Guys, there's a serious problem with the car scene where I am.

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390) 07/08/2014 at 12:37 • Filed to: wooward

2

32

And it isn't the cars, it's the location.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Woodward has been the scene for the car enthusiasts for decades, with the Dream Cruise being the largest and greatest scene of the summer, in August. We all have a good time talking about cars, checking out cars, watching all kinds of cars, be it Classic Muscle, Classic Euro, Tuner Cars, Exotics, just everything you can imagine! You can only imagine the joy and good fun we have watching the rolling thunder of cars pass us by.

But there's a problem, and that problem comes from just about everyone there. It's the car people, the actual people that live along Woodward, and then, the local police department.

The Dream Cruise is in August, like I said; but there are always a few, actually a lot including myself that like to come out once the weather's nice and the roads are clean, usually in May. Naturally for a car person, you want to get your cars on the road as soon as the weather's nice!

The lead parking lot picture at night, that's the Normandy Plaza; it is the congregation spot for the majority of the young, modern car enthusiasts, like me that like to venture out on weekends to see the great cars around, and show off their own at the same time; and by showing off, I mean some piss revs here and there, and maybe some tire squeal. Now contrary to the picture which shows only a few cars in the plaza, it's usually filled to the brim! It's all in good fun, it can be quite a nuisance and annoying, but it's fun. But then there are the people that line up at the lights along on this perfect stretch of road, and race, and do burnouts and roll coal from their diesel trucks, which no one likes by the way; that shit is not tolerable. And it especially gets worse, because of the community that lives in the neighborhoods along side this road; which seems to be a much older crowd, seniors and retirees I believe the majority of them to be, who have to deal with all the commotion into the night and early morning sometimes. And it doesn't help that this has been happening much earlier in the year than before. You see, the Dream Cruise week is the one week where all this stuff is tolerable. Getting on the roads months earlier gets on the local's nerves.

This is where the local police department steps in and kicks everyone out of the lot because of the nonsense that goes on. As a result, as people leave, they go somewhere else for awhile and then come back to the lot later and get kicked out again. The one's that stay on the road being incompetent and irresponsible get tickets and go back out there to repeat the process. This is all normal and I respect the fact that they neighborhoods want some peace and quiet at night; fair enough. This has been going on for years and probably won't end. But this year it has been getting much worse.

In fact so much worse, that the cops here have been enforcing rules in such a way, it that it makes the situation much worse than it needs to be honestly.

For example, on our local Woodward FaceBook page, there was a story of someone's grandfather who stopped to get ice cream in his Corvette, he parked next to another older fellow in a van and as he sat eating his ice cream in his Vette, he got a ticket for what could only be described as "taking up space"; the guy in the van on the other hand, got no ticket. Why? Because he was in a van. The local police have no been discriminating car enthusiasts based on cars alone, going so far to say that if your car looks so much as modified in any way, race wing/spoiler, exhaust or other things like this, you'll most likely get a ticket.

And when you park at Normandy, there's always a cop there ready to pick your car out from the lot and stick that ticket on your car. Now to be fair, the enthusiasts usually do purchase goods and such at the restaurants there and give them frequent business. There are even some that welcome the cars and the people, but even so, they aren't the only "victims" so to speak; especially when they leave their trash all around the lot for the workers at the shops there to clean up the next morning. So there is no right side in this situation here, all sides have their own faults in this conflict.

When the cops kick us out of Normandy, usually the next meet-up spot is a larger lot down the road that can actually fit 40+ cars easily; we stay there for awhile and then the cops kick us out again. There's simply no possible solution here where all three sides of this conflict can be have that happy median. Woodward has been the sight of many glorious car moments and such and most young enthusiasts think that the way things are now, it's starting to go away. I just wish there was some way everyone could be happy in the end.

It'd be awesome if Jalopnik could maybe pick this story up and do something with it. This is a serious problem here because Woodward is the place to be, it's the "Motor City", but most people don't want the car crowd there, but the crowd doesn't want to leave because it's Woodward; there's just no other place around here like it.

For Sweden > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:38

2

But steak...

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:43

0

Sounds kinda like Wisconsin.

Milky > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:44

1

I am here to confirm as another Detroiter that this shit is annoying.

Went up there last week to check it out and the lot was completely empty except for a R.O. cop car and Corvette who looked like he was asking the officer a question. Presumedly "what the fuck is this about?".

Looks like I'll just keep hooning in Detroit.

Also my favorite part of that article - "… foreign imports, customized street machines whose engines emit a high-pitched whine."

yamahog > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:44

2

That lot attracts the worst and riciest of the crowd out here, and IMHO if you're dumb enough to park there you deserve to be guilty by association. There are a million better places to park and car watch along Woodward, especially the Shell across the street, which is well-organized with the blessing of the owner.

Crocket Bernet > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:47

4

You just compared cops giving tickets to the holocaust, are you kidding me?

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:51

2

The guy who owns Omaha Steaks just so happens to have 3 E-Types, a new ML63 AMG, a Telsa Model S, and two Models X's on order. So you could say he's a Jalop-type person.

yamahog > Milky 07/08/2014 at 12:54

0

Breaking news: Places with low crime and lots of cops have resources to enforce laws against people who are generally being a nuisance.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Milky 07/08/2014 at 12:55

0

I may have to join you for a night of hooning in Detroit to see what its like.

JGrabowMSt > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 12:55

1

I knew Woodward was getting bad, but I didn't know it was that bad.

If it were me (because I hate when shit like this starts happening), I would clean up after myself, and encourage everyone who meets to do the same. Start shunning those who don't.

If it's still an issue, hate to say it, but meet in the next town over. Make something new. Driving a fairly ambiguous wagon means I don't get most of the same looks, until I peg it on the way out, but this would piss me off so much.

A few bad apples always manage to ruin the bunch. I hate to say this, working for a small business, but in all honesty, I would call for one year of the dream cruise to be cancelled. Hear me out on this. Cars made Woodward. The dream cruise is it for the town. It's that one massive event the town has, that nothing else comes close to. If the businesses can't help foster the correct mentality, and just politely ask for people to clean up (and in turn, have people actually clean up, and push each other to keep up with that), it's time to show them that kicking out the cruisers will hurt them bad.

I'd be in the next town over having a blast if something like this happened by me. In my area, within 15 miles, there are cruise nights 5 nights a week. Some nights have several cruises all over. The businesses love having these cars. Is a cup of coffee enough? No. I know the bills a small business can have, and I know that it takes more than just 10 cups of coffee to be okay with 10 parking spots filled up for an hour or more. What's important is that it's not just the business, it's the people that support the businesses.

Instead of the cops ticketing and towing cars for being parked, ticket people for littering. Actually go after the root of the problem. Don't just sweep it under the rug and piss everyone off doing it.

I'm sorry you have to live in such a torn area. I hope it gets better. If not, while it totally sucks to move away, there are a lot of places that would welcome displaced car enthusiasts.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > yamahog 07/08/2014 at 12:57

0

But the Shell station is really the only safe place park and even so, it's very small. I mean that's where I go now because I'm attracted to the 'Murican Muscle and the older crowd and very kind and knowledgeable car people there, but I have to park down the road and sometimes I'm nervous to leave my car alone in fear of a ticket. I still go though. It's just really a bad situation all together IMHO.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Crocket Bernet 07/08/2014 at 12:58

0

Newsflash, The holocaust wasn't the only place to have concentration camps during WWII! Ever heard of the Japanese camps in California?? And I didn't reference the Holocaust directly in my article by the way.

yamahog > JGrabowMSt 07/08/2014 at 13:02

1

It's really not that bad if you're not being an idiot.

"Gee, there are cops everywhere, time to illegally loiter, then do a burnout into traffic and try to race everyone at the traffic lights!"

"OMG A TICKET?? THESE COPS ARE LITERALLY HITLER!!"

RacecaR > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:02

4

In fact so much worse, that the cops here have been enforcing rules in such a way, it could be compared to a concentration camp in my honest opinion.

Milky > yamahog 07/08/2014 at 13:02

0

Every time I went I bought a coffee and walked around for maybe a half hour. Not what I would call a nuisance. But I'm probably not the norm …..

Crocket Bernet > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:04

1

True but the interment of the Japanese is still much worse than selected ticketing of people who are "taking up space". It's not like they are making you stay in the same two lots I'd move to the next town if I were you.

All I'm saying is think before making wild comparisons.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > JGrabowMSt 07/08/2014 at 13:05

0

Yeah, I only started going out this year and I've been loving it since, but it's been getting worse for a while from what I've learned. Driving an Focus doesn't get me any looks either. There are quite a few bad apples out here and it is most definitely hurting the majority.

I think it may be too far gone to save it, which is against my usual "Engineering, I can fix this no problem" attitude towards cars. :(

The other problem is that this is usually the only place for meets on evenings, no where else.

No one's actually trying to fix this properly

yamahog > Milky 07/08/2014 at 13:06

0

Hence the "generally." That side of the street is the one with most assholes lighting out of the parking lot and drag racing up and down Woodward, so that's the one that'll be getting the most attention. Also, those businesses take issue to the loiterers. Not rocket science.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > RacecaR 07/08/2014 at 13:07

0

Yes, it was an over exaggeration but I couldn't find another term to describe it and it honestly feels that way, it really is just sad the way people, car people are being treated out here and there's no way of fixing the problem.

Milky > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:08

0

Essentially just drive to an abandoned part of town and do what you like.

Its not as nice with Belle Isle having cops, but there are still plenty of places to go.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Crocket Bernet 07/08/2014 at 13:08

0

The problem is that there's no logical other place to move to. We all want to see the cars and enjoy not only the ones on the road, but ours as well. No other city or road can offer that like Woodward does. :(

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Milky 07/08/2014 at 13:10

0

Maybe this weekend I'll join you if you're not busy.

Milky > yamahog 07/08/2014 at 13:15

0

I'm not saying science is involved or the police are necessarily wrong. All I said was "this shit is annoying."

Its nice to have a place to go do car stuff on the regular, kind of sucks its not like that anymore.

JGrabowMSt > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:17

1

any business parks around? Theyre usually out of sight and mind, though littered with poles that people run into.

Id keep looking, you can find the answer, even if it isnt a true fix.

See if you can organize something. Its a ton of work, but well worth it.

STREPITUS > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:18

2

Glossing over the Holocaust reference.....

Maybe if they respected one another the business parking lots it would be different. You go there and its people shitting on each others cars (not literally, although some people seem like they'd be the type to do so), making fun of you for driving a Mustang or a Camaro, dropping f-bombs left and right, needlessly revving their engines, doing burnouts, littering, doing aggressive launches into the street, and flying across 4 lanes to hit the turnaround. Of course the businesses are going to complain to the cops to get them kicked out.

Meanwhile on the Shell side, its a nice family atmosphere, people talking to each other admiring all cars regardless of make or model, and when we leave the lot is as clean as when we got there and hardly any of us even chirp the tires leaving. The station owner has no reason to kick us out, nor do the cops have a reason to intervene.

Heres a fun story, I've been pulled over on Woodward before because the night before there was footage posted to the Woodward Facebook group of a green Mustang racing from light to light. I was able to prove to the officer that it wasn't me because I didn't have window tints or a blacked out roof, but seriously? I'm not faulting the cops for pulling me over, it just so happens that I share a very distinctive car with the moron who posted the video and the officer was just trying to make the road a safer place.

Milky > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:20

1

I'm down … I'll try to think of some factories if this happens.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > STREPITUS 07/08/2014 at 13:23

0

Look I got rid of the reference, let it go please. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, it wasn't my intention to do so; I only meant to explain my displeasure at the situation. :(

And I agree with you fully; the shell side is better in every way; unfortunately that's also the 'Murican car side and my Porsches will not be welcome over there for much really except getting gas because they are of ze German decent. Just kidding, but they won't fit in over there.

Also, I know exactly who's Green Stang your talking about because I thought he was you before I actually met you.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > JGrabowMSt 07/08/2014 at 13:25

0

Business parks? Not sure what those are; when I find out it's most certainly worth a shot. There must be someway out of here. I'd love to organize something if I could, especially with fair enforcement and legitimate rules too.

JGrabowMSt > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 13:30

1

Business parks are like industrial areas around office buildings. Usually have big parking lots, a couple buildings, not usually near houses.

There are a couple by me, but you'd have to go out and talk to someone who could give you permission beforehand. Just showing up in a large group with no notice will definitely get the wrong attention. Some benefits would be keeping the annoyance away from an active business, and you'd be away from most of the public eye, so no reason for cops to show up unless people get really stupid.

You just need to clean up after yourselves, and adopt the "cleaner than you found it" attitude, and you'll be set.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > JGrabowMSt 07/08/2014 at 13:35

0

If only people would do that. I'm not sure if there are any like that around here but I'll try to take a look and find out.

STREPITUS > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 14:33

2

If you're not a tool about it, the Porsche will be fine on the Shell side. We get the occasional Ferrari or Audi or Datsun over there. There actually used to be a guy with a really nice 300ZX that hung out every weekend last year. Haven't seen him yet this year, but if he can hang out there, so can an old 911.

MrCrash > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 07/08/2014 at 16:47

3

I lurk on the Woodward facebook group, but have not bothered heading up to Woodward after seeing how that group handles itself. I figure at least half the "problems" they deal with are due to their own actions, and appearing on Woodward as a younger male in a modified vehicle is just asking for trouble at this point.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > MrCrash 07/08/2014 at 16:48

0

Essentially, yes!