Auto Gossip

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32702, 3 September 1971, Page 21

Auto Gossip

by /

A.J.P.

Nasty incident A man told me the other day of a sorhewhat alarming incident he experienced at 1 a.m. recently in Colombo Street. A man who works late, he was heading home in his expensive model car, and had stopped for a traffic light when a battered V 8 full of youths pulled across his bows. The occupants leaned out and gave him some widely recognised and distinctly offensive signs. Perhaps indiscreetly, he returned the sign. The old V 8 came to a screeching halt, and those inside leapt out and started running across to him. Just then, the lights changed in his favour, and so he decided discretion was the greater part of valour, and accelerated smartly away. Other stories His experience raises some interesting points. It is far from the first time I have heard a similar story in ’ the last few months—and there have been other cases in Christchurch of a

man or a woman alone at night in a car, usually an expensive model, being cut off, insulted, or generally shaken up by motorised young louts. The man in the latest incident said that he realised, when he saw the youths coming, that his car’s rear doors were not locked, and that he could not have locked them in time. He also realised that he did not want his car damaged, and decided that if one of the youths did get a rear door open and his escape was blocked, he would accelerate backwards, to the probable grave detriment of the youth. This would hardly be legal, he agreed, but he felt there was little point in allowing himself to be assaulted before; he took any action.

Possible moves Anybody would be worried on a deserted street late at night with a horde of youths heading for him, and it is difficult to know what advice to give other than head for the police station; or if your vehicle is blocked off (as has happened in some incidents), lock the doors and keep sounding the horn until help comes. Nautrally, you should also trike the other car’s number, in the hope that it might be an occasion when the police could do something about the incident. Same experience I had one of these experiences myself, about three years ago, when driving home at night after working late. The usual old bomb cut me off, tried braking in front of me to bring me to a stop, and generally carried on in an alarming manner. The vehicle’s rear number plate, as it happened, was quite

illegible. I managed to avoid the “cutting off” manoeuvres, and headed straight for the police station. When the destination became apparent, the bomb sheered off and vanished rapidly into the distance. I do not think it was coincidental that I ■ was driving a luxury-model ; car that night Enforcement matter r Only a very small per- • centage of young drivers are ■ involved in driving incidents > of this sort, of course, but . I sometimes wonder if it , suggests that young people 1 should not be permitted to 1 own a car until they reach 1 a certain age. Any such ■ legislation, however, would : probably merely penalise 1 the majority for the trans--1 gressions of the minority, ■ and be difficult to enforce into the bargain. Restricting the age of those who ; bought cars on hire pur- . chase would also be discrimi inatory. It probably all t comes down to a matter of > enforcing existing rules. But > it does seem that loutish : incidents in cars are becom- , ing more prevalent, and 1 that it is a matter for con--1 cem. Sooner or later, , someone is bound to get i hurt.