as some think it is), that would leave people in the NY/NJ/CT area with only two drag racing tracks to run their cars on.
Given all of this, I can see why a racer is tempted to test his ride out on a street versus taking it a hundred miles (depending on where he lives) for a couple of runs. It’s detestable, nonetheless, but nobody ever contemplates at the town board meetings when they’re trying to zone an existing track out of existence or block a new one from being built.
Taking it to the track is great—when there’s a track to take it to.
zerofoo>
Any idea on places in Chicago?
Closest I’ve seen for track time is the Autobahn in Joliet. I talk to a guy who practices there regularly for fun and it costs him close to $500/day which is waaaaaaaaay out of my budget.
$200 for the day (ride 20 min, wait 40), + brakes, tires, etc… That is also assuming no parts breakage.
Also, I want a track, not a drag strip :) going fast on the curves is more fun than straight.
that motorcycle crash was insane. someone in the youtube comments said he survived…? really?
First off, there is no such thing as safe racing. Ever. Taking it to a track is not safer than going to a nice chunk of empty industrial/business park. If you think track racing is safe, then I have some people you might want to talk to. Competition is not safe. By its very nature, I can’t think of a single form of competition that isn’t safe…
Second, Quasimondo has a point. The nearest 1/4mile track is an hour and a half drive each way. Then I get the privledge of paying 20 bucks to race or 15 to watch. Then I get to pay another ten bucks for an inspection. Then I get to wait in line for an hour while all the trailored in cars get to run first. Of course, there is always one or two crashes, so tack in an extra forty five minutes because they have to clean up the track.
Then finally, if I’m lucky, I might get one or two runs in. Then I get to drive an hour and a half back home.
Or I can drive fifteen minutes to a fairly secluded area, and get the ish done there. For free.
Oh, and the only local twisty track is one of those “country club” race tracks, that requires a $1400 joining fee, plus monthly dues. The only time I can get near that track for less than $600 is for an HPDS, but even then, I don’t actually get to race, I just get to drive fast. If I want to drive fast in the twistys, I’ll take the backroads to work. I actually want to race.
I actually watch crash videos on youtube to remind myself not to push too hard.
You can still see the video if you go to the user’s page. It’s really, really dumb. Way worse than street racing in a desolate area, even worse than racing on a highway. I wouldn’t drive faster than 20mph on a residential street like that, I’ve seen kids run out in the street way too many times.
dolo54> You are absolutely correct in residential areas!
Last weekend I was heading home in the wifes car after running some errands for her. As usual, no radio, no headphones, no cellphone, no distractions. I attempted to make a right turn on green. As I turned, I saw two kids no older than 7 years old riding the WRONG WAY down the one way street, in the middle of the street. I slammed on the brakes and ended up about 15′ from them (I was going sub 20mph as well…they were almost at the end of the block).
If I had been racing, distracted, etc those kids would be in the ground now.
The dad was safely on the sidewalk, waiting for them (they were maybe 50′-70′ away).
The kid almost fell over off his bicycle when he saw my car slam on the brakes, but at least I didn’t hit him.
No excuse for racing/speeding on side streets where children can be present.
I was visibly shaking about 30 minutes after the incident.
People are always looking for an excuse for their bad behavior. If I were to sit down and watch a “high speed video with my wife or mother it would in no way induce them to start speeding and driving like jerks.
On the otherhand if I were to do the same with a “speed-junkie” eighteen year old I would not be surpised to see him/ her imitate some of the actions in the video. The “speed-junkie” already has “speed malice” in his heart and is already a danger.
Now lets keep thing real here and admit that the amount of sports cars that actually see a track are about equal to the amount of SUVs that actually see a trail.
With that said I must admit that I really do NOT understand why someone would call a Boxster a wannabe Porsche but go gaga over a 911 Turbo.
You gotta laugh at the dude that is upset because he cant find anywhere suitable to the stretch the legs on their 500hp 180mph+ dream machine.
Two words: phone pole
So this would be a bad place to admit I have the entire Mischeif DVD collection, every DVD from IMV Films (Vehicular Lunatics), and have faithfully read Alex Roy’s book three or four times?
I would think so.
Well noted then. That being said, you have more than just the issues of racing dangers at races…
http://usimports.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1135
Blankfocus, at the end of the video, it shows him in the hospital and he seems ok.
I don’t understand why everyone is so upset over a go cart race. c’mon no harm no foul meeeeeeee, shift, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, shift meeeeeeeee!!!
Looks like the “Fast and Furious” series unleashed a new wave of driver’s ed washouts who stick wings on their cars – making them look like even bigger pieces of crap in the process….
I don’t see what the problem is with this. I, for one am not going to participate in a drag race since someone showed it on Youtube. There were street races long before these ones. Some races end tragically, most are without incident. Should the activity be banned? It already is.
Street racing would be far less common if we had an autobahn style highway in the United States and if local speed limits reflected reality. Of course, the penalties for road racing should be severe, but let’s let the punishment fit the crime. If no one is hurt, obviously, the penalties shouldn’t be as severe.
Swamprat, don’t you know? Street racing never existed at all untill after the first TF&TF came out. If it weren’t for Vin Deisel, no human being alive would ever consider even driving over the speed limit. Its all my generation’s fault.