Clampdown on cruisers

[Newsreader]

Police in Cheltenham stepped up their campaign against boy racers last night when they sealed off the cruisers' most popular meeting spots.


http://www.landrovernet.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=9558&stc=1

Officers blocked car and retail parks across Cheltenham as part of Operation Highlander. A succession of souped-up Fiestas, Escorts, Peugeots and motorbikes were turned away from the meeting points. Several were pulled over. Operation Highlander's no-nonsense approach was designed to frustrate cruisers and stop them meeting in large groups. Police are determined to crack down on what they say is reckless stunt driving and racing.

At 7pm cruiser Tom confronted one of the officers blocking the entrance to the Gallagher Retail Park. "I don't understand why they won't let us in," he said, leaning out of the window of his Suzuki Vitara. "We're not doing any harm at all. There's only a small group of people who cause trouble at these events. Would they rather we meet up in car parks or go out on the streets? There should be a lot of cars here tonight. We'll go somewhere else."

Minutes later another cavalcade of cruisers arrived but were told to move on. Most drove off to a meeting place in Evesham, but a few remained in town. Those who tried to race around the streets were out of luck. Officers used mobile CCTV and patrol cars to track them, dishing out fixed penalty notices for a variety of motoring offences.

Chief Supt Steve Ackland said: "Last week there were a lot of silly driving risks being taken in the car parks. The way some of these people drive is going to get someone killed sooner or later. Our aim is to close off as many car parks and retail parks as we can. When these cruisers meet up they start high-speed driving and stunts. There is nowhere suitable in Cheltenham for that sort of activity. It causes a lot of noise for residents and it's dangerous. Some of the driving we've seen tonight has been worrying - going the wrong way down one-way streets, taking corners too fast and doing U-turns. We hope to get the message through that this behaviour can't continue."

Cruiser Gary McDonald, who lives in Cheltenham, said more needed to be done to provide car enthusiasts with a safe meeting point that the police and Cheltenham Borough Council would be happy with. “I've been in meetings with the police and council but they won't do enough to help us find somewhere. A few months ago there was a problem with a lot of cars racing around the town and we put a stop to that. Now's there's just a handful at the most. Cruising will not go away. The only way to solve the problem is for us to get some land."

[HCR]

Just lobotomise the lot of the tw@ts.

[Newsreader]

Just lobotomise the lot of the tw@ts.
:LAA: Hasn't that already been done though? :D

[SVENUK]

Police in Cheltenham stepped up their campaign against boy racers last night when they sealed off the cruisers' most popular meeting spots.

Cruising will not go away. The only way to solve the problem is for us to get some land."

You have got have some feelings for them . Each and everyone to their own.
Remember ,some of us off-roaders have the same problem with where to do our hobby.

[jjsaul]

Does that mean we should go offroading when they build rock features on roundabouts and in sainsburys car parks...

[tomm]

Does it not sound familiar that it is the actions of the few that is going to prevent the others from following an interest that they love .. ?

When they put the barriers up on the green lanes how will you respond to the youth in his corsa or rambler that says good job too.

My other .. (and first) love is bikes. I have been to Chelsea and Devils bridge, endless count of bike meets and for the most all i see are people like you and me meeting with like minded folk with a common interest.

Then we are told by people that have never been on a bike, never been to a meet, no idea bar the sensationalist press view that they have read that bikes are dangerous, speed kills !?!!

Speed cannot kill .. only bad driving .. but then that takes effort to deal with doesn't it.

I can see the 4x4 community going the same way .. we will hear how we scar the landscape and pollute the environment and make noise and flount the law with excessive modifications.

Don't lose sight of who your 'enemy' really is .. not the boy racer in his souped up corsa, or the rider of that 180mph superbike that just flew past you .. probably not even the family in their walking boots that you just passed in the lane .. it's actually all of us every time we pick out a minority of people doing something we don't understand and condemn them and attempt to legislate and control them.

We are all guilty of that and ultimately we will become a nanny state and leave it up to the govt to control and watch over us.


Hmm,, soz .. that kinda went on a little more than expected. :blush:

:roro:

[Lighting90]

Does that mean we should go offroading when they build rock features on roundabouts and in sainsburys car parks...
You mean we aren't suppose to??

[Luke]

Well said Tomm, couldn't agree more.

As a biker myself, I get a lot of grief as I get lumped into the same group as either Hell's Angels or power ranger numpties who wheelie up and down packed high streets.

[SVENUK]

Don't lose sight of who your 'enemy' really is .. not the boy racer in his souped up corsa, or the rider of that 180mph superbike that just flew past you .. probably not even the family in their walking boots that you just passed in the lane .. it's actually all of us every time we pick out a minority of people doing something we don't understand and condemn them and attempt to legislate and control them.

:roro:
That unfortunatly is the truth tomm.What ever we do or play/read/watch/keep there is always someone who objects.
Come the day when we will be mindless robots just doing what we are told is good for us
If i ever get rich i'm going to buy an island and do what i want and F**k everbody else
So there

[tomm]

What .. like England .. ?

Too late .. i think P.Bush has beat you to it !!!

:banghead:

[Newsreader]

a minority of people doing something we don't understand and condemn them and attempt to legislate and control them.
tomm, I agree with what you say about people picking out the irresponsible minority and tarring the whole group with the same brush. It happens to all groups, unfortunately.

But, I *do* happen to understand what those people are doing *every* time I go to my local town / supermarket / swimming pool car park - illegal and dangerous manouevres.

[tomm]

Yes .. just the same as some would say how their local lanes are being ripped up by speeding off road vehicles.

The individual should be caught and punished. You know .. proper police work.

Not a blanket ban on all regardless of their innocence.

Just my opinion ..

[SVENUK]

But we all want our little bit of land so we can play on- buy NIMBY Please

[tomm]

Hey Svenuk .. talkin about back yards i just noticed your location.
Just a year ago I moved out of Harpenden and now i'm in Flitwick !!

[Luke]

What do you ride Tomm?

[SVENUK]

Hi Tomm
yer born and bred Snorbens man.Had a look at Flitwick last year,not bad place cheaper then around here.
Is that your disco in your avater.

[tomm]

Ahh .. i come from somewhat humbler origins .. Luton lad :angel2:

Yes that is my Disco .. havin some fun at Driffield.

Lookin to buy a Defender .. think i may have found one so avatar may well change in the next couple of weeks ..

[jjsaul]

Don't lose sight of who your 'enemy' really is .. not the boy racer in his souped up corsa, or the rider of that 180mph superbike that just flew past you .. probably not even the family in their walking boots that you just passed in the lane .. it's actually all of us every time we pick out a minority of people doing something we don't understand and condemn them and attempt to legislate and control them.

We are all guilty of that and ultimately we will become a nanny state and leave it up to the govt to control and watch over us.


Well said Tomm!

[HCR]

I really don't see any simiularities between illegal activities on private land/public highways (the boy racers) and green laning or motorcycling. As I have said before I used to be the manager of a site that was used by boy racers. If anyone ever tell you that all they do is park up and admire each others' car they are LYING. High speed manoeuvers, burn outs, littering, drug taking, excessive noise all through the night - hardly comparable to LEGAL offroading or motorcycling. I am equally opposed to illegal off roading, on four wheel or two, but stick the point that what the boy racers is doing is almost always illegal. That is the difference.

H

[jsc]

Well im not going to say anything, not after last time!

[tomm]

HCR ..
Sorry not to let go of this but the way i see it, it's not the offence or the offenders that are similiar but the way in which we, as a society, handle the situation.
Rather than the authorities tackling the real job of catching and dealing with those that may be offending (?) .. it is the innocents and the majority of those trying to enjoy their life in their own way that are being persecuted.
As a biker i have been refused access to public locations, or stopped and 'harassed' while car drivers go past on their merry way.
I wasn't speeding. I was legitamate and riding (for once) sensibly .. however i was basically being informed that 'my kind ' were not welcome.
This is what will happen to you in your 4x4.
It's already started .. and every time we are intolerant to others just because we do not understand or agree with their patricular lifestyle then we are taking another step down that path.
My point here is that any individual breaking the law .. be he/she a biker, boy racer, off road driver, whatever .. that they should be punished for the offence not the rest of us.
When the police clamp down like this do you believe that the offenders stop offending .. ? Or just that the authority has been seen to be doing something ..?

Sorry to go on .. but i can just see another of my freedoms going down the pan and i'm getting sick of it.
Now 4x4's are too long/wide/dirty for London .. ?
You really don't see a pattern .. ?
Until people start setting aside their differences and we all start getting on with life it's all gonna get a lot worse before it starts getting better.

Or at least that's what i think ..

[Luke]

I really don't see any simiularities between illegal activities on private land/public highways (the boy racers) and green laning or motorcycling. As I have said before I used to be the manager of a site that was used by boy racers. If anyone ever tell you that all they do is park up and admire each others' car they are LYING. High speed manoeuvers, burn outs, littering, drug taking, excessive noise all through the night - hardly comparable to LEGAL offroading or motorcycling. I am equally opposed to illegal off roading, on four wheel or two, but stick the point that what the boy racers is doing is almost always illegal. That is the difference.

H
Sorry HCR, but just because you have encountered this with a particular group of cruisers does not mean it is the same for every other group.

I used to be into modding my car, and have on occasion attended meets, normally held in car parks. The group I went with demonstrated none of the above traits described by you as the behaviour of ALL cruisers. Perhaps the only antisocial aspect that was demonstrated was loud music - but in an out of town car park with no residental properties nearby, where is the harm in that?

I don't doubt that it goes on, but you are way off the mark tarring every car enthusiast with that brush.

I think that your post brilliantly demonstrates Tomms points with regard to how people percieve these groups, and how it is unjust to make such sweeping generalisation.