The Fast and the Dangerous (What a Drag!)
James Falcon
January 18, 2008
The Fast and The Dangerous(What a Drag!)
James Falcon
Speed Racer, they’re not.
It seems like every once and a while, you hear or read about someone that died as a result from illegal street racing. Some young, twenty-something youth died as a result of stupidity. As harsh as that may sound, it is the truth. Illegal street racing is just a cheap thrill that could end in the death of the participant(s), innocent bystanders, or sometimes both.
It gives one food for thought. Illegal street racing: glorified sport or guaranteed death on wheels?
Movies like “The Fast and the Furious” validate the curiosity about the dangerously glamorous world of illegal street racing circuits and make it look like it’s okay. People see these movies with fancy special effects and they get the know-how. What should be explained is that special effects mostly play the part in succession. Real drag races aren’t as colorful as shown in the movies.
People, especially teenage males, see these movies and feel a need to copy it. As the old saying quoth: “Monkey see, monkey do.” It creates the stereotype that all twenty-something males behind the wheel are hot-headed racing fanatics whose only mission in life is to race anything that moves. I know that I do not fit that stereotype, nor would I tolerate it.
There is nothing fancy about drag racing. So your car can beat another one; so what? Does that make you a better person? Absolutely not! Driving is a privilege. It just takes one idiotic copy-cat to ruin life for other drivers.
The results can be devastating, both for the victims and the assailants:
Julio Nieves, 17, lost control of his Trans-Am in San Diego, California in November of 2001. His vehicle slammed into a tree, killing him. He was drag racing.
Linda Rudnicki, 39, was killed on 7 June 2005 when her car was hit by drag racers on Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I can remember “back when” in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the stretch of Seventh Street and MacArthur Road was known by many as good for drag racing because of it’s straight, un-windy roads. I remember sitting down for supper at the City View Diner at around 10pm on a Friday night, and hearing the sounds of acceleration pierce the night sky as these cars would race down MacArthur Road into the city. However, the police had more to worry about then drag racing, but that is still no excuse.
As far as I can remember, there haven’t been any “deaths by drag racing” in Allentown, but that just goes to show that some are lucky, I guess.
Illegal street racing, though, isn’t just a city phenomenon:
In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Eric Turner, 27, was killed after his motorcycle was struck by Maurice Kemp in January of 2005. Kemp was participating in a drag race with one Quentin York.
In August of 2005, John Minder, 22, was killed after being hit by a car on Route 185 in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Acting as a flagman, he had stepped off the double-yellow line in the middle of the street, and was hit by an on-coming car. The drag racers, Kyle Reber, 21, and Timothy Stine, 18, were cited for drag racing and other traffic violations.
Strict rules regarding drag racing should be enforced. If a police officer sees just one drag race occurring, they should react immediately.
The only thing they are racing for is an early grave. [reinforce with facts that most drag racers are young, 18-35ish]
James Falcon
Speed Racer, they’re not.
It seems like every once and a while, you hear or read about someone that died as a result from illegal street racing. Some young, twenty-something youth died as a result of stupidity. As harsh as that may sound, it is the truth. Illegal street racing is just a cheap thrill that could end in the death of the participant(s), innocent bystanders, or sometimes both.
It gives one food for thought. Illegal street racing: glorified sport or guaranteed death on wheels?
Movies like “The Fast and the Furious” validate the curiosity about the dangerously glamorous world of illegal street racing circuits and make it look like it’s okay. People see these movies with fancy special effects and they get the know-how. What should be explained is that special effects mostly play the part in succession. Real drag races aren’t as colorful as shown in the movies.
People, especially teenage males, see these movies and feel a need to copy it. As the old saying quoth: “Monkey see, monkey do.” It creates the stereotype that all twenty-something males behind the wheel are hot-headed racing fanatics whose only mission in life is to race anything that moves. I know that I do not fit that stereotype, nor would I tolerate it.
There is nothing fancy about drag racing. So your car can beat another one; so what? Does that make you a better person? Absolutely not! Driving is a privilege. It just takes one idiotic copy-cat to ruin life for other drivers.
The results can be devastating, both for the victims and the assailants:
Julio Nieves, 17, lost control of his Trans-Am in San Diego, California in November of 2001. His vehicle slammed into a tree, killing him. He was drag racing.
Linda Rudnicki, 39, was killed on 7 June 2005 when her car was hit by drag racers on Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
I can remember “back when” in Allentown, Pennsylvania, the stretch of Seventh Street and MacArthur Road was known by many as good for drag racing because of it’s straight, un-windy roads. I remember sitting down for supper at the City View Diner at around 10pm on a Friday night, and hearing the sounds of acceleration pierce the night sky as these cars would race down MacArthur Road into the city. However, the police had more to worry about then drag racing, but that is still no excuse.
As far as I can remember, there haven’t been any “deaths by drag racing” in Allentown, but that just goes to show that some are lucky, I guess.
Illegal street racing, though, isn’t just a city phenomenon:
In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Eric Turner, 27, was killed after his motorcycle was struck by Maurice Kemp in January of 2005. Kemp was participating in a drag race with one Quentin York.
In August of 2005, John Minder, 22, was killed after being hit by a car on Route 185 in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Acting as a flagman, he had stepped off the double-yellow line in the middle of the street, and was hit by an on-coming car. The drag racers, Kyle Reber, 21, and Timothy Stine, 18, were cited for drag racing and other traffic violations.
Strict rules regarding drag racing should be enforced. If a police officer sees just one drag race occurring, they should react immediately.
The only thing they are racing for is an early grave. [reinforce with facts that most drag racers are young, 18-35ish]
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