Flytoyz

I found this on The Press Enterprise-PE.com and thought it was interesting

By JESSICA LOGAN
The Press-Enterprise

“Riverside police may have put a dent in local street racing Friday when about 100 officers raided a parking lot on Valley Springs Parkway, where suspected racers are known to congregate.

Police from Riverside and other agencies shut off the exits to the lot to inspect more than 150 vehicles. Officers wrote a similar number of citations, including 48 for illegal modifications common to street racing, according to a police news release.

Twenty vehicles were towed from the scene as part of a crackdown funded by a $503,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, according to a police news release.

Police spokesman Steven Frasher said officers had been monitoring illegal activity in the lot for weeks. The large number of people who received tickets for illegal modifications common to street racing confirmed officers’ suspicions that the lot was a hotbed of street racing activity, he said.

“Almost every vehicle that was there, even if they weren’t street racing, they were … an audience,” Frasher said, adding that the lot was full of skid marks left behind by racers.

Neighboring business managers at Hooters Restaurant and John’s Incredible Pizza are glad the problem was addressed. At times, they said, cars speed through their parking lots, threatening the safety of others and scaring away customers.

“They seek a big parking lot and ours is huge,” said Jim Finigan, director of operations at John’s Incredible Pizza.

He was seconded by Chris Guillet, manager of the Riverside Hooters Restaurant, who said problem drivers speed through his lot, barely avoiding collisions. While he was grateful for the police intervention, “I think it just moves the problem to another area,” Guillet said.

Police organized a similar raid in 2006 at the Target store on Tyler Street. They believe street racing has killed at least two people in Riverside in recent years, including Reyna De Leon, 38, in 2006, and 14-year-old Carlos Cisneros in 2007.

“By its nature, (the street racing problem) can get up and go someplace else,” Frasher said. He added, however, the problem may at least be solved at the Valley Springs Parkway location. “We were able to send a strong message that … we are cracking down on this activity and we won’t tolerate it,” Frasher said.

He added that police will continue the fight against street racing, but he declined to give details.

On Friday, cars ranging from broken-down Hondas to shiny, new Ford Mustangs and BMWs lined up for the police inspection. Some car owners were ticketed for replacing a small exhaust pipe with a larger one that makes the car run louder.

John Ferrier got a “fix-it ticket,” he said, because his car’s exhaust system was too noisy. And yet the 21-year-old Moreno Valley resident said he was happy the police were cracking down on Honda drivers. He blames them for reckless maneuvers such as “burning out” and “doing doughnuts.”

“That’s what attracted the police attention,” Ferrier said. “I’m glad they’re here to stop people before they do something stupid.”

Michael Calderon, 22, of San Bernardino, stood in the parking lot as his 1995 Honda Civic hatchback, which he bought for $600, was loaded onto a tow truck.

Police impounded his car because officers believed some of its parts were stolen.

Calderon said he bought the parts from a reputable business.

“It’s devastating,” said Calderon, who spent $20,000 on car improvements. “That’s my soul right there. This is the worst night of my life.”

And it wasn’t over yet. He still needed someone to pick him up — but first he had to find a friend whose car passed inspection.”

Ok, This article…. I can understand their want to crackdown street racing, But when they are towing cars away because they “BELIEVE” parts were stolen only because he cannot produce a ticket is absolutely asinine!! I can’t product a ticket for the mods on my car, ya know why?? I Bought Them From Former Focus Owners!!! which a lot of time’s is what happens in the car world, a friend wants to sell his car but its modded, well he wont get a lot of money that way so he sells his parts, so CAPD wants them to write up a friggin receipt or something??

I can see if the group is causing trouble and doing dough-nuts and driving wreck-less in parking lots, there is no need for that at all, but to go after a bunch of people just because their cars are modified because they fit the “street racer” category is ridiculous…

I pulled this excerpt from thenewspaper.com

Nine police agencies in Riverside, California sent more than one hundred police officers to surround a gathering of automotive enthusiasts. Owners of imported sport compact cars had gathered at the Canyon Crossing shopping center on Friday night to swap stories, talk about their passion for cars and show off the latest enhancements to their rides. At around 11pm police surprised participants by blocking all exits with fifty police cruisers. Officers then began a warrantless search and interrogation operation of the 150 vehicles that were present.

“If you’re not into street racing, why would you need that?” Riverside Police Traffic Sergeant Skip Showalter asked an enthusiast during a similar crackdown last year. “Why would you want more power going to your car?”

Police issued a total of forty-eight tickets for “engine modifications” with police accusing the owners of the parked vehicles of being street racers. Another fifty tickets were issued for paperwork violations, dark window tinting and lack of a front license plate. The most revenue, however, will be generated from the fees imposed on twenty vehicles that were confiscated. Despite labeling the parking lot raid as taking place at a “street racing venue,” Riverside Police offered no evidence that any street racing actually took place.”

Ok, I went BOLD happy for a reason, all those things are reasons why today’s youth gets into a lot worse things then modding their cars, at least they have a hobby or a passion, i mean c’mon 9 Agencies?? 100 Cop Cars?!!? you would think they were going after a major drug lord or a sending in unit’s because of a riot!! Also note “parked vehicles, warrarntless search and interrogation,NO EVIDENCE” im sorry but I would be finding a damn good lawyer and I would be Riverside Police’s biggest annoyance in their wallet’s.

Oh And Also “If you’re not into street racing, why would you need that?” Riverside Police Traffic Sergeant Skip Showalter asked an enthusiast during a similar crackdown last year. “Why would you want more power going to your car?“

Maybe because its a hobby!! Here is another question I would’ve asked him after being deemed a street racer when actually not, “So being all women have vagina’s, does that make them all Prostitutes then?, because if the same rules apply to that as us, you have a lot of work to do!!” Guys and Gals, you know I bring you the mod shop weekly and Im big on modding your car to how you want it, but I guess if you live in Cali and you modify, you better be ready to lose your ride. This is apparently to help stop street racing, no wonder kids in Cali street race, their going to lose their cars anyway, so why not say screw it and enjoy the adrenaline while its there. I myself do not condone street racing at all, I too am against it, I say take it to a track, but for the officials in this state to act like this on modded cars? Is beyond ridiculous.

What do you all think about this? Please hit us up with your opinion’s on this! For I Am honestly quite mad about this.