Police to target Taunton's boy racers (From This is The West Country)

Its is bad if you live within taunton since we have moved to the outskirts we have virtually no issue.

When we lived in comeytrowe the noise was pretty bad very noisey cars. I love my cars but most that make the noise have non standard exhuasts and in most cases they are not setup with other tuning products they are just bolted on for the noise and look and to boost the drivers ego. I have yet to meet any nice women who are impressed by loud cars.

Its is bad if you live within taunton since we have moved to the outskirts we have virtually no issue.

When we lived in comeytrowe the noise was pretty bad very noisey cars. I love my cars but most that make the noise have non standard exhuasts and in most cases they are not setup with other tuning products they are just bolted on for the noise and look and to boost the drivers ego. I have yet to meet any nice women who are impressed by loud cars.

The police need to check with their insurance company that they have listed all their modifications i.e.. lights, exhausts, wheels & engines as failure to do so makes your insurance null & void, I say this as I have never heard of this procedure being carried out.

It's about time, all the little Citroen Saxos bombing around Hankridge on a Saturday night, and the mess that they leave behind in the car parks is just disgusting ....

I stopped for a quite coffee outside mcdonalds at just gone midnight before i drove the rest of the way home and didnt expect to see an almost full car park with cars constantly revving up and driving around and around.... so i moved else where to drink my coffee in peace

FreeSpeech? wrote:
The police need to check with their insurance company that they have listed all their modifications i.e.. lights, exhausts, wheels & engines as failure to do so makes your insurance null & void, I say this as I have never heard of this procedure being carried out.

It used to happy when I was 17/18 I did not have a modified car but I did use to drive down there sometimes and I did drive like a muppet until i got to 19 when I grew up. If you look many are in there late 20's now and still at it sados.

I got stopped a couple of times and traffic officers who ministry of transport approved would crawl over my car checking it and they have the power to take you car off the road if its not right. I once got a VDRS for a tyre that was near the limit. It doesnt happen now! There are lots of modifed sheds on the road one of my pet hates is HID kits fitted badly. Friend on of mine once got a fine for no washer fuild !?!! yes its an offence.

Then the government said that traffic officers had to be available for non roads policing issues and so now they rely on speed cameras while traffic police go to domestics and scoop drunks off the streets.

just to let you know, we do get stopped, they do sheck us out, we dont go cruising to "pick up girls" we just socialise in car parks because we like cars and socialising. we arent a scary bunch, we dont rape and murder people lol stop whining.

i will admit we do occasionally make too much noise but thats ok for you mi_coc (my ****) you dont live in town anymore lol

I used to hang about with the boy racers at Hankridge when I was younger. What secondgear says is absolutly true. No one is there to cause trouble, its just somewhere to meet because there is nowhere else to go. Its the same as younger kids, they hang about on the streets because there are no youth clubs or anything to do.

secondgear wrote:
just to let you know, we do get stopped, they do sheck us out, we dont go cruising to "pick up girls" we just socialise in car parks because we like cars and socialising. we arent a scary bunch, we dont rape and murder people lol stop whining.

i will admit we do occasionally make too much noise but thats ok for you mi_coc (my ****) you dont live in town anymore lol

Well could you please go and socialise in the middle of nowhere(Smetharpe Stadium) that way you can carry out your noisy, childish and sometime illegal antics out of the way of normal law abiding citizens who are trying to get a good nights sleep. They have to get up and go too work while I suspect wasters like you are deep in the land of nod. Could you please satisfy my curiosity? If as you say you get checked out, I assume that you have informed your insurance company of your modifications you have carried out(nitrous injectors, sports exhausts, roll bars, bucket seats, smocked glass lights, HID headlights ect, ect.) and after informing them how do you pay for your insurance as youngsters with a sensible car have to pay around £1500 third party or do you rely on your parents.

People think we are out there to cause trouble and scare people away but we only go out there to meet up with other friends.

Traffic officers come out from time to time because they have had reports of people wheel spinning and dangerous driving, but its always quiet out in halfords or macdonalds and the police tell us they dont mind us being out there as long as we dont cause any trouble which we dont! no one drives dangerously, or does anything stupid, and why would they? all the people that go out are proud of their cars and take time in them.

I dont see how being "after" the "boy racers" (some are girls btw!) are going to make things any better, If the police watched what we actuallly do and had a chat with us they would understand we dont go out there to be yobs and start fights. its our way to be social.

As for exhausts, there are legal sound limits, else they wouldnt be on the road or pass mots, you wouldnt think twice about older people driving around at that time of night, why us? we dont drink and drive or do drugs or anything. Sending Anti Social warning letters to homes isnt fair when people dont even do anything, most if not all of the people that go out have had letters even when no body does anything anti social.

I can't say I've been out to hank ridge late at night very often but surely people are allowed to go out there? Saying everyone lays about and does nothing while others work, isn't really true.

I work 6 days a week to pay for my car, my insurance company know about all modifications and will continue to be informed because its the law. I pay for my insurance myself, I am the policy holder. I put money into a hobby as I'm sure everyone here does, I just choose my car whereas others don't.

What's wrong with all of the above, should I have a letter through for anti social behaviour for having a hobby?

I think your narrow minded views are a bit judgmental, I'm on a salary, work a full time job, I pay my way in society. I don't own a car, I ride a motorcycle, I merely use the car park sometimes to socialise with friends. We can't be any worse than people up town drinking and being loud late at night.

Fifthgear wrote:
I can't say I've been out to hank ridge late at night very often but surely people are allowed to go out there? Saying everyone lays about and does nothing while others work, isn't really true.

I work 6 days a week to pay for my car, my insurance company know about all modifications and will continue to be informed because its the law. I pay for my insurance myself, I am the policy holder. I put money into a hobby as I'm sure everyone here does, I just choose my car whereas others don't.

What's wrong with all of the above, should I have a letter through for anti social behaviour for having a hobby?

May I congratulate you on your sensible and law abiding attitude, but alas I suspect a great many of you associates boy racers may not be so conscientious in their attitude towards their legal responsibilities.
I myself have witnessed some stupid & **** right dangerous driving around Hankeridge & Taunton during the early hours & believe its just a matter of time before someone is either seriously injured or killed by one of your mates & I bet it won't be the idiot driver as nine times out of ten the passengers die & the idiot walks away!

I witness terrible driving from others on the road who aren't boy racers, some people are just bad drivers who don't care about anyone else on the road, nothing happens to them? What's the difference?

turbowhistle wrote:
People think we are out there to cause trouble and scare people away but we only go out there to meet up with other friends.

Traffic officers come out from time to time because they have had reports of people wheel spinning and dangerous driving, but its always quiet out in halfords or macdonalds and the police tell us they dont mind us being out there as long as we dont cause any trouble which we dont! no one drives dangerously, or does anything stupid, and why would they? all the people that go out are proud of their cars and take time in them.

I dont see how being "after" the "boy racers" (some are girls btw!) are going to make things any better, If the police watched what we actuallly do and had a chat with us they would understand we dont go out there to be yobs and start fights. its our way to be social.

As for exhausts, there are legal sound limits, else they wouldnt be on the road or pass mots, you wouldnt think twice about older people driving around at that time of night, why us? we dont drink and drive or do drugs or anything. Sending Anti Social warning letters to homes isnt fair when people dont even do anything, most if not all of the people that go out have had letters even when no body does anything anti social.

MOT is only as good as the tester I have myself have seen cars MOTed that shouldnt be and in the past have got cars MOT'ed with non road legal side lights. Some testers look the other way and issue certs if they are sympathetic to the modfications so having one proves nothing. I have known people change exhaust and replace de-cat pipes I am only just out of my 20's I am not stupid.

I have been a member of owners clubs and enjoyed my cars some hot hacthes but never put louder exhuasts on and i dont drive around to 3 am.

I know alot just park there and chat but there are always some that have spoil it by being anti social. You can go to meets during day light hours and at castle combe and such places I had stopped frequenting hankridge farm when I was 20!

as part of the "boy racers" down halfords, we simply go down their to talk to our other friends, we all appreciate our cars and spend alot of time and money on them most of us. whats wrong with having a hobbie like that? if you gave us a place to go this wouldnt be happening, we never drive around stupidly, yes maybe the occasional wheel spin? my dad even does that leaving our drive. were not taking drugs, drink driving, harassing, murdering or raping people i dont see how this is causing so much hassel. like i said if they gave us a place to go.. noone would feel scared. most of the people down their are wimps if im honest, i dont reckon one would be still standing at the end of a punch up.. as for the picking up ladies late at night? would you rather the 'ladies' walk home on their own or get a taxi with a stranger? you cant trust noone these days.

petrolhead03 wrote:
as part of the "boy racers" down halfords, we simply go down their to talk to our other friends, we all appreciate our cars and spend alot of time and money on them most of us. whats wrong with having a hobbie like that? if you gave us a place to go this wouldnt be happening, we never drive around stupidly, yes maybe the occasional wheel spin? my dad even does that leaving our drive. were not taking drugs, drink driving, harassing, murdering or raping people i dont see how this is causing so much hassel. like i said if they gave us a place to go.. noone would feel scared. most of the people down their are wimps if im honest, i dont reckon one would be still standing at the end of a punch up.. as for the picking up ladies late at night? would you rather the 'ladies' walk home on their own or get a taxi with a stranger? you cant trust noone these days.

Yes but look at it from a lone women or elderly its gangs of people congregating in a public place. If there were lots of teenagers choosing to stand around outside your grans house she would feel intimidated.


Like i said many people have hobbies but whether they have the right to congregate in large groups in public places late into the night is debatable.

There are events for modified cars all over the country that are held in daylight hours which in my experience is much better than a carpark and you can see cars better when its not dark.

Had to chuckle at the quotes from the landlord of the Crown & Sceptre. Noise pollution from that particular establishment is far worse than anything on four wheels in Taunton town centre! A case of pot and kettle if ever I saw one.

The only safe and responsible place for speeding , racing and hooning about - then get down to theracetrac on bridge street , Taunton

Those who are labelling Boy Racers as "Gangmembers" really need to get a grip. They don't run around with guns and coloured bandanas calling eachother homie, they simply rev up their cars and meet in carparks or place like Mcdonalds to talk about engine sizes.

If they weren't so interested in their cars, perhaps they'd be on crack and looking for the next grandmother to bash over the head for a fix.

Give it a rest.
I bet most of you old **** break the 50mph limit down toneway to get the OAP discount at B&Q don't you?

greystig wrote:
The only safe and responsible place for speeding , racing and hooning about - then get down to theracetrac on bridge street , Taunton

Its a maturity thing boy racers leave with mummy and rev there engines outside mcdonalds till 3am. If your still doing this and your out of your teens, then I feel sorry for you.

Car enthusiasts who have a life go to events like trax, ford etc and enjoy their cars at track days etc show their cars off in owners club events.

to be honest this is pathetic when will the police do some real work like sort out the drugs in taunton and the crackheads instead of picking on kids i totally agree about safe driving speeding and dangerous driving is not on because the risk to others but whats the problem with people having nice cars if the older people dont like the noise move to a village then its a town expect noise anyway theres more nois from the drunks all over town on friday and saturday nights get a life

luke.daniel wrote:
to be honest this is pathetic when will the police do some real work like sort out the drugs in taunton and the crackheads instead of picking on kids i totally agree about safe driving speeding and dangerous driving is not on because the risk to others but whats the problem with people having nice cars if the older people dont like the noise move to a village then its a town expect noise anyway theres more nois from the drunks all over town on friday and saturday nights get a life

Yours is the type of attitude that does your kind no favours, why should people move because you have decided that you are going to take over a piece of property frequented by the general public & cause intimidation by numbers, noise & actions. Why don't you go & do it outside your parents house? Better still all of you go & meet at westernzoyland airfeild or anywhere else in the middle of nowhere as we shouldn't have to put up with you & your extensions of your manhood(pratmobiles)
.

What harm are they doing parked up in car park in the middle of the night. No one else is using the area and its a distance from residential areas. As long as there not being complete idiots leave them be. If people are driving dangerously, speeding etc then the police will catch them and they will hopefully learn a lesson. Its not illegal to drive around for the sake of driving believe it or not and your better off being understanding, talking to them and making them see why it can cause a disturbance. If the police try to penalise them using grey areas in the law to drive them away this will only leave a bitter taste and a lack of respect. As for the noise and disturbance, personally I'm more concerned about the drunken idiots that come stumbling up my road in the early hours stealing wheely bins and being sick in the street than a car driving by with a sports exhaust!

Almost in agreement with Sheppy except as far as the noise and disturbance is concerned in the town. I don't think Hankridge can be the problem. The article specifically mentions circuits being driven in the town and there it the noise and danger become an issue viz Amy
My son was into this kind of thing 18 years ago and then these young drivers used to accumulate very late at night on the East Reach Esso garage forecourt and then some nights beetle off to Weston sea front followed or preceded by a nosh up in the layby at Thornfalcon. So things haven't changed much. My advice would be for them to stay on the Hankridge car parks and not alienate the town residents or Police.
Whilst on the subject of road noise when are the mopeds and small motor bikes going to be banned from the road?

Almost in agreement with Sheppy except as far as the noise and disturbance is concerned in the town. I don't think Hankridge can be the problem. The article specifically mentions circuits being driven in the town and there it the noise and danger become an issue viz Amy
My son was into this kind of thing 18 years ago and then these young drivers used to accumulate very late at night on the East Reach Esso garage forecourt and then some nights beetle off to Weston sea front followed or preceded by a nosh up in the layby at Thornfalcon. So things haven't changed much. My advice would be for them to stay on the Hankridge car parks and not alienate the town residents or Police.
Whilst on the subject of road noise when are the mopeds and small motor bikes going to be banned from the road?

Almost in agreement with Sheppy except as far as the noise and disturbance is concerned in the town. I don't think Hankridge can be the problem. The article specifically mentions circuits being driven in the town and there it the noise and danger become an issue viz Amy
My son was into this kind of thing 18 years ago and then these young drivers used to accumulate very late at night on the East Reach Esso garage forecourt and then some nights beetle off to Weston sea front followed or preceded by a nosh up in the layby at Thornfalcon. So things haven't changed much. My advice would be for them to stay on the Hankridge car parks and not alienate the town residents or Police.
Whilst on the subject of road noise when are the mopeds and small motor bikes going to be banned from the road?

Glitch not at my end. My mail may be interesting but not three times as much as anyone else's

petrolhead03 wrote:
as part of the "boy racers" down halfords, we simply go down their to talk to our other friends, we all appreciate our cars and spend alot of time and money on them most of us. whats wrong with having a hobbie like that? if you gave us a place to go this wouldnt be happening, we never drive around stupidly, yes maybe the occasional wheel spin? my dad even does that leaving our drive. were not taking drugs, drink driving, harassing, murdering or raping people i dont see how this is causing so much hassel. like i said if they gave us a place to go.. noone would feel scared. most of the people down their are wimps if im honest, i dont reckon one would be still standing at the end of a punch up.. as for the picking up ladies late at night? would you rather the 'ladies' walk home on their own or get a taxi with a stranger? you cant trust noone these days.

Who is this? Your embarrassing...

Anyway.

I work full time, in ICT.
I have a hobby, my cars.
My friend, also share the same hobby, we meet in several places, usually out the way at 8pm or later. We park up then chat, we might go for a little drive together which involves town, but I have a girlfriend, why would I "try to pick up woman".
I dont even know who does this?
Its like a boy racer has annoyed someone that works for the gazette and now they have wrote this for payback, the police dont really care unless someone is racing, which is illegal so they do their job.
Even the older people commenting on this or involved with the write up need to grow up or grow some balls.

Oh and for the circuit mentioned. Totally wrong hehe.
Why doesn't a reporter come and have a look and see what we're up to.
Nothing, thats what. Just boring people talking about cars.

I have often felt intimidated by 'boy racers' speeding up and down the toneway - flashing at me, almost touching my bumpers to get past when i am DOING the speed limit as it is! I think it is these few people, driving like idiots, ruining it for everyone else. It is a real shame, because obviously they aren't all speed mad losers!

*Flick* wrote:
I have often felt intimidated by 'boy racers' speeding up and down the toneway - flashing at me, almost touching my bumpers to get past when i am DOING the speed limit as it is! I think it is these few people, driving like idiots, ruining it for everyone else. It is a real shame, because obviously they aren't all speed mad losers!

I find if you dont sit like some people in the outside lane at bang on 50mph with the attitude that i am doing the limit therefore I am entitled to be in an overtaking lane when I am not overtaking therefore stopping other peoples progress. I

f you overtake and move over or make progress then I have never had someone flashing me or sat on my bumper on the toneway,

Its not your responsibility to block people from making progress and it may surprise you to hear that some police units operate surveillance vehicles without audio and visual warning equipment and they need to make progress through traffic.

Mi_Coc, I should've uploaded you a photograph to show there were cars in the lane next to me going much slower, that I was overtaking. I was also approaching the roundabout and wished to turn right - meaning I was in the correct lane at the time. I was siply making a remark and didn't feel the need to report on every vehicle on the road, the wind direction or my planned route.
I was NOT blocking people from making progress, and it was not an unmarked police vehicle - it was a spotty teenager in a saxo!
It may surprise you to hear that I don't need a keyboard warrior such as yourself talking down to me and acting like a know it all ;)

Nice one 'Flick'!
Are there any 'girl racers' - just a question - trying to impress the boys............

Well said Flick, he seems to have an experienced opinion on everything & the only thing he's not learnt is correct spelling.

*Flick* wrote:
Mi_Coc, I should've uploaded you a photograph to show there were cars in the lane next to me going much slower, that I was overtaking. I was also approaching the roundabout and wished to turn right - meaning I was in the correct lane at the time. I was siply making a remark and didn't feel the need to report on every vehicle on the road, the wind direction or my planned route.
I was NOT blocking people from making progress, and it was not an unmarked police vehicle - it was a spotty teenager in a saxo!
It may surprise you to hear that I don't need a keyboard warrior such as yourself talking down to me and acting like a know it all ;)

I bet you sat in the second lane the whole way just to turn right on the roundabout.
So many **** like you.

samussamus1 wrote:

*Flick* wrote:
Mi_Coc, I should've uploaded you a photograph to show there were cars in the lane next to me going much slower, that I was overtaking. I was also approaching the roundabout and wished to turn right - meaning I was in the correct lane at the time. I was siply making a remark and didn't feel the need to report on every vehicle on the road, the wind direction or my planned route.
I was NOT blocking people from making progress, and it was not an unmarked police vehicle - it was a spotty teenager in a saxo!
It may surprise you to hear that I don't need a keyboard warrior such as yourself talking down to me and acting like a know it all ;)

I bet you sat in the second lane the whole way just to turn right on the roundabout.
So many **** like you.

What's wrong with doing that? Is there any point in moving into the left hand lane, only to have to move out again because of the emerging traffic from asda to then queue in the right hand lane. I cannot understand what progress people make speeding and cutting in at the last minute on a 1.5km stretch of road. Do you idiots not know that it is the constant acceleration and braking that causes tail backs, if you drove more smoothly you will get to your destination quicker! I bet you are the same type that try to undertake going up east reach even though you know the inside lane will be congested with parked cars.

samussamus1 - How very immature of you to have to use an expletive at a stranger on an internet forum.
I actually move over somewhere between Asda and the roundabout, so your 'bet' was poor.
Although, personally it doesn't bother me when people do that, but thats probably because I don't enjoy breaking the speed limit or driving dangerously...

Useacarpark.com wrote:

samussamus1 wrote:

*Flick* wrote:
Mi_Coc, I should've uploaded you a photograph to show there were cars in the lane next to me going much slower, that I was overtaking. I was also approaching the roundabout and wished to turn right - meaning I was in the correct lane at the time. I was siply making a remark and didn't feel the need to report on every vehicle on the road, the wind direction or my planned route.
I was NOT blocking people from making progress, and it was not an unmarked police vehicle - it was a spotty teenager in a saxo!
It may surprise you to hear that I don't need a keyboard warrior such as yourself talking down to me and acting like a know it all ;)

I bet you sat in the second lane the whole way just to turn right on the roundabout.
So many **** like you.

What's wrong with doing that? Is there any point in moving into the left hand lane, only to have to move out again because of the emerging traffic from asda to then queue in the right hand lane. I cannot understand what progress people make speeding and cutting in at the last minute on a 1.5km stretch of road. Do you idiots not know that it is the constant acceleration and braking that causes tail backs, if you drove more smoothly you will get to your destination quicker! I bet you are the same type that try to undertake going up east reach even though you know the inside lane will be congested with parked cars.

So your saying people should sit in the right hand lane the whole way from creech castle? I was thinking more like 8pm later, not rush hour so try not to look smart.
Oh and east reach? No I'm not one of them, I'm more like one of the ones that stop the **** moving in the lane after undertaking 20 cars.

*Flick* wrote:
samussamus1 - How very immature of you to have to use an expletive at a stranger on an internet forum.
I actually move over somewhere between Asda and the roundabout, so your 'bet' was poor.
Although, personally it doesn't bother me when people do that, but thats probably because I don't enjoy breaking the speed limit or driving dangerously...

What nutcase "Enjoys" breaking the speed limit or driving dangerously?!

I do 26,000 miles a year and see a lot of close calls with other drives due to silly mistakes people make which wont happen if they abide by the rules.

Why is this discussion happening anyway on this website? I have work to do.

Do 'it' or 'one' then musselmouth.

Your earlier contribution about drivers growing ***** wasn't very constructive and wouldn't have been good advice for female contributors

"Flicks" driving habits along that stretch seem very sensible to me. What annoys me most are the drivers who expect you do move out of the way as if their being on the road was of far more importance. (show me the road ownership deeds) They almost always do this so they can travel faster than the relevant speed limits and mandatory hazard warnings dictate. It is hard not to wish them ill.