California Crackdown on Modified Cars

[TomoHawk]

Having a car with racing style stickers is "about the same as actual racing"? you have got to be kidding!

I guess everyone should dress up their car and themselves to please your sense of style

Not MY style, but kids should dress like they have intelligence, and pride in themselves. I'll bet most of them, if not all, don't know how to put on a necktie.

As for the stickers, AGAIN, "ricers" put so many strickers on the car, insinuating that they are racers, and is about the same as doing the actual racing. This means that these people put on the stickers to taunt others into the actual racing. If these people were so proud of the cars, they wouldn't have the need for so many stickers or spoilers or whatever, and they would just be happy to hang out with the others, like the Z people do.

[montoya_fan01]

Not MY style, but kids should dress like they have intelligence, and pride in themselves. I'll bet most of them, if not all, don't know how to put on a necktie.

As for the stickers, AGAIN, "ricers" put so many strickers on the car, insinuating that they are racers, and is about the same as doing the actual racing. This means that these people put on the stickers to taunt others into the actual racing. If these people were so proud of the cars, they wouldn't have the need for so many stickers or spoilers or whatever, and they would just be happy to hang out with the others, like the Z people do.

You have got to be one of the most narrow minded people in the "free" world.

[seerex]

Not only should they get a ticket, but the car's warantee should be voided (if it had one), and there should be a note put in with the OWNER'S Insurance provider

ROFLOL You know I think you need help. WHHHOOOO OHHHHH NO a note to my insurance agent. What is it gonna say , that I have been a badddd little datsun owner? You gonna raise my rate or make me take off my stickers?

Instead of standing on your soap box as you said you should put down the crack pipe and realize that your narrow minded beliefs really irritate some people < if not most> especially mine when you think standing in the corner with big brother and telling on people is a good ideal .

[TomoHawk]

when a sticker says something that could be construed as having to do with import cars then one immediately forfeits their rights?

NO, it shouldn't. BUT when it says "I'm faster than you and I'll prove it on the streets any day." OR, "I use brand X racing tyres" on a street car, I would probably put a bet on that guy that he'll be racing soon.

I own an import car, and I never race it on the street, or anything close. I'm happy driving around and I'm too far above petty stuff like street racing. It's a much higher moral quality, and more people should do the same.

I'm too busy looking good.

[TomoHawk]

Narrow-mindedness goes both ways, Seerex. That's probably why the whole problem with ricers and street-racing, etc., started. I could care less what you think. I'll hold to my own good habits, you can do what you want.

Remember this is an OPEN forum, and you are allowed to say your opinion! I am NOT the government, nor the penal system, nor any other offical department in charge of making policies. If you get irritated, maybe YOU should get some help! Or at least some fresh air!

[seerex]

How am I narrow minded , I never said that you shouldn't put stickers on your car or wear your pants in a certain fashion or any thing all except tell me what is right and wrong. And that has nothing to do with street racing at all. Well I be sure not to spread any of your GOOD habits around . I think the world has enough of that already.

[zman525]

That article is bull sh*t. A cop cant pull you over because he feels the need he needs to have a legal reason not a hunch. This makes me very mad . As much as i hate little civics with the fart canons and big spoilers i think that this is just crap. As far as the mufflers it seems more like a personal issue. If you dont like the damn noise then move Ed is right about the motorcycle part. I hear so many bikes go by that are by far louder than any car and have never heard 1 complaint about them. They should keep the laws they have now. And for pulling over someone for having a sticker is just beyond ridiculous.... its insanity. MY overall opinion is they can take that article and shuv it up ther u knowwhat....

[Alfadog]

. Some priceless comments in here so far.

This thread is only missing one thing now... BAMBIKILLER!!!

[Inf]

I agree Alfa, I've really been wishing BambiKiller would show up again!

I'm going to say my bit and bow out, because the idiocy running rampant in this thread just boggles my mind.

I may not agree with what someone says or does under the law, but I will always defend their right to engage in whatever that is. If any of you think this is ridiculous, I think you need to go do some research into a little thing called the "Bill of Rights" in that great document called the US Constitution.

TomoHawk, I would be curious to hear your opinions on an issue like homosexuality. I think they would be quite entertaining. As has been said before, you are displaying a very narrow minded psyche, which is why so many people are attacking your ideas. Thank goodness you are not in charge of this country. We would all have a dress code and general code of behavior set forth by you, I am sure. I am beginning to think that you are simply making outrageous statements because you are bored and like watching people get agitated on a forum.

As for "ricers," I think they have no taste, and are just plain annoying. Sure, some of them engage in a lot of illegal street racing, but you know what? I know more people who aren't "ricers" who constantly engage in juvenile stop-light races or engage in other forms of reckless driving. A boatload of stickers and poor taste is not a prerequisite for bad driving - if it was, life for law enforcers would sure be a hell of a lot simpler. TomoHawk's statement about drivers of domestic muscle cars not being as widely engaged in street racing is utterly retarded. I have had more people in domestics try to race me at a stop light than I have by people in imports. That generalization is completely off-base. Very often their exhausts are just as loud, if not louder than their "ricer" counterparts.

Others have wisely pointed out that all the things this new policy targets are ALREADY illegal, and should just be enforced under the laws already in effect almost everywhere in the country.

Are "ricers" blasting up and down your street? Even without breaking the speed limit, the charge of "exhibition of speed" is a legitimate thing for a police officer to bust someone for. What I am saying is these things (street racing, drifting, loud exhaust, loud stereo) that irritate and endanger us are already illegal, and the state of California, to my knowledge, already impounds cars from street racers en masse when they are caught engaging in illegal street racing. I remember hearing about several huge busts of street racing rings in Dallas where all the participants that got rounded up had their cars impounded. If these kids (again, a generalization, youth is not a prerequisite for stupidity) are breaking the law, and nothing is being done about it, this is a case of the authorities not being in the right place at the right time - adding new laws, like the ones under discussion here, will change nothing except give the police more pretenses to stop people who may have nothing to do with illegal street racing.

I will close in saying that we need to be mindful of history in any case like this. Today, they might basically outlaw "ricing" out cars. What happens tomorrow? Will people we deem more acceptable be targeted next? I'm sure many people in the public wonder why ANYONE would EVER want to modify their car in any way. I'm glad these people don't have the right to tell me what I can and can't do with my own property - freedom of expression is my right as a U.S. citizen. If you don't like this, feel free to move to another country. There is a lot more at stake in discussions such as these than just someones right to put a big tacky sticker on their car.

Here is a little something I'd seen before that comes to mind in a case like this:

First they came for the Jews

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists

and I did not speak out

because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me

and there was no one left

to speak out for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller

[Chino 240Z]

You've got to be kidding me Tomo! You've just put my wife in your classified group. Mrs. Chino donates her time to elementary schools classes, attends church weekly, is a registered nurse that gives care to all types of people (one day maybe you). She's white, blonde, cares for all animals, children, intelligent dressed people and not so intelligent dressed people (like myself), AND she once a month races the wheels off a 240Z as a hobbie. But guess what? she has race stickers on her Astro Van, and the hood of her Pontiac Formula has a fuel pressure guage sticking out. NO she doesn't street race, and all the mods to our cars have only help our vehicles live past any factory warranty. People with ideals like you want her vehicles impounded, hassled, and hey lets all dress like a Tomohawk so we look smart, what ever the hell that looks like? YOu know what? You are lucky I don't make the laws and run this country cause your type of character is the type I would have to put up with the most. Until I got tired of it and put a sticker on you and have the police ship you out! Funny thing is, I don't expect you to even understand why? Do all cops know the difference in an illegal street racer and a dedicated NASCAR fan with race stickers?

If I send you a sticker would you be brave enough to put it on your vehicle?

It reads "RACERS AGAINST STREET RACING".

You just don't get it, do you? You can't put a label on the street racer, because it is all types of people, in any types of cars, with mods or not.

There are 2 facts here.

1) There are people who break the law using a vehicle.

2) There are people who want more control of you and I, and are trying to do it by controlling what you drive!

PAL, this is not freedom!

I'll be DAMNED if I let some yahoo take such freedoms away as these!

It is insane not to think so too! What's next? They don't like the color you paint your house, so they cite you or arrest you? Hey buddy, it's happening!

Chino

[sblake01]

To each; his own. I just don't see how this affects me. Sounds to me like the main goal is to crack down on street racing and maybe prevent it before it takes place. Maybe they're reaching for straws because apparently street racing is not totally preventable. I don't street race, I have no desire to street race. It's obvious what type of vehicle they are trying to target. If you have a Z and you are worried about it being profiled as a rice car, then maybe you need to change your approach. As far as bashing other's ideas, and I'm sure that will continue in this thread, what purpose does that serve. I take TomoHawk's remarks lightly and sometimes wonder if he is simply trying to instigate but the reality is that if these laws go into affect, what can you really do. It's fine to champion a cause but maybe here is not the place. I fight my own battles. If someone cares to help me fight one, fine. If they don't, they don't. But I don't worry much about other peoples opinion. They are entitled to it and what I think about someone's opinion is really of little importance to them or I. No more from me in this thread, I promise!

[panchovisa]

Quote: "but it's in the spirit of the classic sportscar ad not to insinuate that he's doing street racing or other illegal stuff."

Now you see the problem, people/police reading intent to comit illegal acts. Better to just wait until an illegal act is commited and enforce the existing laws.

Or if ricers are the target here then what about adding suburban soccer moms that can't remove the phone from their ear? Wait a minute, that is already a traffic violation here (in MN it's called inattentive driving, $150 ticket).

Wonder what the cops would do about me? After all I'll be driving a full race Z on the street as my commuter car. No stickers though, and I'm a potbellied, gray haired, caucasian, near senior citizen. Bet it's no problem for ME.