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Thread ID: 56113	2005-03-27 17:10:00	Death Cult of the Young Male Driver	vinref (6194)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
338575	2005-03-28 05:38:00	........and yet it wasn't until 1965/67 in the UK that an 'open road' speed limit of 70mph was introduced. So for years I was able to legally cruise along the motorways on my tuned Vincent Shadow at 120/130mph, 90/100mph on lesser roads, ie up to about 210kmh. Now it is a heinous crime, of course there was less traffic then, and roads were infinitely better than here. "Dual carriage-ways" started to be extensively built there in the 1930s, the term is barely known here. The average State Highway here would barely qualify as what I remember to be 'B' class roads over there. Perhaps we should have more open to the public race tracks so that drivers could hone their skills??	Terry Porritt (14)
338576	2005-03-28 07:22:00	Perhaps we should have more open to the public race tracks so that drivers could hone their skills?? And when the demand for public race tracks get too much, what are the alternatives? Public roads, of course! In my opinion, the engine of the cars should be modified so that they can't go more than certain speed. And every car should be installed with some sort of GPRS speed tracking device so that their immediate family members will be notified if the car speed went over so-and-so speed. Of course, this idea might seem too far-fetched for the current moment, but just wait when the situation gets worse, the law might require every car be fitted with some sort of high-tech tracking device. In Malaysia, those crazy motorcyclist who crave for speed usually comes out at night and race on long-stretched roads. The police can't do much because when those nuts motorcyclist racing towards them......... Anyway, keep this thread alive. Cheers :)	Renmoo (66)
338577	2005-03-28 08:53:00	Boys impress girls by showing off how stupid they are...... Take the case of the dude who flew down Ferry Rd (CHCH) recently and (oopsy) wrapped his car, and himself round an advertising light post. There's a very good chance that his plans to impress failed at the point when his female passenger wiped his splattered remains off herself while awaiting the ambulance. I suspect that up to that point he may have felt 6 foot tall and bullet proof. She may, or may not have been impressed. And if by magic we stop this stupidity, another will emerge to take its place, just like the bubble in the wall paper. The trouble with humanity is that its full of people. :stare:	personthingy (1670)
338578	2005-03-28 09:23:00	During my motorbiking days there used to be a sort of camaraderie on the roads, and more gentlemanly behaviour than we get now. If one had broken down, and needed some help, you tied a white handerchief to the handlebars. You used to meet and chat with Ma and Pa and the kids at some roadside cafe, Pa would have a long stroke 600cc Panther with side car for the kids, Missus riding pillion. On a long journey, it was not uncommon to meet them several times. Then we would get members of the Morgan Owners club , those with the 3 wheeler V-twin engines, Aero Blackburn, Matchless and Ford? big V-twins, coming to the Vincent Owners Club night because that was where they could hear V twins running. (There didn't seem to be any Harleys in the UK in those days, not that one would notice anyway.) The Triumph TR2 sports car boys would wear tweed caps, long scarves, and their hand signals tended be over their heads, at least that's what they did when a Vinnie came up behind them, and they gave a please pass me signal, they knew it was no use trying to outrun a Vincent. We would have club meetings at places like Burnham Beeches, there would be hundreds of Vincents, many with sidecars and families, and club racing at Silverstone. Vast numbers of motorcycles of all makes would descend on Brighton for the annual sprint meeting to watch someone like George Brown and his Nero, or, GungaDin or other equally exotic machines and cars. Yet I dont remember hooligan driving afterwards. Maybe I have rose tinted glasses on:)	Terry Porritt (14)
338579	2005-03-28 10:28:00	Ah Terry, motorbikes . Nostalgia - its not what it used to be . :D Quite rare to see a Vincent these days or a Matchless . I have a more modern machine - an ex-MOT BMW which is languishing in a shed, but I'll get it registered etc one of these days . Anyway, the problem of young hoons . They have always existed and always will . In our recent past, motorbikes were the vehicle of choice, because cars were slow and expensive . But in earlier times, horse racing held similar dangers and thrills . It is simply a matter of testosterone . Young male blood boils with the stuff . Larger than life and bulletproof . The need for speed . Thrills . Showing off for girls . Fighting . These are time honoured pursuits . We try to ameliorate these primal urges through education and social pressure . But it only works partly . And the pointless death of so many young drivers and their passengers is so sad . Young people need risks . Their lives are so safe and mundane . Lacking in primary challenges . Quite what we can do to reduce the deaths is difficult . Perhaps all cars should be governed down to 120kph . Fast enough to pass, but not so fast as to become an unguided missile .	Winston001 (3612)
338580	2005-03-28 10:30:00	Those were the days when I used to drive a J4 van. What a heap. Best thing about it was being able to make it backfire at will. Scared the life out of many a person when driving under bridges. My Hillman Imp, the gearbox made a huge bang after I'd given the thing heaps. The Mk2 Cortina I wrapped round a sign post. The Vauxhall Victor with the starsky & hutch stripe. The Morris 1100 that had oil pressure & 4 gears when I bought it for 30 quid, no oil pressure & 3 gears when I sold it for 15 quid. Apparantly the steering wheel fitted a Mk1 Cortina. I told him he had to take the car as well. Those British cars were great weren't they? I gave up the 2 speed motorbikes (flat out & stop) I used to think nothing of 140mph. As Terry says, the roads are so much better in the UK than the NZ cattle tracks. Adverse cambers, loose gravel, ect ect. I was a loose bugger to say the least, BUT the cars were nowhere near as powerful then, granted they didn't have much in the way of brakes either. So things were done a lot slower. I think that's why I'm still here. I think it would be a good idea to have compulsory insurance. That way the young ones could only afford a 1.3 bog standard car. No insurance company would want the risk of a 15 - 20 year old in a turbocharged missile. That would slow them down. They're never going to sort the roads out, it's politically incorrect to make prisoners work for the money they're costing us. What's the matter with chain gangs. Don't get me started on that panel beaters dream rule. The turning left one, you know. BTW. Don't forget the young girls, they drive very agressively. Phil	Phil B (648)
338581	2005-03-28 10:37:00	It is still like that to a certain extent with the motorcycles from what I've seen Terry. The only problem being of course that with the modern bikes you can't just fix it with a screw driver and crescent like you can with the older bikes (which are way cooler in my opinion). Though of course others would argue that you don't need to fix a modern bike on the side of the road as they don't break down.	Jeremy (1197)
338582	2005-03-28 10:46:00	BTW. Don't forget the young girls, they drive very agressively. Good point Phil......... Worst hoon i know is a chick, and her sister used to be just as bad too. :horrified Stereotypes are greying out over time. :)	personthingy (1670)
338583	2005-03-28 11:00:00	......The only problem being of course that with the modern bikes you can't just fix it with a screw driver and crescent like you can with the older bikes (which are way cooler in my opinion). Though of course others would argue that you don't need to fix a modern bike on the side of the road as they don't break down. But you can with chewing gum :) I lost a small screw out of one of the Amal carbs once, and petrol was leaking out at a fast rate. It was a sunday, so had to stay the night at an expensive hotel, hoping to be able to get the right screw next day. During the night I remembered that WWI pilots repaired bullet holes in petrol tanks with chewing gum. So that was what I bought first thing next morning. Good to hear that cameraderie still exists within the m/c fraternity.	Terry Porritt (14)
338584	2005-03-28 11:50:00	Seems that now we are discussing about motors and machineries and those stuffs, away from the main topic....	Renmoo (66)
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