World Famous in Germany

Christchurch's much noted "boy-racer" problem is in the spotlight again, but this time in Germany of all places. German state-owned television channel ZDF released a report depicting the city as beset by hordes of boy racers. My german is quite sketchy as best, but apparently the narrator introduces Christchurch as a place where "motorised youth" are "out of control". Anyone near the 4 avenues on a Friday or Saturday night would almost certainly agree with this notion.

It has been quite apparent over the past few years that the police have very few powers to deter drop-kicks from making a nuisance of themselves in their cars. Fines are irrelevant, and often a source of pride for the hard-core once their total bill passes 5-figures. The recent heavier restrictions on noise levels have apparently done nothing, as most WOF stations do not perform any testing (apparently they see it as a police issue), and roadside testing is problematic and time-consuming.

There are three things which effectively define a "boy-racer" vehicle:
# Loud exhausts - Apparently not much is going to be done about this, noise levels are hard to regulate, and fines do nothing anyway.
# Big wheels - Short of putting a tax on wheel size, not much can be done.
# Lowered suspension - Any boy-racer vehicle worth driving has been lowered to at most 100mm off the ground....

Perhaps we can take advantage of this.

The amount of weaving many boy-racers do is often noticeable, and it's not because of bad driving or intoxication. It is because they are studiously avoiding potholes and other road hazards which can cause major discomfort or even damage when your buttocks are just a few inches from the ground. The owners of many private parking spaces know this and install harshly angled judder bars wherever possible. Obviously these are impractical on the streets, but perhaps a more subtle measure, like raised grids, something the like the cattle-stops found in our more rural areas, could suffice. These would have minimal effect on most road-users vehicles, but cause some major unpleasantness for our low-riding friends. Placing the grids near the corners of our four avenues would deter them from going there at all and definitely put them off any "drifting" antics.

Let's give it a try.

Of course, this would only move the problem elsewhere, but at the end of the day, that's all we can do. After all, the boys (and some girls), do this because it is fun, and it will still be fun. Boys can can show off and meet girls, and girls can talk. About the boys. This isn't going away any time soon.