Oh, I do hope so. I have posted before about the hoons blighting our society.
Whilst there are noise camera trials taking place at various sites in the UK, and the police can issue on the spot fines, the misery caused by these auto “enthusiasts” continues.
So, this first strike against a business blatantly breaking the law is very welcome.
I sincerely hope that 2024 is the year that the hoons get their comeuppance.
BBC News – Free speed cameras offered to curb dangerous drivers in east Hampshire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-66934570
Twenty speed cameras are being offered to community groups in a bid to put the brakes on dangerous drivers. The discreet, solar-powered devices can track vehicle movement, speed and number plates, and are up for grabs for locations across east Hampshire.
This is good news and positive action from the authorities. but I have two points to make
To be quite honest, I couldn’t care less about drivers breaking the speed limits. And yes I can hear the protests now. Speed kills, what about the emergency services that have to deal with the aftermath ? What about the families of victims ?
But they don’t encroach on my home life. Whereas the noise nuisance impinges on my life, right inside my living space.
Police seized one Sciron bike from a rider who had no licence and no insurance. Another bike was confiscated after the rider was found to have been disqualified from driving.
They were summoned to court for a later date. Officers also chased a rider who was travelling on a moped which was believed to have been stolen.
The vehicle was recovered and the investigation is ongoing. Police were also involved responded to other offences including people driving through red lights.
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/09/24/police-seize-bikes-in-leigh-park-and-havant-thicket-area-in-anti-social-behaviour-patrols/content.html
Great news. Although these may not be the hoons disturbing my neighbourhood, I congratulate the police for curtailing their activities.
Keep up the good work. Now go get the morons disturbing my life.
I hope this study will look at general parking and not just focus on EV.
The strategy will include a review of parking in the city centre and district centres and encourage sustainable and alternative travel for some journeys where possible. It’s reco gnised that this will mean some people will leave their cars at home more often and will need access to parking spaces nearby.
Working for a housing association, my daughter needs her car for her job. As part of her job she has to visit various housing association properties both in the city centre but also in the suburbs.
She already experiences parking issues and quite often cannot park near her home. Finding a space near home is something of a lottery. If the council intends to implement strategies to persuade people to use alternative means of transport, leaving their cars at home, won’t this exacerbate the problem.
Lets assume you change cars and get an EV but you cannot park outside your own home, where are you supposed to charge your new EV.
Only 100 charging points in a city with a population in excess of 200,000. The council needs to be looking hard at the overall strategy for all forms of transport. The infrastructure isn’t there for folks to switch over to EV. It’s no wonder Rishi and the UK government are back pedalling on the banning of internal combustion engine powered vehicles.
Just yesterday afternoon, I was sitting with my wife, watching the TV, enjoying the Italian F1 Grand Prix.
Unfortunately, that enjoyment was somewhat marred by “eejits” tear-arsing along the roads at the back of our house.
The volume of their engine/exhaust systems sufficient to drown out the race commentary.
Sure, I could close my doors and windows, but why should I? These hoons are impinging their antisocial activities on my home from several hundred feet away. I should be able to enjoy a warm summer Sunday afternoon in the comfort of my own home without these eejits spoiling it.
So, I was somewhat surprised to read this in today’s “The News”. The focus of the article is aimed at the posh prats in their Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maclaren supercars who terrorise Nightsbridge in London.
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-14-1834/content.html
“The News” is our local paper, and I would expect the articles to prioritise local issues. However, anything that highlights this current blight on society as a whole has to be viewed as a positive thing.
Pat does however point out that the police do have the power to to take action against the hoons.
I understand that the police are desperately understaffed. But perhaps they could alternate from setting up speed traps to setting up sound traps. As I stated in a previous post, the police know where the hoons gather, where they run. As to funding, just how much does a sound gone cost as opposed to a radar gun ?
https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-12-1863/content.html
Jon Cole, I empathise with you and your experience. I, too, live in an area plagued by these motoring miscreants.
And also, wish the police and local authorities would focus more time on these “law breakers.” For law breakers, they are, with their modified engines and exhaust systems which are exceeding the noise limits of the original manufacturers specifications.
As to their manner of driving, be it excess acceleration or drifting local roundabouts and motorway slip roads to the point their tyres are screeching, they must be breaking numerous laws. Just by ear, I can tell that they are probably speeding and driving in an unsafe manner.
The police know the popular routes and would only need to make their presence known regularly to make an impression.
So come on, let’s see some action.
Sunday was the last Breakfast Club for 2023. As usual, there was a great turnout of both classic cars and spectators.
As usual, I’m posting a few photos from my visit.
First up then is this Gordon-Keeble. A British car marque with a local base, The original concept was conceived in Slough, and construction was in Eastleigh, near Southampton. Build took place between 1964 and 1967.
Oddly, the cars badge features a tortoise. The story goes that a pet tortoise walked into frame at a photo shoot and was chosen as the emblem.
And now for something completely different. Here, we have a Daimler Scout Car, known in service as the Daimler Dingo. It is a British light (3 tonnes), fast four-wheel drive reconnaissance vehicle.
Powered by a 2.5 litre 6 cylinder engine with 5 forward and 5 reverse gears, it was capable of speeds up to 55 mph. Although, speaking to the owner, this would be a noisy experience for the driver and scary, too, as stopping could be an issue. This vehicle only has drum brakes !!
No, this next one isn’t an aircraft carrier. Although it seems big enough. All I know is that it is a Ford
Oh, and 302 CI (cubic inches) equates to around 5 litres.
Next up is a rare beast. It’s a Rover P6 3500 Estoura. It was never a production car with only around 160 conversions having been completed.
Bought new in 1973 for around £2000 the conversion cost was just under £700.
I don’t really know much about this next car. I had to Google it, and this is what I believe it to be.
An Austin Seven Mulliners Style Boat tail c1938. Providing a truly minimalist driving experience.
The Citroën 2CV, in French deux chevaux i.e. “two horses.” It was designed with the french farmer in mind to replace the ubiquitous horse and cart. It was literally designed to cross a freshly ploughed field with a basket full of eggs on the passenger’s seat without breaking them. Due, at that time, to a lack of paved roads in France. The 2CV was produced from 1948 to 1990.
A bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The Triumph Vitesse looked just like it’s cousin, the Triumph Herald. But under the bonnet, the Vitesse had a straight 6 with twin carburettors.
Available in either a 1600cc or 2000cc version. I was lucky enough to own a 1600 version for a couple of years until the differential failed. Sadly, at the time, I couldn’t afford to pay for it to be repaired, and with no willing buyers, I had to scrap the car.
One of the prettiest sports cars ever produced was the mid-engined Lotus Europa. Produced from the mid 60’s until the mid 70’s, nearly 10,000 cars were produced.
Just look at the beautiful flowing lines of this next example, a classic Jaguar XK120, presented here in racing trim.
Potentially worth in excess of £300,000
Back across the channel to France for another beautiful car. The Citroen Traction Avant.
The Avant was one of the first production cars to incorporate front-wheel drive, a monocoque body construction, and all-round independent suspension.
Here, putting in a rare appearance is Russian GAZ M21 Volga saloon. Produced between 1956 thru 1970
And that is it from the Goodwood Breakfast Clubs for this year. Of course, there were many more vehicles on show. I have barely scratched the surface.
The Breakfast Club events are always good value for money as they are free. Even the car parks are worth strolling around as many more classics are there to be seen
Since 2020 / 2021 we, my wife and I, have become increasingly aware of the thoughtless, brain-dead, morons tear-arsing on our roads.
We live near a motorway interchange, with nice new tarmac on the feed roads. This is a magnet for these low-lives who see the feeder roads as their own personal race track.
Since the tarmac was laid, the wannabe racing drivers can be heard screeching their way around the curves. Sitting in our home, we find ourselves tensing up, waiting for the inevitable crash. Not only that, but I personally find, much to my shame, I am willing it to happen. Not that I want any harm to come to the drivers. But I want it to reach them a lesson. And, I want it to deprive them of their wheels.
Then, mixed in with the drifters are the worst of them all. The ones with the modified fuel and exhaust systems.
These jerks are just out to make noise, deliberately changing down through the gears to hit the higher revs. We have to put up with everything from a rapid crackle, rather like machine gun fire, thru staccato pops and bangs, to angry hornets. On some occasions, it has sounded like the vehicle is actually in the room with me.
I guess I should point out that this problem is not just applicable to cars, but motorcycles too.
I would guess that every day, we have at least a dozen instances of this antisocial behaviour. At all times of day or night. One particular arsehole regularly delights in driving past at around 02:00 in the morning. His exhaust echoing through the quiet of the night can be heard for quite some time as he disappears into the distance.
I’m pretty sure these folks have a “circuit” they have for some kind of speed trial. We will hear a single bike come past and then return to head up the motorway. A minute or two later, there will be another bike, following the same pattern. When they hit the motorway, they are obviously going flat out, and they can be heard for miles. We just need the police to catch them in the act.
This afternoon, there seem to be fewer hoons in our area. It may have something to do with the police helicopter, which has made several passes in the last hour or so. I hope the police are actively chasing down these idiots.
But, I am a realist. The police can only devote so much time and resources to this problem.
The vehicles are clearly not legal and the style of driving by some individuals is patently outright dangerous.
On social media, supporters of these idiots say, “Leave them alone, they are only enjoying themselves”, “Weren’t you young once ?”, “Why doesn’t the government provide places for them to do what they do ?
When I have suggested that they try the track days at various racing circuits in this country, they cite the costs. But I believe its also that the circuits are regulated, have stringent safety standards and also have to limit noise levels.
I wouldn’t want anyone to think I am an old fuddy daddy killjoy. I am a motorsport fan. A regular visitor to Goodwood for the FoS, Revival, Members Meetings, and the Sunday Breakfast Clubs. I’ve also driven Formula Ford cars around Brands Hatch and been to F1 at Silverstone. I also, regularly, attend classic and custom car shows.
So I understand and appreciate the time and effort that goes into creating and maintaining these machines.
However, as much as I love the sights, smells, and sounds of a perfectly tuned race car, I don’t want it in my home.
If I choose to crank up my HiFi or my TV to listen to some classic rock or watch F1 on a Sunday ….. That’s my choice.
These antisocial cretins are not giving me a choice
1st May was Supercar Sunday at the Goodwood Racing Circuit. The first Breakfast Club of 2022.
Here are a few snaps that I took on my phone.
I have lifted the following from a post on Facebook. It reflects everything I have been saying for a few days now, but with a bit more substance.
My belief is that the media, both TV and Press, are largely to blame for the chaos we are experiencing on our forecourts.
Petrol tanker drivers have an ADR qualification as well as a HGV licence. They need this for them to drive fuel tanker lorries.
There is a shortage of HGV drivers. That’s a true fact. However, HGV drivers can’t drive a petrol tanker lorry without having an ADR qualification.
The UK had ADR drivers last week. Nothing changed much in a week. Maybe some holiday or some sickness but not, I doubt a dramatic change.
The ADR drivers that were driving last week are probably driving this week delivering fuel so nothing changed much.
The petrol panic we are now experiencing is all down to media hype.
It’s not because of Brexit, because all the EU drivers went back to Europe which is some of the reasons being banded about. These EU HGV drivers left months ago, and yet the country was still getting fuel without problems up until today.
So what’s changed? NOTHING !!
Apart from the disgraceful media hype and scaremongering to make news to sensationalise the fact that a couple of petrol stations were getting a late delivery so they closed temporarily.
The result of the media scaremongering!!
Massive panic and chaos by everyone which is now causing a shortage of fuel until the ADR drivers, that we already had delivering fuel a few days ago, can deliver again.
The media should be fined and penalised, severely for publicising false news and creating the crazy situation that has been going on all today. Disgusting.
They should hold their heads in shame.
(Copied and re-posted for general info.)
WrAnTz 