Gardai crack down on Ballymount.......finally

Atomic Pineapple

'Boy racer' gathering broken up by Garda

' wrote:

A MASS concentration of “boy racers” has been disrupted by the Garda and more than 100 arrests have been made.

Gardaí targeted the concentration at the Western Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, Dublin, earlier this month after a surveillance operation which lasted weeks.

More than 250 people, most of them young men in modified cars, turned up to watch motorists speed, do handbrake turns and other dangerous manoeuvres. Drivers also mounted the pavement in the estate on that Saturday night.

Acting on a tip-off from local residents, officers blocked the estate and questioned every driver involved.

Anybody else think its about time? It wasn't exactly a secret what has been going on up there for years and its exactly the kind of stuff that gives anyone that wants to modify their car a bad name.

Midnight_EG

I, for one, am glad to see this because the last time a mate of mine went up there he was pulled out of his car, kicked in the face a few times and then had his car stolen. Not a nice thing to be happening.

Gary ITR

Midnight_EG wrote: »

I, for one, am glad to see this because the last time a mate of mine went up there he was pulled out of his car, kicked in the face a few times and then had his car stolen. Not a nice thing to be happening.

What in the name of jaysis was he doing going up there? I mean you just have to browse around a few of the 'Modified Cars' (sic) forums to see what kind of knuckle draggers go there every Sunday.

ottostreet

Midnight_EG wrote: »

I, for one, am glad to see this because the last time a mate of mine went up there he was pulled out of his car, kicked in the face a few times and then had his car stolen. Not a nice thing to be happening.

What was the car to cause that kind of response?

TouchingVirus

I've got mixed opinions on this one.

I've been to a few meetups like this in deserted carparks and thought they were great craic and pretty safe. Much safer than acting like a complete goon on the public roads. I think it's a good idea that people who want to show off their cars and mess around a bit have somewhere to do it. There aren't a lot of facilities for this sort of stuff in places where it really should be provided for to keep it off the roads. The amount of back roads I see tyre marks from lads pulling donuts or handbrakes is quite scary.

That being said, if there's drug dealing, beatings and other nasty sh*t happening I think it's right that there's something being done about it.


For the record, I don't own a modified car

Gary ITR

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I've got mixed opinions on this one.

I've been to a few meetups like this in deserted carparks and thought they were great craic and pretty safe. Much safer than acting like a complete goon on the public roads. I think it's a good idea that people who want to show off their cars and mess around a bit have somewhere to do it. There aren't a lot of facilities for this sort of stuff in places where it really should be provided for to keep it off the roads. The amount of back roads I see tyre marks from lads pulling donuts or handbrakes is quite scary.

That being said, if there's drug dealing, beatings and other nasty sh*t happening I think it's right that there's something being done about it.


For the record, I don't own a modified car

It's no secret as to what went on in Ballymount, there are usually stolen cars being abused and anybody not part of the clique is liable to get a kicking

TouchingVirus

Onkle wrote: »

It's no secret as to what went on in Ballymount, there are usually stolen cars being abused and anybody not part of the clique is liable to get a kicking

I'm not involved in the modified cars scene so please excuse my post if it sounded like I was talking out my ass By the sound of it though it's a good thing as the gathering was just pure trouble.

Atomic Pineapple

There's drag racing and drifting in Carlow every second Sunday that costs next to nothing, numerous drag racing events in Bishopscourt and also straightliners in Enniskillen.

And various open days/event days and club days at Mondello throughout the year.

That to me leaves no excuse for there to be 200+ people in an industrial estate every weekend racing, pulling hand brakes and generally acting like 6 year olds would in cars. Look up the youtube videos, Onkle's description of knuckle dragger's is bang on. How no one has been killed I don't know.

If you want to give them somewhere to do this then look at other countries where towns have implemented race nights where they close off a quiet public road and let people race on it for a fee in a safe controlled environment.

Gary ITR

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I'm not involved in the modified cars scene so please excuse my post if it sounded like I was talking out my ass By the sound of it though it's a good thing as the gathering was just pure trouble.

No no not at all, I was merely telling you what it was like up there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILTgcxcFmkQ

TouchingVirus

draffodx wrote: »

There's drag racing and drifting in Carlow every second Sunday that costs next to nothing, numerous drag racing events in Bishopscourt and also straightliners in Enniskillen.

And various open days/event days and club days at Mondello throughout the year.

I didn't say there was nothing, I said there was very little. None of them run on a weekly basis and all are 100 miles outside Dublin except for Carlow which is 100km. Not exactly local

If you want to give them somewhere to do this then look at other countries where towns have implemented race nights where they close off a quiet public road and let people race on it for a fee in a safe controlled environment.

I completely agree and I think that's a great suggestion

From viewing the videos it does look rough as hell. A fee would sort out the scummy/dossing about element

Atomic Pineapple

TouchingVirus wrote: »

I didn't say there was nothing, I said there was very little. None of them run on a weekly basis and all are 100 miles outside Dublin except for Carlow which is 100km. Not exactly local

There's more to the country than Dublin

Perhaps the set up of closing a public road is something Dublin CoCo should look into.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

About time this happened. Suprised it hadn't happened sooner

Drummerboy08

The Port road in Waterford was another good spot for this. They'll just move on to somewhere else, and it will be another few years before the Gardai follow them.

I'll be honest here, I did partake in some of this sh1te when I was younger.

Midnight_EG

ottostreet wrote: »

What was the car to cause that kind of response?

A mint B18 EG Civic

Here's how she ended up less than 30 seconds after being robbed...

Drummerboy08

Midnight_EG wrote: »

A mint B18 EG Civic

Here's how she ended up less than 30 seconds after being robbed...

He could just tell every one its a Del Sol...

Drummerboy08

A MASS concentration of “boy racers” has been disrupted by the Garda and more than 100 arrests have been made.
Gardaí targeted the concentration at the Western Industrial Estate, Clondalkin, Dublin, earlier this month after a surveillance operation which lasted weeks.
More than 250 people, most of them young men in modified cars, turned up to watch motorists speed, do handbrake turns and other dangerous manoeuvres. Drivers also mounted the pavement in the estate on that Saturday night.
Acting on a tip-off from local residents, officers blocked the estate and questioned every driver involved.

I call shenanigans on the tip off too. Who actually lives in an industrial estate? I don't think there is one private residence remotely close to that estate.

Midnight_EG

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I call shenanigans on the tip off too. Who actually lives in an industrial estate? I don't think there is one private residence remotely close to that estate.

There's houses at the crossroads across from the 'drag strip'.

Atomic Pineapple

I'd imagine something like this would mean that things like Ballymount would be limited to a minority.

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The police did more than watch from the sidelines, they got in the action. Local cops bring down project cars (that were built by themselves and sponsors--no taxpayer money was used), and run throughout the night alongside young drag race participants.

Local speed shops and other vendors are getting involved, too. This is grassroots racing in its purist form.

I cant see any reason why this wouldn't work in Ireland.

Drummerboy08

Midnight_EG wrote: »

There's houses at the crossroads across from the 'drag strip'.

One or two at most, alot of the time one is empty.

Sofiztikated

draffodx wrote: »

I cant see any reason why this wouldn't work in Ireland.

It'd be a great idea in theory, but where exactly could you have it? Then put insurance on top of it, payment for any Gardi involved etc, and you're looking at big bucks.

Pdfile

draffodx wrote: »

There's drag racing and drifting in Carlow every second Sunday that costs next to nothing, numerous drag racing events in Bishopscourt and also straightliners in Enniskillen.

And various open days/event days and club days at Mondello throughout the year.

That to me leaves no excuse for there to be 200+ people in an industrial estate every weekend racing, pulling hand brakes and generally acting like 6 year olds would in cars. Look up the youtube videos, Onkle's description of knuckle dragger's is bang on. How no one has been killed I don't know.

If you want to give them somewhere to do this then look at other countries where towns have implemented race nights where they close off a quiet public road and let people race on it for a fee in a safe controlled environment.

it was acceptable years ago ( i mean upto about 12 years ago ) as the gardi would just send them home ( or if seen a second time they'd be less then happy to say the very least )

im happy this has happened because any time im in a remotely decent car out that way you leave it and go to the shops and you have them lookin at it asking silly questions and just been a plain pain in the arse tbh.

Its good to see they got shut down and yes, their is drifting in carlow ( and another spot in tipp, but that tracks shut down no ? )

either way....

society 1 - scumbags 0. ( well 2 if you count them idiots off youtube... ) :cool:

5500

I've a feeling that the operation that happened wont stop it at all.
I remember a few year's back coming from kylemore mcdonalds on a thursday night I cut thru jfk and at the same time aload of gaurds did a lockdown on the place.

I must have been 2 hour's stuck waiting to get out of the place while they went over every single car, I'd say its the same as what happened the other week but at most it might quieten down for a few weeks then just kick back off again or move to a different location, the odd major operation by the gardai isnt going to put a message accross to stop what's happening, imo they need to engage with the various sites/clubs as is done widely in the uk.

I organised "legal" meets myself awhile back involving local td's and top brass from the traffic corps for a chat. The plan at the time was to organise a forum with the likes of a td/members from a site/club and the traffic corps where questions could be directed to them and to liase with them, the problem was I was doing basically all the work myself in dealing with it and needed more people onboard, I didnt have time on my hands so eventually it fizzled out.

The same could be easily done again if people got behind it and put the effort in

rex-x

draffodx wrote: »

I'd imagine something like this would mean that things like Ballymount would be limited to a minority.

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I cant see any reason why this wouldn't work in Ireland.

What a fantastic idea

si_guru

Sofiztikated wrote: »

It'd be a great idea in theory, but where exactly could you have it? Then put insurance on top of it, payment for any Gardi involved etc, and you're looking at big bucks.

The Gards don't enforce many current laws, what chance do we have of the lazy gits running a racenight..??

DaveClaire

draffodx wrote: »

There's drag racing and drifting in Carlow every second Sunday that costs next to nothing, numerous drag racing events in Bishopscourt and also straightliners in Enniskillen.

And various open days/event days and club days at Mondello throughout the year.

That to me leaves no excuse for there to be 200+ people in an industrial estate every weekend racing, pulling hand brakes and generally acting like 6 year olds would in cars. Look up the youtube videos, Onkle's description of knuckle dragger's is bang on. How no one has been killed I don't know.

If you want to give them somewhere to do this then look at other countries where towns have implemented race nights where they close off a quiet public road and let people race on it for a fee in a safe controlled environment.

I understand where you are coming from. But when you live in the back arse of nowhere and your nearest track is 4 hours away, your only option is the road. But yeah I agree very much with what you said about the race nights, this is the only way to do it. People are going to do it regardless of what the Gardai do so why not try and control it and embrace it. Then the Gardai would not be seen as the enemy to the boy racers.

Gregsor

DaveClaire wrote: »

I understand where you are coming from. But when you live in the back arse of nowhere and your nearest track is 4 hours away, your only option is the road. But yeah I agree very much with what you said about the race nights, this is the only way to do it. People are going to do it regardless of what the Gardai do so why not try and control it and embrace it. Then the Gardai would not be seen as the enemy to the boy racers.

Do you see any problem with people using the public roads then yourself?

Just because the nearest strip for racing is too far away?

DaveClaire

Gregsor wrote: »

Do you see any problem with people using the public roads then yourself?

Just because the nearest strip for racing is too far away?

I do see a problem with it as it puts other innocent members of the public in danger.
But our nearest track was shut down because of noise complaints. People are just never happy. If they start up track days they are not happy because of noise, but they are not happy if they are on the road.

Would you want to travel 4 hours each way for an hours worth of track time?

Gregsor

DaveClaire wrote: »

I understand where you are coming from. But when you live in the back arse of nowhere and your nearest track is 4 hours away, your only option is the road.

Maybe i should have Quoted you DaveClaire,you seemed to say if you have no time to get to a drag strip then the public road is your only option?

No i wouldn't like to travel 4 hours to a drag strip or be out racing on public roads either.

I am all for the drag strips and track days and keeping it off the streets and i myself own JDM performance cars for most of my car ownership years and i am totally for it.

DaveClaire

Gregsor wrote: »

Maybe i should have Quoted you DaveClaire,you seemed to say if you have no time to get to a drag strip then the public road is your only option?

No i wouldn't like to travel 4 hours to a drag strip or race on public roads either.

Fair enough but I am just making the point why it happens and putting it into context.
You just said yourself that you would not like to travel so I am sure you know what I mean

JimmyCrackCorn

To point something out. Its a bit of a piss poor excuse to have a car and not be willing to drive 4 hours to a track.


On my way home last night i saw a Golf and starlet tearing on the M50. They obviously knew each other as the flew up two exists together only to overtake me again before the next one.

The starlet had a 10 year old in the back seat. I missed the reg numbers. Utter tits.