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oly884
06-21-2007, 04:09 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070620/ap_on_re_us/crushed_hot_rods_2

Going to try something new here, my commentary is in red.


RIALTO, Calif. - Charles Hoang winced when the whoosh went out of the tires. Daniel Maldonado took pictures with a digital camera as glass exploded and rained down to the ground.
Good

The cars the teens had so meticulously souped up and tricked out were crushed Wednesday as part of a crackdown on illegal street racing in Southern California.
Even better

"That's my heart, my dream," said Hoang, 18, of Chino, who was surrounded by friends as his 1998 Acura Integra was put into a compactor. "That's my girlfriend, the love of my life. The cops can crush my car, but they can't crush my memories."
How cute, however, it's a car buddy, and you were an idiot while driving it

Authorities destroyed six vehicles Wednesday at an auto graveyard, hoping would-be racers think again after looking at the mashed machines. Illegal street racing is responsible for or suspected in 13 deaths in Southern California since March.
I sure hope this sends a message to the "would-be racers"

The thrill-seeking, adrenaline-pumping activity is rampant in Riverside and San Bernardino counties east of Los Angeles where rows of tract homes line wide streets that attract racers.
Wasn't there some kind of movie about this?

Nearly 1,000 people — drivers and spectators — have been arrested for investigation of street racing activities over the past two years in San Bernardino County alone. Police need a court order to destroy the cars. They must prove that the serial or identification numbers on a vehicle or its parts are removed, altered or destroyed.
Nothing really to comment on. Take a break, go grab something to drink.

Police said they have managed to reduce illegal racing and related fatal collisions, but know the underground hobby still thrives.
How about that!

"We are making a dent," said Ontario police Cpl. Jeff Higbee. "But it's summertime and ... we expect to see more activity."
...

Hoang said he was caught late last year racing his prized car, on which he spent at least $10,000 to get into top shape. The 350-horsepower engine topped out at 160 mph, Hoang said, swearing it could beat a Corvette or even a Ferrari.
Corvette, which one? Ferrari, :rofl: Must be a pretty sick car, G. :roll:

When police popped open the hood, Hoang said, they found a stolen transmission. Hoang flashed a receipt for the transmission he bought from his father who runs an auto shop and doubted the item was hot.
There's a difference between doubted and knew.

"Everything on that car was practically brand new," Hoang said as he watched his car get moved to auto death row. "They should take out the stuff that matters, auction it off, and give the money to charity."
Yes, sell the parts to other idiots such as yourself so they can endanger lives all over again.

Because racers put heavy stress on their vehicles, they often burn out or blow up parts. Higbee said the need for the expensive parts has created a "theft mill" where additional cars — usually Hondas or Acuras — are stolen and stripped of the necessary replacements.
Another reason why street racing only causes more problems

Most of the cars police examine are illegally modified. Sergio Zavala, 18, was pulled over in his 1993 yellow Honda Civic for a broken tail light in December. He had purchased a B-20 Vtech engine with a double-overhead cam a couple months before, and after a police investigation, was told it was stolen.
But he couldn't just pass up the deal behind the shop when he paid $600 bucks for it.

Zavala, who admits he's been involved in street racing, estimates he and his mother spent about $10,000 on improvements to his car.
I bet your mom is really proud of your incredible waste of money :shake:

After watching his Civic demolished, Zavala is left without a car as he plans to attend a fire academy in the fall.
Great, super, the guy endangers peoples lives and wants to try and SAVE people? How does one have the morals to want to save people by day and endanger them by night? Well, I guess he could just be really stupid. (not ANY rip on FF's, and FF's here, thank you!!!)

"It's heartbreaking to see this," said Zavala, who graduated from high school last week. "This is where all my time and money went."
And look what happened

Maldonado also said he put plenty of time and effort working on his 1992 black Honda Civic. He was stopped in November by police in what Higbee described as an area where racers gather.
Random smilie :D

The 18-year-old mechanic said a vehicle identification sticker apparently fell off and without it, police suspected some of the parts were stolen. Maldonado stood several feet away from his car as it was pounded into a heap of metal.
:rofl: Apparently fell off :rofl:

Maldonado said he has taken the advice of police by racing legally on one of several race courses around Southern California. For the money spent in fines and other penalties — on average about $5,000 for illegally modified cars — Higbee said street racers could compete about 250 times a year at a legitimate track.
Now we're getting somewhere!

"If you have to race, take it to a legal venue," Higbee said. "But as long as they keep racing illegally, we keep crushing their cars."
Once again, good!

All three men who saw their vehicles destroyed said they believe illegal street racing will continue to prosper across the region.
As will car crushing

"It will never go away," Maldonado said. "If it's in your heart, you will continue to do it until you can't anymore."
How noble sounding, you putz :shake:

YotaGirl
06-21-2007, 04:17 PM
LOL Great commentary!

ChickenLover
06-21-2007, 05:12 PM
:D
I love it. Finally, a fitting punishment. It reminds me a little of the Vegas mayor who suggested cutting off the thumbs of taggers. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition.

http://kutv.com/watercooler/watercooler_story_308092632.html

olharleyman
06-21-2007, 05:16 PM
Andy Rooney Lives on ultimateYota :rofl:
:lol:

EWAYota
06-21-2007, 05:21 PM
Now if only other areas will follow along with this, I would be willing to pay a fee just to watch!

DoubleZero4x4
06-21-2007, 05:53 PM
Great commentary! Too bad the kid interviewed was partially right. The retards out there will continue to race and continue to kill themselves or other people. God bless the Ontairo PD and other agencies who are crushing the vehicles. Maybe mom and dad will stop giving these spoiled brats money for their cars.

neliconcept
06-21-2007, 06:17 PM
as I spoke to on ttora, i think it would be best if they parted the cars out stripped them and sold the parts and crap.

calrockx
06-21-2007, 07:04 PM
Saw this on the cover of the LA Times today.

http://calrockx.com/etc/pics/forums/akira/A1.jpg

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

the funny thing is a few of our clients at work are in the import-tuner scene, selling those silly bodykits and such.

DoubleZero4x4
06-21-2007, 07:41 PM
as I spoke to on ttora, i think it would be best if they parted the cars out stripped them and sold the parts and crap.

That would only move the parts from one owner to another and be used on the next street racer.

It's nice that he did wear a shirt and tie for the car crushing. Too bad he doesn't know how long his legs are...Maybe pants that fit next time.

Jerm
06-21-2007, 07:48 PM
Its nice to see them finally doing something pro active about this situation, but it does suck at the amount of money that those people are losing. I guess it has to start somewhere, hopefully people start to get smarter and go to defined areas to race.

Texas Jim
06-21-2007, 08:04 PM
I think it's a great idea to offer a legal place for the fools to race!! I will go ahead and add that there should be an inspector at the track to catch other stolen car parts, but instead of crushing the car try some positive feedback and give them a break and just remove the stolen part.

As far as anyone illegally street racing any one captured at the scene should have their car impounded and then a legal battle to decide if the car should be crushed... for the ones who are doing the illegal racing!!! These idiot's just don't get it!!! They think they are invincible!!!

Why not let them just play Russian Roulette!!! TJ

DoubleZero4x4
06-21-2007, 08:09 PM
I think it's a great idea to offer a legal place for the fools to race!!

We have that here in Arizona already.


Why not let them just play Russian Roulette!!! TJ

Because innocents are dying too.

Peter
06-21-2007, 08:33 PM
I'm all for this. Let them pay where it hurts. It would be even better if they had to perform some kind of community service for family members of people who died (as non-affiliated bystanders) because of illegal street racing.

Robinhood4x4
06-22-2007, 07:11 AM
Several people on pirate brought up that it's not much of a stretch to go from a ricer to a lifted and built truck. Having said that, I'm probably 99% in favor of crushing the ricer cars.

oly884
06-22-2007, 09:48 AM
Steve, I agree where the $$$ is spent, I know that I have a lot of money into my truck. However for me it revolves around the incredible disregard for public safety and human life that these street racers have. Of course there are people in the 4x4 community that endanger lives just as much, but that number is much smaller. Look at it this way:

Idiots in the ricer crowd street race, the smart ones race on tracks

Idiots in the 4x4 crowd go off trails and destroy the land, the smart ones go to designated areas.

jrallan26
06-22-2007, 10:34 AM
I was wondering where my CRX went.....

oly884
06-22-2007, 10:54 AM
http://yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=118648

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I love how some people try to justify the behavior of the unintelligent.

SLC Punk
06-22-2007, 12:21 PM
Good! I hope it makes them think twice before racing on the streets.
Now they need to do the same with all of the full size diesel pickups that drive recklessly here in Utah. They are worse then sports cars, because these guys THINK their trucks are fast and have no idea they take longer to stop and don't handle worth a crap.

AxleIke
06-22-2007, 03:45 PM
Now if only they would execute the drivers.

Robinhood4x4
06-22-2007, 05:26 PM
Idiots in the 4x4 crowd go off trails and destroy the land, the smart ones go to designated areas.
I don't think the environment is the argument in this case. It's how dangerously hacked together some of the trucks are on the streets. I'd bet a dollar that within our lifetimes it will be illegal to modify a vehicle in any way that may or may not affect safety. It'll be like other countries where you have to have an engineer inspect your vehicle and you have to pay a huge fee to do it.

If anybody who's not familiar with driving a built truck were to drive my 4runner, they'd think it's dangerous with the amount of body roll. And my truck isn't even built up that much.

waskillywabbit
06-22-2007, 06:21 PM
Serves the punks right.

They should have donated the cars to a Monster Truck show for crushing Big Foot style...now THAT I would pay to see!!!

:guitar: