Paul Walker, and death of the Cruise

[Blackie]

On the RMS Blog: Having attended the recent Paul Walker Memorial cruise which started in Antrim I found myself questioning something I've loved for the best part of fifteen years as a petrolhead, is the car cruise part of our scene as dead as one of our favourite movie franchise stars?

Case in point: The Paul Walker Memorial Cruise. (Read the Full Article Here)



Read the Entire Article Here

 

[brendy]

It seems Antrim did well to last this long Blackie, Bangor died 6 years+ ago.
Fuel costs, antisocial behaviour clampdowns (police misunderstanding what cruising actually was) and newer cars becoming virtually unmoddable all played their parts in killing it.
As for Paul Walker being a hero? he was a car nut yes but no hero, he was an actor the same as any other. If JayKay died tomorrow I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid so I dont get this faux sympathy.

 

[ilovequo]

Think about the example you gave from the side of the fence;

An Investor has sunk multiple millions into property which he wants to maintain to a high standard.
- Not unreasonable to feel that the twincam crew could quickly put a negative vibe on the place...

His Management company has responsibility to both the tenants of the scheme and the general public to keep the carpark in good order and minimize risks.
- Hardly unfair for them to feel that an unmonitored crowd of unknowns turning up in performance cars is a liability...

The Police have a responsibility to monitor traffic and maintain an acceptable level of risk on public roads/space.
- Again, hardly unreasonable of them to suspect that things might turn idiotic...

That's only 3 parties involved, all with viable reasons to object...

Little or no sympathy when unorganized events like this get slapped on the wrist, either have it on Private land and do what you want or organise it properly with permission from all involved...

 

[seanbob]

Car cruising has died as a result of the majority of folk now going HP/lease deals hence not modifiying their cars, I belive.

 

[stevieturbo]

It seems Antrim did well to last this long Blackie, Bangor died 6 years+ ago.
Fuel costs, antisocial behaviour clampdowns (police misunderstanding what cruising actually was) and newer cars becoming virtually unmoddable all played their parts in killing it.
As for Paul Walker being a hero? he was a car nut yes but no hero, he was an actor the same as any other. If JayKay died tomorrow I doubt anyone would bat an eyelid so I dont get this faux sympathy.

People getting older and simply moving on is another part., although all the assholes diffing, skidding about on trays, pouring oil down etc and in public car parks when the public were still around all helped killed off Bangor as they brought on the police intervention.

And what the obsession ( false or otherwise ) with Paul Walker is...is almost as baffling as the obsession some have with twin cams !

 

[Boydie]

It has been 14 years since I passed my driving test and for the first 6/7 years I guess I would have gone to the Ports, Lisburn on Tuesday and Thursday nights, laps of Belfast after Uni, attended all the shows etc... now, with other responsibilities, work, age, fuel etc... I just don't have that interest anymore and my attendance to events is getting less and less

I have no idea where the car scene is these days with 17-24/5 year olds, no where near where it was from what I gather

 

[markmeus]

Anytime I see pics of a cruise it looks like the agri yobs who I have no desire to hang out with

Edit* bit aggressive with the enter button!

 

[jimcupra]

I was slated on here for not knowing who he was. After reading about him I'm glad I did, not the sort of person I would want to know.
As for cruising it all went t1ts up early 2000s. Late 80s to late 90s was epic simply because the ruc had more important things to do.

People getting older and simply moving on is another part.

And what the obsession ( false or otherwise ) with Paul Walker is...is almost as baffling as the obsession some have with twin cams !

 

[brendy]

I have no idea where the car scene is these days with 17-24/5 year olds, no where near where it was from what I gather

Back in the day, we went without alcohol and other things to have money for our cars, these days the metrosexuals are too busy buying ill fitting trousers, tweezing their eyebrows, stupid haircuts and other material goods so have no interest in cars.

 

[Coog]

Car cruising has died as a result of the majority of folk now going HP/lease deals hence not modifiying their cars, I belive.

It died long before HP was rife. And even then, back in the late 90's, there was plenty of new stuff floating about courtesy of finance deals, student loans or the 'bank of mum & dad'. Remember the free insurance/finance deals on the first time motors? The place was filled with new Clio's, 106's, Corsa's and Saxo's with the mods all added. I'm sure more than half my mates availed of those deals. Leases are nothing at all to do with it.

Bangor was being shut down 10+ years ago and its not hard to see why. It turned into a wrecking session.

Ballyclare, Antrim town and Lisburn were another number of spots that were nuts. Some of the stuff that went on was crazy but it was mostly away from the car parks and out on the back roads.

 

[Boydie]

I see that Seacat is still very popular on Tuesday nights, however attending is another matter...

 

[jimcupra]

Lisburn was great craic 20 years ago. My auld lad gave off to me once I was seen driving quickly on the magheradartin road (my aunt lived at the end of it) and she seen me tout lol.
He said do you think your the first to do this me and my mates were doing the exact same thing in the 40s and 50s. So its nothing new it just evolves.
I will add the auld lad drove a woosley back then with a 3.5 straight 6 in it.

 

[veedubnoodle]

The cruise scene has definitely died since I started driving and I only passed in 2007! There was almost a cruise every night then. Antrim, Belfast, Lisburn, Banbridge, Portadown, Newry and Bangor! It was something I really enjoyed at the time but as fuel got more expensive it started to die out a bit and then of course over recent years the police have taken a keen interest in it too.

I think the real problem is the antisocial driving that occurs at these meets. Truth be told I do enjoy the odd burnout or donut but some people take it to extremes and this kind of behaviour is what ruins it for the majority! It attracts police attention and before you know it they are closing the car parks and driving people away. I do have a fond memory of 2 E30 325is and a Twincam doing big circles altogether at Seacat one night but it's obvious how dangerous that is and I don't blame the police for shutting it down. More often than not though it was just a packed out car park full of petrol heads having a laugh and making friends.

The second reason, in my opinion, is purely age related. As we get older priorities change and we end up spending our free time with family and friends or doing grown up things (think of that diy project you've been putting off for months) and the young drivers of today don't seem as interested in cruising as we were.

I do still go down to Sprucefield when there's a cruise on purely because it's local to me and I usually bump into people I haven't seen in a while but I doubt it will ever return to the way it was. Probably a good thing really as the stories I'm not telling you about the antics that went on are very irresponsible. Brilliant, but irresponsible!

 

[Stu Beck]

I truly believe cruising died when I quit it.

 

[Stu Beck]

As for paul walker I dont understand the sympathy and grief surrounding his death at all.

 

[veedubnoodle]

As for paul walker I dont understand the sympathy and grief surrounding his death at all.

I understand it alright. A lot of people really connected with his character and the movies themselves and grew up watching them. For a lot of people its a main factor in why they became obsessed with modifying cars and the street car scene in general.

 

[Apis]

Ive got to admit, I never heard of Paul Walker until he died.

 

[Boabybooster]

I truly believe cruising died when I quit it.

Don't you mean the burger vans died when you stopped attending?

 

[Stu Beck]

Don't you mean the burger vans died when you stopped attending?

Now now, im anorexic! ..............................Everytime I look in the mirror I think Im fat.

 

[s3_trev]

Was it not the guys fault who organised it not clearing it with the relevant people? If he would have done that then I dont think the police would have had as big an issue? And I also dont get the Cult status Paul now has.

 

[chris_b]

Diesel. Diesel has killed car culture in this country.
Which I guess is down to rising fuel costs. I've experienced car culture in many countries and trust me, ours is embarrassing excluding the die hards and motorsport

 

[hannakournikova]

17/18yr olds now play mine craft rather than arsing about in modded cars.

 

[PeteM]

17/18yr olds now play mine craft rather than arsing about in modded cars.

Probably better off, it'll save them a few quid!

 

[hannakournikova]

Probably better off, it'll save them a few quid!

Also less chance of riding some fat doll in the back car park

 

[Apis]

Might depend what the women look like who hang around at cruises. Last time I saw some there was one hottie getting her picture taken and the rest were all growlers. A 17 year old boy would soon start to find somewhere else to go.