Car rallies and runs to be called off

[GT500]

Hello guys,
I have just been told that all future car rallies involving speed and long distance driving will be called off.
Below is the link to the article:
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1816561.ece

I personally think it's one step too far...considering it was only one car accident that involved some gumballers.

Charlie

[GreenV8S]

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

[andyuk911]

I think the police will go after any group which has stickers on a car. I think it will all be driven underground AND then it will become cat and mouse game, which will appeal to some people.

One comment I would like to make, the Kent SCP and Kent Police setup traps down the A20 to catch anybody above 61mph in a 50mph..needless to say they also caught aload of Joe Public that day as well.

I have just watched an old Top Gear JC saying 60mph road; he was in a SLR ... also no hands on the wheel on camera ...

Edited by andyuk911 on Monday 21st May 20:33

[rich 36]

Even the tamer 'rides' we are fammiliar with have,
attracted a teency bit of competition.

I'm not talking about noisy cars and tetchy villagersespecially,
but a basic desire to clog it on a clear road,
but with the added attraction of one-upmanship.


difficult balance to strike really for run organizers I imagine
hoping the red mist stays away from the lead boys

[lordbenny]

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

[dougc]

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

Easy mate, thats a bit harsh. I think Green has a point. No-one wants to be associated with the sort of driving so often seen and publicised on TV shows about the Gumball and its ilk. I'm not talking about speed, just recklessness. However I share your concern that this could be used as an excuse to have a go at the law abiding drive out or convoy. The Mid-Essex run to the Forresters for example.

Edited by dougc on Monday 21st May 21:16

[lordbenny]

dougc said:

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

Easy mate, thats a bit harsh. I think Green has a point. No-one wants to be associated with the sort of driving so often seen and publicised on TV shows about the Gamball and its ilk. I'm not talking about speed, just recklessness. However I share your concern tha this could be used as an excuse to have a go at the law abiding drive out or convoy. The Mid-Essex run to the Forresters for example.

I'm sorry but I feel strongly about this. Gumball has no 'ilk'. The Gumball has fked it up for EVERYONE else. Be it Furball, Megahoon, Chateau Run, Cannonballruneurope, cannonball8000 etc etc. I can assure you that all the runs I have just mentioned ARE organised by car enthusiasts who want to organise a safe, fun event. The Gumball has really thrown a spanner in the works & it will affect all off us whether we're on the Cannonball or just driving down to LeMans for the weekend.

[dougc]

lordbenny said:

dougc said:

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

Easy mate, thats a bit harsh. I think Green has a point. No-one wants to be associated with the sort of driving so often seen and publicised on TV shows about the Gamball and its ilk. I'm not talking about speed, just recklessness. However I share your concern tha this could be used as an excuse to have a go at the law abiding drive out or convoy. The Mid-Essex run to the Forresters for example.

I'm sorry but I feel strongly about this. Gumball has no 'ilk'. The Gumball has fked it up for EVERYONE else. Be it Furball, Megahoon, Chateau Run, Cannonballruneurope, cannonball8000 etc etc. I can assure you that all the runs I have just mentioned ARE organised by car enthusiasts who want to organise a safe, fun event. The Gumball has really thrown a spanner in the works & it will affect all off us whether we're on the Cannonball or just driving down to LeMans for the weekend.

I agree completely. By ilk I meant the US version aswell (Is it called the same thing?) - mainly due to the fact that it (they) get so much media coverage and spread the image of people with sportscars as a bit ttty and irresponsible, especially when they get together for a drive out. Absolutely no problem at all with hooning about generally.

Now where's me keys, I fancy running some tunnels

[lordbenny]

Read this:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=392733

and listen to Nicky Campbell on five live around 7:30 tomorrow morning! Could be interesting!

[rich 36]

Many the time you see them hanging from windows or pissing about
shouting and throwing things between cars, I think it prattish
I'm confident someone will be along to call me the same shortly and I don't care,
They have indeed pissed on everybodys fireworks

what next, huge police mobilization at Brighton
for frolics after the run this year?

[GreenV8S]

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

These moves are to prevent unofficial long distance road races. Who in their right mind condones that sort of idiocy? Nothing that is being proposed will prevent people from going on touring holidays or driving sensibly alone or in groups. I don't feel that these measures will impinge on me in the slightest, it will hopefully remove a dangerous bunch of nutters from the public roads and hopefully prevent the rest of us from being tarred with the same brush. I'm all for it.

[rich 36]

Didn't Blair outlaw public gatherings anyway!

[Cooky]

GreenV8S said:

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

These moves are to prevent unofficial long distance road races. Who in their right mind condones that sort of idiocy? Nothing that is being proposed will prevent people from going on touring holidays or driving sensibly alone or in groups. I don't feel that these measures will impinge on me in the slightest, it will hopefully remove a dangerous bunch of nutters from the public roads and hopefully prevent the rest of us from being tarred with the same brush. I'm all for it.

Spot on

nowhere does It even imply local or national run-outs or road rallies will be prohibited, only those gumball tosspots and their ilk.

[lordbenny]

Cooky said:

GreenV8S said:

lordbenny said:

GreenV8S said:

This can only be a good thing for the vast majority of us who aren't irresponsible pillocks.

head!

These moves are to prevent unofficial long distance road races. Who in their right mind condones that sort of idiocy? Nothing that is being proposed will prevent people from going on touring holidays or driving sensibly alone or in groups. I don't feel that these measures will impinge on me in the slightest, it will hopefully remove a dangerous bunch of nutters from the public roads and hopefully prevent the rest of us from being tarred with the same brush. I'm all for it.

Spot on

nowhere does It even imply local or national run-outs or road rallies will be prohibited, only those gumball tosspots and their ilk.

I agree totally! But as I said earlier The Gumball really has no "Ilk"!

I am a Westfield owner & owners club member I love local blats & 'hoons' but I also love the thrill of being on a european run. The Gumball is the only run that deserves to be shut down, the people on it are foul. They have no regard for anything us true petrol/pistonheads care about.

You may not like the other bigger & more established runs but I assure you they really do contain really nice, law abiding people who, arnt ts they just like to have a different kind of fun from you & that should not be a case for banning these runs.

[e36guy]

Here here.

Have always hated everything about the Gumball. Driving all day and pissing it up all night (and christ knows what up the nose!) doth not make for a safe drive. Can't believe it's taken this long for someone to be killed and I hope that Nicholas Morley gets the book thrown at him.

But banning road rallies altogether would be waaaay too over the top.
One death out of thousands of individual journeys......

[geofflowe]

Maybe the Pistonheads 'Hoons' will have to be careful too?

[Plotloss]

Only in Europe, theres still the rest of the world.

Its not all bad...

[Flat in Fifth]

Can somebody in the know answer this question.

The Gumball keeps being described as a rally.

Was it? ie within the rules eg Motor Vehicles Competitions and Trials regs? Approved route, time schedule etc?

Or was it what I think it was, a loosely organised run between points with hardly any attempt at regulation?

If the latter then FFS stop calling it a rally, because continuing that theme will sound the death knell for any road rallies, and possibly special stage rallies using public roads as non-competitive link sections.

I have once encountered this sort of event in USA, and there were some people who were just along for the jolly, and appeared to be sensible and legal.

The majority, however were utter TFAs, who I would have not had a second thought about locking up for the duration.

So was the Gumball a rally or a gathering of twunts. If the latter, not in my name, ever.

[TheMarko]

e36guy said:

But banning road rallies altogether would be waaaay too over the top.

And in a safety obsessed world, how accurately do you think such a distinction will be made? I wouldn't put money on there not being a knee-jerk reaction for a blanket ban on all road rallies which have some sort of monitored timing involved, which would cover a significant proportion of them.

Things like the CBRE, which I've done, have an aim to attain an average speed which is below the speed limit for the country you're in. Break it, and you're on your own if you get nicked(and you're unlikely to win, either).

I wouldn't hold out hope that there will be any reasoned view on this.

[blot]

Worry would be how this would be enforced/interpreted in each country?



For instance went to Le Mans a few years back and ended up in a long convoy of cars on the way there. Now it may have been an organised run to Le mans that I joined up with, I don't know, but I can imagine some countries or even counties!!!enforcing this in a very heavy handed manner and using this proposed power to split up something that was in no way dangerous or harmful.



Agree there needed to be some move to ensure responsible organising, just need to be careful that any law proposed is workable and fair