Street racers aren’t just criminals, they’re also extremely selfish people who put their “hobby” above the safety and well-being of the general public.

If you want to race a car, go find a track.

This is just from an initial search, with strict query:

Known Cases in 2024 of Bystander Deaths or Innocent Victim Deaths in Street Racing-Related Crashes

St. Louis County, Missouri – April 2024 Construction worker killed in work-zone by street racing crash Two 18‑year‑olds racing; one lost control and struck construction workers. One, Christopher Johnson (34), was pronounced dead. https://www.wdtv.com/

Portland, Oregon – Fatal crash killing innocent bystander Young mother (Ashlee McGill, 26) killed She was struck by a vehicle that lost control during an illegal street race while she was a bystander (had no involvement). https://hoodline.com/2024/05/portland-man-sentenced-to-3-years-for-fatal-street-racing-crash-that-killed-young-mother/

Grand Prairie, Texas – August 10, 2024 Family killed by alleged street racer Four family members (parents and two children) killed when their car was struck by alleged street racer returning from Six Flags. https://people.com/four-family-members-killed-after-street-racer-slams-into-their-car-8695681

Kansas City, Missouri – December 2024 Two innocent people killed in street racing crash A street race (Chrysler 300 vs Charger) resulted in collision with a Honda HR‑V turning onto another road; both people in the Honda died. These victims were not part of the race. tonyskansascity.com

As someone who grew up in the racing community (at tracks designed for it), I’ve watched the safety improvements dramatically improve over my lifetime, and the number of attendee injuries drop to near zero and yet we still have crashes that exceed the math of safety engineers.

I’ll add my personal experience. A couple jackasses were racing on a residential street in a major US city. Where 2 cars can barely squeek past each other at a walking pace.

One of those jackasses sideswiped my parked truck, and hit it so hard it bent the lower control arm. You know, things that are designed for major forces. $5000 in damage to my parked vehicle that my insurance paid because the prick ran off (not sure how they did that).

Imagine the smear that would’ve made of a human body.

I work very hard to not insult people here and rather to critique their statements. But in this case, get fucked with your selfish bullshit.

I hate how games like Need For Speed always paint racers as villains

I recently played NFS Heat, and that somehow twists it into street racers being good (at least relative to the corrupt cops). I haven’t played all of them, but the only one I remember where the racers just unapologetically villains is the BMW Driver Simulator, aka NFS Most Wanted (2005), and I absolutely loved it for that.

Shower? Maybe. Thought? Not so much.

I look forward to your changing your opinion when a member of yours family dies because of street racers loosing control of their car and smashing into them while standing at a set of lights waiting for the lights to change.

Next time you’re in the shower, consider where the line is for what is called intentionally hurting people. As a thought exercise, pretend someone has a fully automatic weapon and for 10 seconds at midnight every day they will discharge the weapon across the public road next to their house. They don’t want to hurt anyone, this is just their hobby. Ask yourself:

• How long before someone gets hurt or killed?
• If no one gets hurt after 100 nights, was it harmless?
• If someone does get hurt, does the shooter’s lack of intent matter?
• Does calling it a “hobby” change the moral calculation?

In Need for Speed, how many other cars did you hit or do you play with traffic off? In a video game there are no consequences, so you end up hitting dozens and can keep going as you learn the game. In real life, you hit one car and someone is either dead, wishes they were, or incredibly lucky.

How about hitting the trees, the road barriers, going through grass? All that stuff costs the community money to fix.

Let’s say you’re the best (or luckiest) player in the world and never hit anything, how much did your little cousin hit when you first gave up the controller?

Street racing is a crime because its dangerous to other people. You are intentionally putting other people’s life at risk for your own personal entertainment.

Criminals are anyone who is breaking the law.

It’s why I never liked the term as it applies to drug users, but it is true.

Are they speeding? Then they are committing crimes, ergo they are criminals by the definition of the word.

Even if you ethically limit crime to harmful behavior, the risk to pedestrians and other traffic still paints them as criminals.

There are reasons they aren’t racing at a track, and part of it is the thrill of someone potentially getting hurt, or arrested. So even by your definition, they are criminals.

Now skateboarding is not a crime. Public nuisance, perhaps, at worst, but not a crime.

If you want to race take it to a track. I understand the urge, but if you want to do that stuff go somewhere where you’re supposed to do it instead of endangering others.

Endangering others for your entertainment makes you a criminal too.

Er, A&E nurse talking here. They are. They knowingly endanger other people. You can’t always guarantee clear streets. I still wake in the night from dealing with the aftermath of the Bristol Middleway incident. Half of the deaths were innocent bystanders.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/full-story-horror-crash-killed-1625468

I never said this on the fediverse, but FUCK YOU!

Yes you are the fucking villains.

Being a criminal doesn’t mean that someone did something unethical, just that they did a crime - ie something illegal. However, in this case they are also doing something unethical.

Putting other people at risk through deliberate or careless action is also considered to be criminal, in many cases.