BoyRacers and The Christchurch Community

"I was a Boyracer Once, Silverstone, Donington, Monaco"

"Where were you trying to get to?"

"Peckham"

That was a small part of a comic routine by English Comedians Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones.

I never used to have a opinion of Boy Racers, I never use to care, what they did, what their cars look like, or what music they listen to, until their behavior directly effected me.

In fact I thought a Boy Racer was a Michael Schumacher or Geff Murphy or a Lewis Hamilton, not some dickhead driving down Bealey Ave.

You see I live in a nice long street, which for the past eight months has been a Favorite of some Boy Racers, its in the Suburbs, a nice family street with many elderly residents and of course during the weekend, these Idiots feel they have the right to use it as their own motor racing course.

That is of course on a good night, on a bad night, well they think throwing Glass Bottles at people's houses is fun. Now don't get me wrong, I shouldn't put all Boy racers in the same group, there are two types of Boy racers IMHO.

The first are just Criminals, throwing bottles, doing burnouts on people's lawns, threating to Kill people, blasting out their gosh awful music at 330am and exposing themselves to anyone who walks by, and of course worse of all driving drunk, they add nothing nothing to Society except putting down property Values.

Then there is the second group of Boy Racers, the Ones who think just because they don't throw a bottle at your head that society owes them a racetrack, and the council should fund their activities and they should be allowed to speed down the street, disturbing traffic. They actually cannot comprehend that society shouldn't have to pay for their hobby and they should have to obey the Traffic Rules.

One group that has a Bebo page called "BOYRACERS UNITED B.R.U" is defending their right to race down Bealey Avenue on a Friday Night and are against the Police action of manipulating Lights so they cant drag, on this webpage they ask for open and honest discussion, but any post that is Pro Police eg:"I support the Police Action" gets deleted and the user gets banned for life.

Which is a ridiculous way to have a discussion, but I guess these guys aren't mature enough to handle a debate.

So whos to Blame for this, The Media has to take some responsibility, the very LIBERAL Press in Christchurch who always seem to support these guys ,and even gave a Blog to one of them. The former Do Nothing Mayor of Christchurch, Garry Moore, who actually welcomed these guys to our city, saying they bring colour. They cannot wash their hands of this Problem.

Of course Government MP's who try to play down the Issue are also to Blame, you just have to look at whats happens to Christchurch at Night, to know treating the problem with Kid Gloves doesn't help.

IMHO, there should be a Zero Tolerance policy, you don't break the speed limit down any street, you don't block Traffic on a Friday or Saturday Night, you certainly don't throw your trash out the window, or break Noise Control Laws, all you have to do is Obey the Laws of society.

We as members of the Public, couldn't give a rats ass about your Hobby, we couldn't care what you do, just as long as your behavior doesn't effect us, which it has been.

Personally if I was a young person, I would much rather spend my money on touring through the States or Europe, going nice places to eat, seeing Movies, going places, but thats just me.

So, I say, good on the Police for manipulating the Traffic Lights, if it slows down the hoons, and gets people to obey the Law, then its a Great day for Christchurch and its what the Public wants.

So well done to the Police!!!

Posted in: Social Issues