That same weekend that DRIFT CONTROL held its first class, a news story was published about Ontario Provincial Police concluding a month-long investigation into the case of a young man in a Honda Civic doing donuts in the gravel parking lot of a Community Center in northern Ontario. Surveillance cameras captured the ‘illegal incident’ occurring between 6:40 pm & 6:42 pm.
When OPP Constable Eppinghaus posted to social media about cracking the case, commenters slammed him for wasting police resources on a victimless crime. Seems that most people viewed this as a couple of young kids just having fun with their little Honda in an empty parking lot for 2 minutes. A gravel parking lot, no less. They did more damage to the car’s paint than the parking surface.
The intolerant attitude of law enforcement is quite shocking. Their duty ‘to protect and serve’ is critical to the smooth functioning of society, but there must be a better way of dealing with similar situations. It wasn’t that long ago that local police had outreach programs to keep young gearheads from racing in the streets and hooning their cars.
Instead of correcting behaviour, police seem to vilify car enthusiasts. It must be easier to get increased funding to chase young hoodlums than to help them with ‘take it to the track‘ initiatives.
That’s crazy!!
Month long investigation of a parking lot donut; that IS crazy!
I agree. Take it the track initiatives is a much better option.
I wish there were more safe spaces for hearheads to have fun. Not ever kid needs to be labeled a criminal… just for doing a donut.
There’s a big difference between annoying and criminal. But law enforcement sees annoying as criminal. It’s sad. So many things I did as a kid are now felonies. Kids can’t have fun these days.
I think that enforcement has gone too far. A guy in an empty parking lot does donuts for 2 minutes, then leaves. Is that worth the police chasing the kid for a month? There are real crimes, and this wasn’t worth the effort.
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I don’t know, though. If I was a cop would I want to chase actual bad guys and criminals? Or go after low hanging fruit and easy pickings like this donut kid.
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Either way, the picture of the cop looks like he’s a demon, bathed in that red light.
If the AI summary of the law is correct (and here’s the grain of salt that came with it ->.<-), this seems like an overreach. The law appears to be designed to stop dangerous activity that could harm others (drivers and pedestrians). An empty lot? Maybe if there were other cars parked that might have been damaged? Maybe?
But clearly, I'm no expert and certainly not a lawyer.
Not that donuts aren't annoying. Especially when done in the middle of an in-use street. And particularly when so close to my house I have to deal with the burning rubber smell for over an hour after.
Did they get him due second-hand burning rubber smoke?
There’s no doubt this kid is a goof. Doing donuts in a gravel parking lot. But once he left the ‘scene of the crime’ I felt it was a waste of resources to chase the guy for a month… release his picture to the media… ask for public help to track down this guy.