Monday, May 29, 2006

Street racing, what a gas

I've noticed a disturbing, but almost universal, trend to so-called "street racing" accidents in the GTA. There was one last night in Richmond Hill, and as I listened to the description of the extent of the accident, it was like I already had the script in front of me. This time, a couple, Robert and Lisa Manchester, were on their way home from their anniversary. They were struck by a street racer and were killed at the scene, leaving behind an 8-year-old daughter, waiting for them at home. The driver of the car who didn't strike them has been arrested; the driver who hit them is in the hospital with what are described as "non-life-threatening injuries". Earlier this year, a cab driver was killed a day short of his swearing-in ceremony to become a Canadian citizen; the guy who hit him survived.

That, in nut shell, is my bone of contention. Why is it that pretty much always always always, it's the same story? Two fuckheaded students who've never raised a single bead of sweat on their nuts for anything, handed four-wheeled penis extensions by their over-funded, under-braincelled parents, idiotically end the lives of innocent people and live to tell the tale? Why is it that almost without exception, the people who are just getting on with their lives get their tickets punched, while you can bet this month's salary the assholes who killed them continue breathing — literal oxygen thieves? Is this another one of God's little jokes, like steering tornadoes through trailer parks?

7 comments:

Alex said...

I agree - it's always idiots and they SURVIVE?!?! How? I was working in Sacramento once and a guy decided to impress his date by street racing in his supped up Mustang - he ended up hitting a tree that tore his car in half, killing his date. They were both 16 years old. Who gives a 16 year a supped up anything?

Polt said...

Why do they do this? Five words my friend.

The. Fast. And. The. Furious.

They saw the movie (and it's sequels) and now think its real cool to waste tons of money suping up cars and racing them.

Ignoring the cost of the cars for the moment, with gas prices what they are, how in GOD'S name can anyone afford to drive a car like that?????

BTW, LP, what's the price of gas up there now? It's about 2.75 a gallon here, with I think roughly translates (damn Metric) to 66 cents (American) a liter. Just curious.

Anonymous said...

Hiya, Polt. :) Oh, man... let's see. This is always tricky because there are so many variables involved. Even before metrification, direct comparisons were tricky because of the currency difference and the fact that the Imperial gallon is larger than the US gallon (to wit: a litre is larger than your quart, but smaller than ours). Let me see...

I gassed up yesterday at 97.7¢ a litre. There are, according to Google, 3.7854118 litres in a US gallon. According to XE, the Canadian dollar's currently trading at $0.904933 US. So...

That would be 88.6¢ a litre US, which would be... $3.35 a gallon US.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

...Incidentally, doing the math the other way, $2.75 US a gallon would be 80.3¢ a litre Canadian, and 72.6¢ a litre US.

Polt said...

Wow...thanks for figuring all that out...you crazy Canadians and your Metric system and multi-colored money and all. :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, Nikki. I'm really sorry for what happened. It's entirely unfair, and really makes me wonder if there's a God. I think these guys really need to go to jail, and what's more, people who've demonstrated themselves that entirely irresponsible with one of the most serious responsibilities our society entrusts people with ought to be disallowed from ever driving again. If you kill someone street racing on public roads, that should be it. You are permanently on the buses from then on. If someone commits armed robbery, we do not ever issue that person with a gun permit. They've lost the privilege. Someone correct me on this if I'm wrong... I think the same should be true for driving. Anyone that reckless shouldn't be extended the privilege again.