CAR CULTURE -- TAKEOVERS -- SPEED

 Republic -- "If you can keep it." [Democracy]

     Accountability for Jan. 6 insurrection

U.S. Select House Committee on Jan. 6th Hearings continue in the fall.

U.S. Dept. of Justice and FBI deserving of respect for doing their jobs.

QUESTION:  What possible justifiable reason could explain why an ex-President would take highly classified, even top-secret documents to his home when his term in office ended -- then keep them though instructed to return them, subsequently his lawyers even lying he had returned them all?

TAKEOVERS

Events in Los Angeles have caused me to think about automobiles, speed, and the attraction they hold for a segment of our population.  Some  communities in California have been besieged with what are called 'street takeovers' angering residents where they occur and creating other more serious problems.  These illegal affairs can occur at any time of day or night.  

Imagine being awakened by auto engine roaring sounds, some vehicles without mufflers, in the middle of the night with the various car induced odors of exhaust smoke and burning rubber permeating your home.

Groups of people gather about various streets to view these show-off drivers circling at high speed, 'burning rubber', doing 'donuts' which leaves their tire marks on the street.  Tires squealing, exhaust smoke fuming, braked cars skidding about, sometimes into the onlooking crowd, occasionally injuring some, a few even dying.  These cars and drivers are sometimes arrested though frequently they have dispersed before law enforcement can arrive at the scene.  

Recently, the $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct, the largest bridge project, 3,500 foot long, in the history of Los Angeles became the city's newest attraction.  Locals enthusiastically were walking, skating, biking there on opening day since it was closed to automobile traffic on that occasion.  

Los Angeles Newest Attraction: 6th Street Bridge -- Yellow Production:  The 6th Street Bridge connects Boyle Heights to the Los Angeles Arts District with some amazing views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline along the way."

Subsequently, those street takeovers began happening on the bridge necessitating law enforcement and city officials to devise ways to end them.  Initially the bridge was shut down for a period of time.  Later, they installed some round speedbumps but they ceased to be a deterrent.  The final solution is yet to be announced though the takeovers seem to have lulled for now.  Some have suggested a divider in the middle of the street should have been installed as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has, since no takeover problems on that bridge.

6th STREET BRIDGE SHUT DOWN BY LAPD /NBCLA

Some people have suggested these auto street takeovers are a consequence of people imitating a "Fast and Furious" movie that premiered in 2001, continuing through the years with subsequent features.  Last week scenes for the franchise's 10th installment, "Fast X" was shot.  This Variety article link features a photo of the street scene created by these cars and describes the complaints numerous residents in that area have.  Note:  the film shoot was completed as planned.

Here's another takeover blocking traffic on the new bridge not involving cars.

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Time will tell in the future when and how these street takeover problems are resolved.

But then, there are also people climbing on the arches, taxpayer costs for removing graffiti.

CAR CULTURE

Early in the 1970's when we moved to Southern California I became aware of the car culture and what they call lowriders.  I must confess to not seeing the utility of converting these autos into being able to perform acrobatics, much less investing so much money into those cars.  Probably there are lots of other non-car hobbies people have that may not seem to make sense either.  Whatever gives a person pleasure, I guess.  Given there's a demand for these lowriders, apparently money can be made with them.  I must admit the plush-looking interiors and fancy colorful exterior paint is quite fancy and even attractive on some.

Lowriders TAKE OVER Whittier Blvd!  Los Angeles, California

I was never interested in most car activities, like auto races that attract many people, or events where vehicles deliberately crash into one another.  My cousin, now deceased, was disappointed when we were young and I declined to go to hot rod racing events with him.  

Recent years, a lifelong friend, also deceased now, had told me her sons are into mud bogging with big trucks -- definitely not appealing to me.  They have even created their own site on which to indulge in their pastime.  When the boys were little, I remember her three young sons playing with Tonka trucks in a dirt and sand pile in their back yard.  I think it's interesting they graduated to the real big trucks and started a successful gardening business when they became adults that prospers today.  

Speed in vehicles doesn't give me a thrill as some say they feel.  I do recall purchasing my second car, a used Plymouth, when I was in my mid-twenties, taking it out on a country road one day.  I don't know what prompted me to do this but I pressed the 'pedal to the metal' driving over this roller coaster paved country road going over 100 mph, then the car stalled.

I was out of gas -- the only time I've had a car ever run out of gas in all my presently continuing driving years.  I had just passed a farmhouse, so could easily walk back where I  encountered a very pleasant accommodating farmer who gave me enough gas to power my car back to town.  I'm surprised he was so nice because he must have seen me flying by his house and probably wouldn't have thought too highly of anyone traveling that two-lane road at such a rate of speed.  

'Running out of gas' in quite a different way is an expression with which I readily identify the older I become, but we won't get into that right now.

I might add, I've never been automobile obsessed as I perceive some to be, much less attracted to speed.  Also, I don't like noise, so I've always disliked the revving roaring motor sounds of all kinds of cars and motorcycles.  I guess the sound signifies power to some but it's just plain noise to me.

What will the future bring if we get rid of the combustion engine?   Our California Air Resources Board approved new regulations requiring 35% of new cars sold in our state to be electric vehicles by 2026 -- 100% by 2035.  Our California Governor Gavin Newson announced this week he plans to eliminate sales of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. I've heard news reports that as a safety measure for pedestrians that auto manufacturers are designing ways give electric cars sound because they run quite silently.  

Whadda yew think about all this car business I've brought up in this latest epistle I've written?