Pat's Burnout

[wilf leek]

I think a little "balance" is necessary (sigh).

I was there. I saw the whole thing, and where it took place, and the circumstances under which it took place. There was a clear and wide roadway. It even had banks each side for most of the way.
There was no "crowd of spectators" lining the way. Sure, there was a crowd around the rear of the cars (where safer?).
The cars reached no significant speeds, and the drivers were careful not to do so. They stopped well before the end of the roadway, thus giving themselves "escape room".

THE CROWD LOVED IT! And it WAS endorsed by the local cops. And they would not have done that if they felt there was a serious risk.

Creeper - I can fully understand why someone, such as yourself, would be upset by their perception of this. Anyone who has had to deal with real life blood, guts, and aftermath, would lean to that interpretation of the video.
But these were not raw teenage kids beyond their capabilities or tanked up. Turk doesn't even drink for chrissake. None of the drivers there were drinking that I saw - a demonstration of responsibilities called for and answered. The people involved took care to not go beyond the bounds of controllability. A burnout stops instantly when you lift off - high speeds and momentum are not involved.

Earlier, I saw an SUV come down that road, no burnout, just being driven by your average, run of the mill, mom. It was being driven far too fast, despite the fact that it was VERY obvious that large numbers of people were partying, and ended up swerving and braking very hard to avoid some folks.

Yes - you are right to condemm reckless or dangerous driving.
No - your interpretation of this event was not based on being there, just upon what you saw in a video.
The real problem both in the US and the UK is the average joe's lack of observance, awareness, and diligence whilst driving. And probably not knowing what the heck to do if either end of their car ever (heaven forbid) lets go.
Petition your local politicians for better driving school standards, and better public information services about the results of inattention, lack of awareness, car control skills, and plain dumbness. Stop these stupid, government-backed campaigns based solely on "Speed Kills". Far better use of your time than getting het up over what you thought you saw here.

Sorry - thought this was necessary, and I truly hope you never, ever, have to clear up another mess like the one you did.