An article from Wheels and deals.
At many locations around the state, young car enthusiasts meet to talk about their cars and show their many modifications with pride. these cars can be nissan skylines, pulsars, hondas, mitsubishi FTOs, subarus, toyota supras, soarers and dozens of others which appeal to our younger generation for both their looks and performance.
Two of the locations, well known to me, are the broadwater car park on the gold coast and the reserve at wellington point on brisbane's bayside. Many of the enthusiasts also occasionally gather at various Mcdonalds carparks to buy a burger and indulge in car adoration and discussion. The majority of these drivers are in the 17-29 year old age group and love their cars. There are of course a few "idiots" who crank up their stereos too loud and like to perform doughnuts in the area. These few give the majority a bad name but are in the minority.
As parents of teenagers, we support their right to gather in a public place and to discuss and enjoy their hobby: ie. their car. While our younger generation are meeting as motoring enthusiasts, they are not drinking, they are not putting graffiti on buildings, they are not brawling or taking drugs or breaking into homes and businesses. So, it has our support as "oldies".
There are some elements who view the activities scornfully and complain to law enforcement authorities about the gathering of "young hoons". This has resulted in some bizarre behaviour from local police, who demonstrate their complete ineptness in dealing with a few disruptive young drivers. Rather than resolve problems with some intuitive and intelligent thinking, they choose to react in their normal seemly heavy-handed fashion: "let's barricade the area and defect every vehicle leaving - even for the most minor infringement!"
Things like, no water in windshield washer bottle, exaust pipe too low, fluorescent lights decorating the car, chipped windscreens and other similar offences. Now the police are not just warning these guys, they are issuing tickets for $75 an offence! The police are singling out this group as trouble-makers and seem intent on targeting them with bullying and stand-over tactics.
Now in defence of our law enforcement officers, who often have an uneviable job to do, they will be quick to tell me that if every kid's car was 100% compliant they couldn't be fined for anything. TRUE! well, why don't they target other groups, like senior citizens, mothers dropping children at schools or their own private cars and see if they are 100% compliant! Some of these young people spend a fortune on their tyres, wheels, exausts and suspention and represent no threat to anyone's safety.
So, while highly trained, loyal and brave law enforcement officers are fining these kids (some earn their money part-time at Mcdonalds and Dominos Pizza on low hourly rates), they are incurring public penalty rates and overtime fulfilling this wonderfull service; meanwhile, shopkeepers complain that they cannot get any police response to thieves when they report crimes because police are too overworked. This was just the scenario at wellington point two thursday nights ago when numerous police barracaded the entrance to the point public carpark and subjected every car to police scrutiny. Many cars were defected and many fines were issued.
Now i do not support "hoons" who risk their lives and the lives of others with unsafe driving and unsafe cars. I am appalled by the over-representation of young people in death and injury accident statistics, but i strongly defend the right of our younger generation to meet, interact and love their cars. It is every free person's right to meet in a public place, provided they are not harming other people or themselves. If a few younger drivers are obviously flouting the law and risking lives, then every supports punitive action against them.
How much harm to police public relations is being done by these needless act of bullying by police? Are not these kids the police officers of the future and do we want our kids to think our law enforcement officers are scum bags? Maybe a little bit of inteligent thought could develop solutions which allows kids to meet and enjoy their cars without harassment and police officers regain their place, in their eyes, as respected people in the community.
~Ron McCann
