Acting stupid negatively impacts the car-enthusiast community...presented by a young guy.

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

[Goose1957]

Guy has an interesting message. My first reaction as a middle aged man whose interest is in 50's and muscle cars, was kick them out, shut 'em down, impound the cars. But as I started to think about it, the original hot rodders back in the 40's-50's weren't too much different. They just had respect for other people and their property, mostly. I think he's spot on about social media and instant gratification ruining things today. Everybody wants to be famous and a utube star. And that leads to more outrageous behavior and less respect for other people. This is not just limited to the car culture world either. It's the continuing loss of morals, the lack of taking responsibility for one's actions, and lowering of acceptable behavior in the younger generations that will be the downfall of our recreations and pastimes, and even our society. 

Jeff

[MeatMan]

Social media definitely aggravates the situation. It allows people outside of the group that may have planned the event to invite fringe individuals to mass gatherings for hooning and general mayhem. The nearby large city where I live had people from out of town post that there will be a hooning. It went viral and streets & highways were blocked off. In the end, people wound up going to prison for dumb stuff. Kids now have criminal records, wrecked cars (or their parents), and intensified law enforcement. Dunno where this will eventually end up, but I fear it will result in gov't knee-jerking.

[Brutalform]

Information Overload. Yes, it actually exists. But I’m sure the people that know more than the doctors, and scientists will argue that it doesn’t, because nobody wants to admit that they could possibly not be able to handle all the info their brain has to process. 

[mcs1056]

My daughter is 29, my son 25. Both have access to the information overload you mentioned.

I'm not disagreeing with you, but my kids have used the information they can get to learn, form their own opinions (some of which are opposite of my own), advance in their careers, and...most importantly...to help people. 

My daughter works with autistic children of military families. My son teaches kids make videos of about sports, art, and other types. 

I'm not taking credit for any "great parenting." But I and my wife were here...a family unit. They may have modeled us, or seen bits of either of us they didn't like and decided to try a different way. Whatever. I don't care. As long as they are good folks, I'm happy.  

My point is that it isn't necessarily that too much information is available. It may just be how "kids" process that information. I think mine learned how to think, not WHAT to think, and they see that the crowd isn't always the best to follow.  

I'm not articulating this very well. I hope you can see what I'm trying to get to. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Hot-rodding in the post-war period brought out a lot of irresponsible behavior as well, like street racing, poorly built and maintained cars, and a number of 'innocents' caught in the crossfire when they were just going about their business.

HOWEVER...it led to the formation of car clubs that emphasized things like safety, keeping cars in good operating condition, and taking the racing off the streets to places where the only risk was to participants.

All of which led to the formation of major clubs that morphed into race-sanctioning bodies like NHRA, SCTA, SCCA, etc., and in many cases the construction of dedicated racing facilities.

But then it all changed. The population grew, real estate prices skyrocketed, race venues got bulldozed to build row upon row of ticky-tacky housing developments, and normies who practice the NIMBY mindset got others closed down.

So here we are, awash in a sea of what 'serious' car guys like hot-rodders and competition-minded sports car enthusiasts used to call "squirrels".

As others have said, the temptation (for morons) to do really idiotic stuff for clicks and likes and YT or other online-based income...and a general just-not-knowing-how-to-act...has pretty well painted the real hardcore performance people (who are not professional racers) with the broad brush of stupid and rude, and there's a snowball's chance that anything like the positive responses of the 1950s will make a resurgence today.

Now, I have to drive almost 60 miles to the nearest drag strip, it's only 1/8 mile, and it's not immune to what killed all the others...like what was the nearby Dallas, GA. strip, closed in 2005 after 50 years, for redevelopment.

Bah humbug.

Edited 22 hours ago by Ace-Garageguy

[TarheelRick]

It all comes down to respect for others as well as for self. Ok, I am an old man and grew up in the late 50's early 60's car culture. Sure, we did some stupid stuff, some of it even deadly. Remember the chicken races to prove macho, two kids at a local high school died because neither wanted to chicken out. After that the practice ended quite quickly. Some of the kids would get out in the middle of an intersection and increase the value of Goodyear stock by burning their tires off doing donuts. One of the more prevalent things to do was to prearrange drag races, quite similar to street outlaws. I missed getting arrested when a local bunch of 'hot' street cars challenged some from a nearby city to a race. The State Patrol and local police got wind of it, so they hid in some inconspicuous places and waited: 14 arrested for attending/abetting a prearranged drag race, 4 cars were impounded and their drivers arrested for participation in a pre-arranged drag race. I happened to be at the beach that weekend, otherwise I would have been a spectator. We did not have social media, nor did any of us involved want to be photographed in these activities and have it spread all over the universe.  What we did was illegal, yet we still respected personal property and, in a sense, the local law enforcement. Today's world is so much more chaotic than it was back then. My answer for the problem will probably get me a nastygram from admin, but I feel we need to reinstate the military draft. It gets the kids off the streets and instills a sense of respect into their psyche. Rant over.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

...My answer for the problem will probably get me a nastygram from admin, but I feel we need to reinstate the military draft. It gets the kids off the streets and instills a sense of respect into their psyche. Rant over.

While we're risking punitive action, it might be time to mention that only about 25% of today's USA youth can pass the requirements for military service without a waiver, so there's that...

[stitchdup]

every generation has and will mess about in cars. yes its dumb, dangerous and all those other words but we all forget its still fun and the first real freedom those kids have had. where were you in 62? what were all those black and white hot rod films about? its the danger that makes some things fun

[Ace-Garageguy]

13 minutes ago, stitchdup said:

... its the danger that makes some things fun

Agreed...as long as the danger you cause is only directed at yourself.

I've done a whole lot of risk-taking, but rarely with anyone else's life or property.

Maybe because I know first-hand exactly what it feels like to have something I worked long and hard for...or on...destroyed by some idiot's instant of thoughtlessness.

I don't want never wanted to be the guy who does that to someone else.

Edited Sunday at 09:36 PM by Ace-Garageguy

[TarheelRick]

19 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

that only about 25% of today's USA youth can pass the requirements for military service

Enlist them anyway, then let the drill instructors "teach" them.  And get rid of these pantywaist DI's and replace them with some combat-hardened men.

[Ace-Garageguy]

44 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

Enlist them anyway, then let the drill instructors "teach" them.  

Much as I agree with you in principle, when I was a lad, failing the pre-induction physical got you out of serving.

HOWEVER...I'm kinda thinking that a mandatory 2-year period of some kind of service for everyone could be beneficial as far as teaching respect for legit authority, respect for others' boundaries, working in a 'team', etc...and take their phones away from them for the entire period...or at least severely restrict access.

But it'll never happen.

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

From what I've heard from an attendee, and seen on YouTube, Gatlinburg 2025 was beyond insane. I believe the problem with the new car culture is a combination of things, one being the number of people who attend these events that are not really car enthusiasts. So many just want to be out in the crowd with the noise and excitement. Everyone is recording video to get clicks and likes on their social media pages because to them, that is important. So of course those with the cars want to give them something to record. It's as if going to these 'meets' has taken the place of going to nightclubs and parties. The street is the club and the screeching tires, and reving engines are the music.

For decades, I've heard the phrase "the dumbing down of America", and it has become prevalent in our younger generations. Not all of course, but for a significant number. Along with the dumbness comes an increasing amount of lack of respect for others. Case in point, the street take overs, where crowds of kids will block intersections and impede people's travel to watch other kids do donuts and such in the street. No concern for the safety and well being of their fellow citizens or even themselves. But if it gets them more content, more 'followers' and 'friends' it's all good. And the cr culture gets dragged into this behavior. 

Perhaps some type of conscription might be a good idea, because at the rate we're going...

[sidcharles]

yeah; whatta buncha degenerates. i'm savin' up for sturges next year.