End of the Gumball?

Have you ever watched it on TV? If you need telling why, you're a babbling idiot.

I've never seen it on TV, how is it a race?

Are you plain stupid or what?

As far as the messages in the press are correct: they participated in a non-autorised speedevent on open roads, ignoring elementary trafic rules, crashed their car -making it a ordinary trafic accident- and fleeing the scene. There are 2 dead now.

The only bit of luck from the drivers point of view is that it didn't happen in Turkye but somehow I doubt that post-Youguslavian (Macedonian) law will be much kinder.

In those countries a carcrash is nothing, but a accident with deads is an other matter.

The fact that it amazes you indicate that you should travel somewhat more. It could of course that you are blissfully unaware of dangers, think that a British passport will protect you when abroad. It does but you stay subject to the law of the country you are in.

As for the Gumball organisers them-selves: it would be highly surprizing if they will attent in person the trial against the Porsche-driver because they too risk jail sentences.

Finally: as organisation Gumball and participants alike do better not come to either Germany or Turkye. Tom De Moor

No go on, point out what makes it illegal.

None of the above does.

It's just Conor. The only thing he does which should be illegal is refer to a Capri as a Capper.

The rest of it is just either sanctimonious or related somehow to the genius involved in driving a truck.

Mostly the type of driving exhibited.

As Gumball is cross border, it depends on the country. Some, such as Canada, have specific Street Racing laws. Others use existing motoring laws.

Which is irrelevant to the issue of whether Gumball 3000 is itself illegal. Bad driving is bad driving, whether the car has a Gumball sticker on it or not.

Umm hmm. When was Gumball 3000 ever in Canada? And in what way does prosecuting a driver for (say) speeding make Gumball an illegal event?

Is the RAC rally an illegal event because North Wales Police handed out speeding fines to the participants?

Yes, I've seen it. Some of the participants drive like idiots but that doesn't make the whole event a race. Lots of car clubs organise driving days out, if two participants decide to race each other does that make the whole event a road race? You still haven't answered my questions, what makes it a race and why don't the police stop it if it is?

It is a race because it has as purpose to get from one point to an aother as fast as possible, it has an organisation and entrance fee.

It is an illegal race because the organisers bloody well know the haven't got any of the autorisations needed for race-like behavior on the open roads they use.

Police can not stop it in most countries because the Laws of those countries do not have specific procedures.

Just to compare: if a Belgian is caught at the same speed as were about

20 Gumballers, he will loose his licence, his car will be imponded and he will face the Police Judge for extra sanctions. A foreigner will have no of this but will ahve to pay a fine of 235 Eur.

However in Germany and Turkey they do and that's the reason why the Gumball 2007 modified its itinary. The Gumball organisation and its participants are considered as criminals.

Tom De Moor

Yes but it is still up to the competitors to comply with the law. Its a race that is supposed to test navigation and other organizational skills. Breaking the law is completely the competitors choice. And as such they are responsible not the "race" organisers. And if they do wrong and hurt people they will be punished just like other road users.

They never need apply for any authorization because law breaking is not their responsibility. If the drivers do that then its no more their problem than if a company rep breaks the law.

If they are speeding or driving dangerously all countries have the relevant traffic and if required as in this case criminal law.

Thats up to each country and agreements between countries. Hardly the gumballers problem. Especially the law abiding ones.

Considered by who and on what specific offence?

Insane troll plonks anyone making adverse comment.

Hardly news is it?

Who gives a bugger what they do in Belgium?

I'll be driving through Belgium fairly soon, planning my route so that I don't have to stop there. Not that it takes much planning.

Whoosh. Belgium. Luxembourg. Back to civilisation.

The official line is of course it's not a race. But you'd have to be some kind of dribbling mong to beleive that heh. Also, they were all stopped and instantly fined (very heavily) on entering Germany this year (and some where else), so the route had to be changed - so some countries aren't blind to this as Tom says.

Wrong, there's no reason to be at the finish of any stage first. Every stage is possible to complete in ample time without breaking any speed limits.

They don't need any since it's not a race. If individual drivers choose to break the law then that's the risk they take.

What about the country they start in? The UK starts appear to have a significant police presence to control the crowds and traffic and they don't arrest them.

Sounds similar to the UK where foreign tourists can more or less ignore speed cameras.

The Gumball complies with the wishes of any country that says they're not welcome.

To be fair though, you're just been deliberately naive for the sake of the argument - for about 90% of the competitors it's a race, and everyone knows it heh :-)

Obviously as you're thick as shit, I was listing it as an example of a country that has specific laws.

The competitive stages are held in closed off sections, not on roads open to the public for the duration of the stage.

FFS..your recent posts of the last few weeks really do make you look like a dufus.

And what sanctions are taken against them by the competitions governing body if they don't?

So you even admit it's a race.

That's a fair point. If they were serious about it not been a race, there would be penalties for people caught speeding (expulsion from the event etc).

So it's completely irrelevant to the Gumball 3000 and you admit it. Nor can you point to any specific law making the Gumball itself illegal.

Drivers have to drive between special stages and North Wales Police fined rally drivers on public roads.

Not only that but during reconnaissance special stages are not closed to the public and competitors are subject to an overall 80k/h limit *and* to whatever speed restrictions are in force. These restrictions may also be enforced by the police.

So again I ask you since North Wales police fined RAC rally drivers *on public roads* does that make the rally illegal?

Get your head out of your pompous arse Conor, the fact that you are argumentative does not make you right, and the fact that you can't argue your way out of a paper bag just makes you look stupid.