Rice Rocket Rage

[BBillyC]

Here in my City the police are busting any hot rod, classic car for absolutely anything. When there is a car show they set up a temporary inspection site within a few blocks of the show. When cars pull out they are taken to the site and the car is inspected up on ramps. If the car has any modifications to it other than factory it will be impounded and if anything is wrong for example a burned out tail light its a $175.00 fine. Heaven forbid you have anything other than factory exhaust, suspension, etc. The police state in the paper that just because an item is sold at a rod and custom shop doesn't mean that it is safe or street legal. Every car here needs a safety inspection to get licensed but the police are saying they are not regarding safety inspections for licensing as being valid for street safety :loco: :huh: . The car clubs are going absolutely nuts because the funds from all of the car shows go to charities for disabled kids. It appears by the tactics they [the police] are using that it is simply a cash grab.

The police are stating it is for safety reasons, however I hear through the grapevine that it is revenge for an article posted on a rice rocket web site calling the police a bunch of fags after they busted a pile of them for street racing and discovered that most didn't even have drivers licenses. The ricers have been causing a lot of trouble with street racing in the city and motorists including hot rodders are really pissed at them for endangering the public. Some of their [ricers] cars are nitrous and are capable of generating some pretty impressive horsepower, but in the hands of a teenage mutant they are just out of control missles. The police seem to have confused ricers with rodders and are looking to clamp the bracelets on any car activity. Anyhow next weekend is the biggest car show in town where most of the downtown core is barricaded off and the streets are lined with thousands of antiques, hot rods, classics of every type. I wonder how many will show up because of the hassle they're going to get from the local gendarme at the impromptu inspection sites. I can't imagine the overtime costs to taxpayers when all of this goes to court.

 

[ACME A12]

Maybe a hand picked group of you, well-dressed and well-spoken, need to solicit an audience with the the Chief of Police or one of his highly-placed minions so as to carefully and calmly explain to him the difference between your group - placing significant emphasis upon the charitable aspect of your endeavors - and the out of control teenaged ricers... Just a thought - because they aren't going to figure it out on their own... :cents:

 

[69hemibeep]

We lost a long time show site when after everyone cleared out some riceres came in racing in the lot and a complaint was filed, the property management company of coarse lumped every one together and shut it down the following Saturday. The other store owners were quite upset because that was the biggest sales night do to the show and are now trying to get it back stating they have parking privileges also the whole lot can't be controlled by one management company.

 

[Hoosier Bird]

That really stinks. I've been putting on the Friday Night Cruise-in here in town for about 3 months now. We haven't had any issues, as a matter of fact I even had a sit down with the town board and police and they agreed that chirping the tires would not be an issue. So far it's been pretty fun........I hate that you are going through this. You may just have to move to Indiana........

 

[BBillyC]

The bad/sad thing is that I know the chiefs personally and this whole thing is not being driven by them as they are ordered by the politicians. And there is nothing stupider than a politician that just wants to get elected again.

 

[Roadcuda]

The bad/sad thing is that I know the chiefs personally and this whole thing is not being driven by them as they are ordered by the politicians. And there is nothing stupider than a politician that just wants to get elected again.

If that's the case maybe enough of you can organize a boycott of that big show. When all the merchants lose out on all the money that something like that could pull in then they can go to the next council meeting and say enough is enough! It will be hard to do but if enough people are really pissed about all this then it might be worth the effort to try and stop it. Then of course there is always, when is the next election?

 

[george68hemirr]

The bad/sad thing is that I know the chiefs personally and this whole thing is not being driven by them as they are ordered by the politicians. And there is nothing stupider than a politician that just wants to get elected again.

If that's the case maybe enough of you can organize a boycott of that big show. When all the merchants lose out on all the money that something like that could pull in then they can go to the next council meeting and say enough is enough! It will be hard to do but if enough people are really pissed about all this then it might be worth the effort to try and stop it. Then of course there is always, when is the next election?

steve....you have the answer.....hit the town in there pocketbooks where it hurts

billy i think this will work and wake them up

 

[SomeCarGuy]

Move the show to a close town that is friendly.

Tell the bozos that they lost all the old car people and their familes votes.

Have the charities start calling as well. Get those kids in the media and play that angle to the hilt. A lose of donations due to SS type law enforcement will cause quite a stir.

 

[BBillyC]

Those are all good ideas. A few years back the police started hanging out very close to bars and they would pull over everyone who drove out of the bar and give them a breathalyzer. Yes they caught a few over the limit of .08 but the bars business suddenly waned because good "sober" clients didn't want to be held up in a line waiting for their turn to be tested and of course get the third degree from the cops. Then the bar/club owners started screaming harassment and then the police backed off. I guess its a fine balancing act when it comes to enforcement and permitting entertainment...the main thing that this city does is that every time they make a by-law or get into enforcement it is always a "zero tolerance" thing. My belief is that if they got back to the basics of real policing such as gangs and violent crime against persons, as opposed to being a revenue generating organization for the political hacks who just want to immortalize themselves with pork barrel projects, maybe then they would have more public support.

 

[Basketcase]

that stuff is a bad as the new law Ohio is trying to pass. If one of Ohio's
finest :lock: saw the :drive: I left in front of my house last night......... .my car would be on the auction block..
I've read about the Canada stuff. It just doesn't make sense(that's why we have to deal with this crap) to fine someone because they have headers or a chrome air cleaner.

 

[BBillyC]

What they are up to is not policing....its just simple revenue generation......after all there is no money in crime. The criminals (mostly) have no money, the system has to pay for their lawyers, judges, court rooms etc., so the system needs a source of revenue. But they have taxed us to death so they need another convenient way to suck more cash out of the working guy..photo-radar (used to be set at 10mph above posted..now 6) Lets face it 6mph above posted is not speeding or reckless driving. When I go racing and drive to vegas or pamona and have to go that long stretch through Montana you can go as fast as you want. If safety was the big reason they do this shit you'd think they'd be lined up on the interstate in Montana wreaking havoc with everyone but there is not enough traffic there to make it worth while. The system will do anything to suck the dough out of us, and that's on both sides of the border...question is how do we keep the law from stereotyping a guy with a classic car as a speeding lawbreaking criminal.

 

[sam z]

Weird...my town just had an old car show today (as a matter of fact one of the site member was there with there car, and it wasn't me). Anyway, our community (region) is rather welcoming to car shows and the like, and this is liberal NY!

Too bad you are dealing with that crap. I knew I didn't like the fast and furious rice burner crowd. This just made it worse.

Anyway, I've seen cops walking around car shows and admiring the cars around here, not busting people for what sounds like ownership. How stupid.

 

[roadrunnerh]

Maybe a happy medium would be for the cops to hand out tickets to speeders?
"Inspections" on the cars just sounds absolutely nuts! :loco:

I agree with cracking down on street racing, But let's be reasonable, impounding cars - now that's just insane.

Fortunatley, my local cops are really cool. One night coming back from a cruise, my wife and I were pulled over in the Road Runner after I did a nasty burn-out a couple blocks from my house. Wouldn't ya know it, a police car came around the corner and drove through the smoke and had to pull me over. No ticket, no big hassle, he just told me not to do it around here. He liked my car and said he would be doing burnouts if he owed it.

 

[mcmopar]

They'd definitely give me a ticket for that here in Orlando.

 

[BBillyC]

Yet another car show today and one tonight. Didn't go to the later one but at the earlier one I seen cars being hauled away on flatbed haulers by towing companies..impounded. I didn't take the bird because my 4 way flasher gave up the ghost and that would be 175.00 plus a closer look and with these nazis who the hell would know what they might charge you with and you would have to defend yourself in court. A local car guy (very knowledgeable) said they were going to leave the classics and muscle cars alone, but that seems not to be the case. 54 cars impounded with about 50% of them classic muscle. Some were obvious problems and should not have been on the road but the rest were just targeted. Apparently this whole thing is being driven by the insurers.

 

[mcmopar]

Its time for you to retire and get out of that town... :loco: :loco: :loco:

 

[ACME A12]

That's just too much... :leave:

 

[69hemibeep]

You haven't burned the court house down yet :soap:

 

[abodybill]

You just might have to do what the Carlisle Shows did afew years ago.

They had a show for the Ricers and that lasted 2 years and they told them not to come back as they where abunch of idiots behind the wheel.

I know the local small track here in the area run the ricers out acouple years ago and will not let them come in.

Some of the shows I go to have a cut off date on the years of the cars that can come into the show and it's been working perty good. :soap:

Thanks,

Bill

 

[glhcarl]

bbodybill,

"Just be thankful you are not getting all the government you are paying for"! Will Rogers, American humorist.