Flame of the week - In defence of Chic Henry

Granny said :

So I can walk down Northbourne Ave topless because there are no conditions of entry?

Probably a little different as Northbourne Avenue is a public place as opposed to Summernats which is a private event.

However, I would love to see how it panned out in court, as it is acceptable for a male to be topless in public. Currently, there is a big movement in the states by a whole stack of women fighting for the right to be able to go bare breasted as their male counterparts do.

So I can walk down Northbourne Ave topless because there are no conditions of entry?

Granny said :

I would take issue as to whether it is in fact legal for a woman to flash her breasts in public places.

I have a feeling I’d be arrested if I behaved like that at the Canberra Show, so why should I get away with it at Summernats?

Good point Granny, but still a bit of a grey area (excuse the pun).

Topless sunbathing is legal at certain beaches for example. If the level of tolerance for that kind of behavior wasn’t stipulated in the ‘condidtions of entry’ on your Canberra Show ticket you probably could get away with it, i think it would be particularly amusing to watch people flashing on that reverse bungee ride, but that’s just me.

It’s all down to the condidtions of entry related to the event.

I would take issue as to whether it is in fact legal for a woman to flash her breasts in public places.

I have a feeling I’d be arrested if I behaved like that at the Canberra Show, so why should I get away with it at Summernats?

Granny said :

Back on topic, it is no surprise that people like RogerRamjet069 would leap to the defence of uncouth bogans like Chic Henry and the gormless disgrace that is Summernats. Birds of a feather stick together.

I wanna come at the whole Summernats thing from a different angle, because it’s going around in circles (or is that circlework, I’m not sure).

I’ll leap to Chic’s defense on this one just for the sake of keeping things interesting. I’ve met him a few times and while I don’t necessarily enjoy aspects of his event he’s actually a pretty well spoken, down-to-earth, nice bloke. He could probably do with a bit of media training when it comes to Summernats but he is a decent bloke.

I’ve been to the event too many times to count, moreso for the people watching than the cars because outrageous behavior (even though I don’t always condone it) amuses me.

It really was much tamer this year than previous, I did not attend this time around but living in Watson in past years I have been kept awake untill the wee hours of the morning with burnouts and all kinds of loutish behaviour, this year I barely heard a peep out of them after midnight each night, I’d thought they’d all turned into pumpkins. I know this wasn’t the case for some other people in the area but compared to years past it was a notable difference.

The behaviour towards women will continue there as long as there are women who go there and enjoy participating and riling up the crowd for attention. It’s all well and good to blame all of the yobbos but there are females there that act as total enablers for this kind of behavior.

Just like I don’t condone the behaviour of our male brethren I’m sure you ladies aren’t very happy about your summernats sisters setting back the movement a few hundred years.
I am not going to deny someone the right to engage in something they enjoy that is well within the bounds of our society’s laws just because I don’t like it.

Back when the nats first started, it was about the cars. I loved going to see the work that the enthusiasts had put in to their pride and joy. I wasn’t interested in the booze, the late night party with the strippers on the stage, I was there for a love of cars.

Chic Henry is not an uncouth bogan. He is a businessman. The fact that he needs to get ACT govt support for the event tells me that it is a shrewd way to ensure that the event remains at EPIC, for if it is being supported by ACT govt, they will not have an objection to it being held there.

I don’t like what the nats have become. I do know several people who won’t take their cars back to the event – they aren’t impressed by the herd, and would rather enjoy a catch up at other locations around canberra during the year.

the indy500 was going the same way, many herd, not much entertainment for those of us who go for the love of motorsport and the cars.

and i stopped going.

1/ The “global economic crisis” likely didn’t have much to do with the poorer turnout – wrong demographics.

I dunno Gungahlin Al. I think the “global economic crisis” had everything to do with it. Everyone’s been hearing how the economy is going to hell in a handbasket, so a lot of people are stepping back from any kind of spending – including on holidays. From what I gather, it’s pretty much independant of demographics.

Summernats will never be completely family friendly. Chic Henry is no fool. He’s run a very successful business model for 20+ years now. He knows that the high spending punters are groups of alcohol-swilling males. They’ll pay well over the odds for booze at the venue.

For arguement’s sake, we’ll say that your average rev-head bogan will drink 6 cans of bourbon and coke and eat a pie and a chiko roll each day. That’s a pretty serious wad of cash.

Under the “family friendly” model (i.e. no booze); even if you got more punters in the gate, you have to sell a hell of a lot of fairy floss to make up the difference. You can’t make a profit on that model, and Chic knows it. He’ll try his best to manage the PR (have a “family friendly” day) and try to keep the rock-apes from flinging too much poo at the general populace; but he wants to keep the event as appealing as possible to the premix swilling retard crowd – they’re his bread and butter and he knows it.

I’ve never had an issue with the event itself. But if after 20 years, it is struggling to cover it’s costs, then perhaps it IS time for it to disappear or move on… I am definately against the ACT Govt. supporting it (more than it already does). I also think that the lower numbers led to a noticeable decrease in the anti-social behaviour, so perhaps the event ran closer to optimal numbers this year!?!

I also miss the GMC 400 🙁 – and with Oran Park closing – the closest race is Homebush…

I wonder what other sort of event might like the prime time booking in EPIC – perhaps the folk festival? Any suggestions?

I noted Henry banging on in Ct about gate take being down 20% and banking a “we need financial assistance from the ACT taxpayer” bid for next year.

My observations:

1/ The “global economic crisis” likely didn’t have much to do with the poorer turnout – wrong demographics.

2/ The lower petrol prices probably would have helped as driving holidays are vastly cheaper than a year ago.

3/ Moving the dates to over NY may have seemed a good idea for those banking on the old boozy Nats culture, but it backfired. Most of the Sydneysiders who come here for Nats seem to have stayed at home due to fireworks/NYE/continuing Xmas break goings on. Conversely, a lot of Canberrans whom may have attended given the seemingly better culture there this time were elsewhere, as Canberrans inevitably are over Xmas/NY. This is probably the single biggest reason for the poor turnout. (Lesson: know thy customer.)

4/ Denial is poor PR practise. Smoke and fire are strangely enough often linked. Henry should have seen the writing on the wall for the bogan/boofhead/moron approach, and started shifting the event to a more broadly acceptable footing a couple of years back – really shifting it, not just paying lip service. I.e. he brought a lot of the bad publicity on himself, and instead of leveraging things to help him improve the event, he kept trying the denial path, to his detriment personally and it seems financially.

5/ As a nearby resident, things were a lot quieter this year. No local burnouts or trouble. The cops seem to have been happy. Little poor behaviour in the media. It seems to have shifted towards the sort of event I’d be OK with attending for the first time next year – and taking my kids. (Cos this greenie is also a revhead…)

Tradition? I love it!!

Bogans don’t have traditions, they have habits.

P1ss the Nats off. It has had its day. Want to see a car show? Go and visit any of the ‘Day of the VW’ shows that periodically happen around the country. Car enthusiasts behaving normally. No excessive booze, no compelling need to see breasts.

Like I told most of the boys I spoke to who yelled out the ‘traditional’ tits line when I worked up there. The next set of tits you see will be your 1st

If that comment was too cryptic for you, the simple answer was –

Everyone else.

PsydFX said :

Haha if it hasn’t been scrutenized in the media where has it been scrutenized?

By the common sense response to this question……..

Haha if it hasn’t been scrutenized in the media where has it been scrutenized?

it just never got the media / internet coverage hat it has gotten in the past few years.

So after all that argument, we’re now back to the ancient, almost fossilised “blame the media” crap.

It’s finally scrutinised, and people are appalled.

You lose.

BerraBoy68 said :

@PsydFX
1. In your post at #38 you referred to ‘a herd mentality’ that you implied is generic culture at among car enthusiast. You also argued that if the organiser’s tried to change this culture it would result in reduced numbers at the ‘Nats. You then tried to argue I was had been making generalisations about Nat’s attendees that was just not so. Can you see where I though you were being hypocritical in your arguments?
The bigger point is that they’ve failed to change the culture and the event is dying anyway.

Ahh ok, sorry, I think you have missed what I was trying to say, I wasn’t saying that the Herd Mentality is the “Car Culture”, what I was implying is that the combination of a Herd Mentality with the Car Culture is the cause of the anti-social behaviour.

I’m not sure where it is that I have argued that the if the organisers tried to change the culture that the numbers would dwindle, I did suggest that if the event was held elsewhere, by a different host, but still attracted the same number of visitors that the anti-social behaviour would continue.

BerraBoy68 said :

2. What I actually said was the point of this or any other Thread is for people to make relevant comment. Telling someone to shut up in an online forum is just ridiculous (i.e. only the mods can really shut someone down). This isn’t hypocracy as I didn’t tell you you can’t comment.

Irrelevant to the topic at hand, so I will leave this one alone.

BerraBoy68 said :

3. I’m glad you don’t like the culture that has emerged at the ‘Nats, but that’s pretty much just what many of us have been saying all along:) That said, the organisers can do a great deal to limit the behaviour that has crept into the event in recent years and perhaps save the event. As we argued earlier, why not make all 4 days family friendly, limit alcohol sales and eliminate things like the wet-t-shirt comp. that, even though it’s held after midnight, still perpetuates the culture.

Who knows, it might just save the ‘Nats from the slow death it’s now experiencing.

The numbers have only dwindled in the past few years, and I don’t think it has anything to do with the behaviour of patrons, I think you will find that the anti-social behaviour has always been there, it just never got the media / internet coverage that it has gotten in the past few years.

Watching Summernats apologists try to justify what goes on is quite entertaining. Maybe some enterprising person needs to set up a rival event, go out and capture some black-t-shirt-wearing Woodstock-swillling few-toothed fans and the crowd at the rival event could goad them. All to the accompanyment of that folk music that was used earlier to cleanse Natex.

Granny said :

ant said :

Hey you shutup you woman, you! Show him your tits.

*LOL*

What? Again!

ROFLMAO

ant said :

Hey you shutup you woman, you! Show him your tits.

*LOL*

What? Again!

@PsydFX

1. In your post at #38 you referred to ‘a herd mentality’ that you implied is generic culture at among car enthusiast. You also argued that if the organiser’s tried to change this culture it would result in reduced numbers at the ‘Nats. You then tried to argue I was had been making generalisations about Nat’s attendees that was just not so. Can you see where I though you were being hypocritical in your arguments?
The bigger point is that they’ve failed to change the culture and the event is dying anyway.

2. What I actually said was the point of this or any other Thread is for people to make relevant comment. Telling someone to shut up in an online forum is just ridiculous (i.e. only the mods can really shut someone down). This isn’t hypocracy as I didn’t tell you you can’t comment.

3. I’m glad you don’t like the culture that has emerged at the ‘Nats, but that’s pretty much just what many of us have been saying all along:) That said, the organisers can do a great deal to limit the behaviour that has crept into the event in recent years and perhaps save the event. As we argued earlier, why not make all 4 days family friendly, limit alcohol sales and eliminate things like the wet-t-shirt comp. that, even though it’s held after midnight, still perpetuates the culture. Who knows, it might just save the ‘Nats from the slow death it’s now experiencing.

Granny said :

Why thank you, BerraBoy68 ….

What gives him the right to tell me what to do? Am I supposed to toady up and beg permission every time I have something to say?

“Yes, massa. No, massa. Three bags bloody full, massa.”

Who died and made him the speech police?

Still seething ….

Hey you shutup you woman, you! Show him your tits.

He’s a maaaaaan, and you’re just wimmin.

Right there we have our walking, talking (OK, grunting) advertisment for the Summernats.

I would have thought summernats was more disruptive for inner north residents near Watson than the GMC400 was for central civic dwellers.

Yet the GMC got cancelled – shows who is more important.

I guess having to rebuild roads each time would get tiresome tho. And the Fed pollies didn’t like it.

fnaah said :

I like noise. I like smoke. I like cars. I miss the GMC400, I thought it was a great event.

If you want to get all misty-eyed and sentimental about GMC400 there are some of the original concrete barriers out on the the road to Corin Dam, still painted up with GMC400 logo.

GMC400 was never going to work long-term because of the time of year it was held. Too bloody cold! The first year lots of people went because it was a novelty, something never seen before in Canberra. The next year a lot less people went due to a combination of the weather and poor spectator visability.

Maybe they could bring GMC400 back if Summernats goes? I doubt it though, the NIMBY whingers writing into the newspapers complaining bitterly of the road closures around the Parliamentry Triangle area have killed it stone dead for sure.

Dead right, Cranky. The best event, the GMC 400, got canned by these turkeys.

A car festival organised by the ACT Government?

We are talking Sonic and the Minister Not Responsible here, who cannot can motor sport/motoring events fast enough.

Ably supported by our own motoring drunk, in conjunction with the Greens, for heavens sake.

Hell, they hate ordinary motorists, let alone enthusiasts.

Don’t think it will ever fly with this bunch of turkeys.

I don’t see how making unsubstantiated personal attacks agaist fellow commenters …is on topic.

Isn’t that what Flame of the Week is all about? i.e. making fun of fellow commenters, and pointing out how uneducated/uncouth they are.

But it’s only just getting interesting. TTIP!

How about we move on before I put you both into moderation.

Granny said :

Back on topic, it is no surprise that people like RogerRamjet069 would leap to the defence of uncouth bogans like Chic Henry and the gormless disgrace that is Summernats. Birds of a feather stick together.

I don’t see how making unsubstantiated personal attacks agaist fellow commenters and Chic Henry is on topic.

Back on topic, it is no surprise that people like RogerRamjet069 would leap to the defence of uncouth bogans like Chic Henry and the gormless disgrace that is Summernats. Birds of a feather stick together.

I wondered that myself. Let’s return to topic now please people.

Granny said :

And being hypocritical is worse than being rude how?

And this related to the topic how?

And being hypocritical is worse than being rude how?

BerraBoy68 said :

1) Re-read the post in all threads and you’ll see I’ve said a minority ruin it for the rest, enthusiasts should have a show, etc. As it is you’ve stereotyped all ‘car enthusiasts’ at #38 as the socially inept minority where these rediculous “behaviours are ingrained, changing the venue or host will not change the behaviour, unless those changes drastically reduce the attendance, in turn reducing anti-social herd mentality”. So pick an arugnment and stick with it, but at least cut the hypocrisy.

I have honestly no idea what you are talking about, nor any idea where “socially inept minority” came from.

BerraBoy68 said :

2) This is a forum where anybody can comment. Telling anybody to shut is is ridiculous regardless of their point of view.

Isn’t this is a little hypocritical? telling me I can’t make a comment suggesting that someone else shouldn’t comment?

BerraBoy68 said :

3) Yea,like the other cars shows that are closing down please continue to exclude the majority of the population by wanting to mainting a ‘car culture’ where negative behaviours are ingrained as you have said. It’s working for the Nats so well.

I don’t want to maintain the culture, I am suggesting that the culture is not limited to the Summernats crowd, i.e. Bathurst – as many have made comment on before.

tylersmayhem said :

PsydFX: you are doing nothing for the generalisations made about SummerNatters that you appear to be trying to defend BTW!

Why would I care? I’m not defending the anti-social behaviour of “Summernatters”, it is inappropriate, and it unfortunate that Women feel uncomfortable attending the event.

I am trying to suggest that the Summernats organisers can not be held accountable for all these problems, and that an event organised by the ACT Government, catering to a similar level of attendance would fall prey to similar behaviours.

Why thank you, BerraBoy68 ….

What gives him the right to tell me what to do? Am I supposed to toady up and beg permission every time I have something to say?

“Yes, massa. No, massa. Three bags bloody full, massa.”

Who died and made him the speech police?

Still seething ….

jube_V8Fairlane_235kw said :

#48, peterh: one yobbo, versus a family of 5… hmm. which has the potential for more money?

Depends on how many overpriced drinks that yobbo consumes once inside, really….A friend of mine worked full time for the Nats for many years, and told me financially the event wouldn’t survive without the alcohol sales, therefore a full family friendly event would be unlikely.

I was waiting for that. BUT, if you had kid type dagwood dogs, chips, fairy floss (renamed of course) you might make more money off the little tykes.

Granny said :

PsydFX said :

If it doesn’t affect you, shut up.

No.

and that, right there Granny, is the perfect response.

PsydFX said :

If it doesn’t affect you, shut up.

No.

PsydFX: you are doing nothing for the generalisations made about SummerNatters that you appear to be trying to defend BTW!

#48, peterh: one yobbo, versus a family of 5… hmm. which has the potential for more money?

Depends on how many overpriced drinks that yobbo consumes once inside, really….A friend of mine worked full time for the Nats for many years, and told me financially the event wouldn’t survive without the alcohol sales, therefore a full family friendly event would be unlikely.

ant said :

You could hold something for the bogan scum that wrecked summernats: get a nice paddock and have drinking comps, jelly wrestling, non-stop strip shows, and cripple fights. They’d love it.

And don’t forget – dwarf throwing!

BerraBoy68 said :

BerraBoy68 said :

An on your last point in comment #38 – why shouldn’t all four days be family friendly? You’d likley get more of a crowd and the event would likley be more profitable.

What, like the other Motor shows around that country that are all folding up?

Well Summernats sounds like it’ll follow suit soon without the ACT Govt propping it up.

PsydFX said :

BerraBoy68 said :

That’s a boorish reply which typifies the mentality that’s ruined the Nat’s for others.

No more than you constant harsh sterotyping of all those who attend Summernats.

BerraBoy68 said :

Everybody has an opinion and granny’s is just as valid as yours. Moreso as at least she has an open mind.

If she had an open mind perhaps she should would have attended the family friendly part of Summernats, and have the ability to make informed comments.

BerraBoy68 said :

An on your last point in comment #38 – why shouldn’t all four days be family friendly? You’d likley get more of a crowd and the event would likley be more profitable.

What, like the other Motor shows around that country that are all folding up?

1) Re-read the post in all threads and you’ll see I’ve said a minority ruin it for the rest, enthusiasts should have a show, etc. As it is you’ve stereotyped all ‘car enthusiasts’ at #38 as the socially inept minority where these rediculous “behaviours are ingrained, changing the venue or host will not change the behaviour, unless those changes drastically reduce the attendance, in turn reducing anti-social herd mentality”. So pick an arugnment and stick with it, but at least cut the hypocrisy.

2) This is a forum where anybody can comment. Telling anybody to shut is is ridiculous regardless of their point of view.

3) Yea,like the other cars shows that are closing down please continue to exclude the majority of the population by wanting to mainting a ‘car culture’ where negative behaviours are ingrained as you have said. It’s working for the Nats so well.

4) What TM said +1

BerraBoy68 said :

That’s a boorish reply which typifies the mentality that’s ruined the Nat’s for others.

No more than you constant harsh sterotyping of all those who attend Summernats.

BerraBoy68 said :

Everybody has an opinion and granny’s is just as valid as yours. Moreso as at least she has an open mind.

If she had an open mind perhaps she should would have attended the family friendly part of Summernats, and have the ability to make informed comments.

BerraBoy68 said :

An on your last point in comment #38 – why shouldn’t all four days be family friendly? You’d likley get more of a crowd and the event would likley be more profitable.

What, like the other Motor shows around that country that are all folding up?

If it doesn’t affect you, shut up.

Hey man, that’s a bit harsh and uncalled for. Chill the f**k out!

one yobbo, versus a family of 5… hmm. which has the potential for more money?

PsydFX said :

Granny said :

Well, I don’t go so it certainly doesn’t affect me.

If it doesn’t affect you, shut up.

That’s a boorish reply which typifies the mentality that’s ruined the Nat’s for others.

Everybody has an opinion and granny’s is just as valid as yours. Moreso as at least she has an open mind.

An on your last point in comment #38 – why shouldn’t all four days be family friendly? You’d likley get more of a crowd and the event would likley be more profitable.

peterh said :

imagine if the same type of behavior was exhibited at the sydney car show.

Heh, attendance would probably be up, and it wouldn’t have been cancelled.
http://www.themotorreport.com.au/15053/2009-sydney-motor-axed/

Granny said :

Well, I don’t go so it certainly doesn’t affect me.

If it doesn’t affect you, shut up.

imagine if the same type of behavior was exhibited at the sydney car show. How quickly would you be asked to leave?

BerraBoy68 said :

ant said :

You could hold something for the bogan scum that wrecked summernats: get a nice paddock and have drinking comps, jelly wrestling, non-stop strip shows, and cripple fights. They’d love it.

Oh, so we do already have that then – we call it a B&S ball. But again that brings us back to ridiculously overdone utes.

B&S balls are a bit tamer than they used to be. some even go dry in an effort to contain the numbers of young males who write off themselves and their mates. unfortunately, they just pack a few eskies in the ute.

Granny said :

If it was government run it would be family oriented from the start. As many have mentioned already, the Summernats ‘culture’ is too firmly ingrained.

@PsydFX – I think you will find it is the “Car Culture” in which these behaviours are ingrained, changing the venue or host will not change the behaviour, unless those changes drastically reduce the attendance, in turn reducing anti-social herd mentality.

Not true PsydFX – you don’t get people behaving like idiots at most, if any, other car shows. The recent terribly British day is just once example. It seems to be just the so-called street-machine crowd that has this problem.

ant said :

You could hold something for the bogan scum that wrecked summernats: get a nice paddock and have drinking comps, jelly wrestling, non-stop strip shows, and cripple fights. They’d love it.

Oh, so we do already have that then – we call it a B&S ball. But again that brings us back to ridiculously overdone utes.

Well, I don’t go so it certainly doesn’t affect me.

It seems, however, that there are a fair number of women and families who like car shows and are under the impression that they are welcome to attend, in the belief that this is still Australia and the usual laws would apply to public behaviour.

We could try and recall that the alledged behaviours (harrassment, noise, unroadworth vehicles, all of it) we are complaining about are in fact illegal; I’d settle for a Summer Nats for which the activities and behaviours were legal, organisers that genuinely committed to that and enforced it.

peterh said :

want to make the summernats a better place? stop selling booze.
and make EPIC a dry zone for the period it is on. Refuse entry to those who are intoxicated.

Then you would have the people that are contained within the EPIC grounds spilling out into the general public, causing more problems.

Granny said :

If it was government run it would be family oriented from the start. As many have mentioned already, the Summernats ‘culture’ is too firmly ingrained.

I think you will find it is the “Car Culture” in which these behaviours are ingrained, changing the venue or host will not change the behaviour, unless those changes drastically reduce the attendance, in turn reducing anti-social herd mentality.

Granny said :

You need something new that’s safe for women and children to enjoy along with everybody else.

Was there not a comment recently about the success of the family friendly day this Summernats? Is this not a what you are after – or are you trying to insist that the whole 4 day event is 100% Family Friendly?

You could hold something for the bogan scum that wrecked summernats: get a nice paddock and have drinking comps, jelly wrestling, non-stop strip shows, and cripple fights. They’d love it.

poptop said :

Granny said :

If it was government run it would be family oriented from the start. As many have mentioned already, the Summernats ‘culture’ is too firmly ingrained.

You need something new that’s safe for women and children to enjoy along with everybody else.

I don’t think that EVERY event needs to be for everybody, Granny, that would be too boring for words.

Agreed poptop, but do we really need an event for those that have ruined summernats fo everybody else?

Did I say that? I don’t think I said that.

Granny said :

If it was government run it would be family oriented from the start. As many have mentioned already, the Summernats ‘culture’ is too firmly ingrained.

You need something new that’s safe for women and children to enjoy along with everybody else.

I don’t think that EVERY event needs to be for everybody, Granny, that would be too boring for words.

I’ve never really been into the whole SummerNATS thing, but I’ve never had a problem with it. It’s a shame that the level of “Fun Police” in this city are looking to move it to Sydney or elsewhere. It is an event that brings $$$ to the city, and hold appeal to many Canberrans. As already mentioned at least once in this post, there didn’t seem to be too much disruption this year – so really we are only hurting ourselves by shunting the event.

Canberra – we’re certainly living up the the reputation I’ve always denied.

(As for the proposed government funding for The NATS tho – this I do object to – big time)!

BerraBoy68 said :

grundy said :

Hey, did anyone else feel their building/ground shaking a few minutes ago in Civic?

I’m on Level 1 in a building on Barry Dr and the office was vibrating for a good 15 seconds or so.

Very similar feeling to the small earthquakes happening all the time while I was in Japan.

Sorry to hijack the thread, didn’t want to post a new story just to ask.

I’m on Northbourne about 100mtrs from James Court. Nope.

Ok, must have just been our shitty building.

Ntohing on GeoScience. 🙂

http://www.ga.gov.au/bin/listQuakes

Just ignore me!

PS: I hate summernats and all the trash (people) that come with it.

If it was government run it would be family oriented from the start. As many have mentioned already, the Summernats ‘culture’ is too firmly ingrained.

You need something new that’s safe for women and children to enjoy along with everybody else.

BerraBoy68 said :

PsydFX said :

FeNc3y said :

I agree with Berryboy68 “what if the ACT Government ran a real car show at EPIC for real car entusiasts.”

How would an ACT Goverment run Car Festival be any different?

The behavioural problems associated with the event aren’t caused by mismanagement, they are caused by deindividuation of people within a large group, resulting in uninhibited behaviour.

It was just an idea, but I think it would still have a better chance of being a success among many enthusiasts of many kinds of cars rather than just a ‘beer and tits’ fest for ferals that focusses on only one kind of car (so called street machines). It could just have clear guidelines, accountability and mean social inclusion for enthusiasts of all genders.

want to make the summernats a better place? stop selling booze.
and make EPIC a dry zone for the period it is on. Refuse entry to those who are intoxicated.

jakez said :

It needed more fire to be a true flame. The poster was angry, but he wasn’t ‘on the verge of a stroke’ angry.

Well, as JB said, it’s the first of the year…

Looking forward to bigger and better FOTW’s for 2009!

grundy said :

Hey, did anyone else feel their building/ground shaking a few minutes ago in Civic?

I’m on Level 1 in a building on Barry Dr and the office was vibrating for a good 15 seconds or so.

Very similar feeling to the small earthquakes happening all the time while I was in Japan.

Sorry to hijack the thread, didn’t want to post a new story just to ask.

I’m on Northbourne about 100mtrs from James Court. Nope.

PsydFX said :

FeNc3y said :

I agree with Berryboy68 “what if the ACT Government ran a real car show at EPIC for real car entusiasts.”

How would an ACT Goverment run Car Festival be any different?

The behavioural problems associated with the event aren’t caused by mismanagement, they are caused by deindividuation of people within a large group, resulting in uninhibited behaviour.

It was just an idea, but I think it would still have a better chance of being a success among many enthusiasts of many kinds of cars rather than just a ‘beer and tits’ fest for ferals that focusses on only one kind of car (so called street machines). It could just have clear guidelines, accountability and mean social inclusion for enthusiasts of all genders.

Hey, did anyone else feel their building/ground shaking a few minutes ago in Civic?

I’m on Level 1 in a building on Barry Dr and the office was vibrating for a good 15 seconds or so.

Very similar feeling to the small earthquakes happening all the time while I was in Japan.

Sorry to hijack the thread, didn’t want to post a new story just to ask.

FeNc3y said :

I agree with Berryboy68 “what if the ACT Government ran a real car show at EPIC for real car entusiasts.”

How would an ACT Goverment run Car Festival be any different?

The behavioural problems associated with the event aren’t caused by mismanagement, they are caused by deindividuation of people within a large group, resulting in uninhibited behaviour.

Mr Evil said :

BerraBoy, you really have no idea, do you?

Mozart??? Madness??? Try Celine Dion for a better effect: it’ll get them every time. 🙂

Sorry Evil, I bow to your, well… greater level of Evil.

@Peterh, good suggestion but Celine Dion Trumps the 1812!

@Scootergal – if it would make you feel better we could all take it in turns, that’d be just like the real Summernats really.

If Summernats leaves us, who will I have to randomly ask me for a shag on the streets of Canberra?

All in all it seemed pretty reasonable considering some of the crap that is posted on RiotACT (I may or may not include myself in the definition of crap…).

It needed more fire to be a true flame. The poster was angry, but he wasn’t ‘on the verge of a stroke’ angry.

OK I’m willing to let majority of what RogerRamjet069 said fly but there are two subjects he has commented on that I personally would like to clip him across the back of the head for.

“Sensitive women should probably avoid summernats as the crowds in certain areas will encourage them to flash their breasts”
Really? So women – sensitive or not – should just suck it up and deal with it? A female car enthusiast must endure the demeaning treatment because its “the culture”?
Some how that doesn’t sound right to me.

AND

“i saw sooo many cars getting defected that it isn’t worth cruising into the centre of canberra anymore.”
Newsflash on this one – Your car is only going to be defected if there is something illegal or non-comliant with it (too loud, too low etc) All are things that you as the owner or driver would be well aware of – your knowlingly breaking the law.

I agree with Berryboy68 “what if the ACT Government ran a real car show at EPIC for real car entusiasts.”

I call shenanigans – that ‘rant’ is too well constructed and thought out to be written by a true Summernats fan!

“If you think it’s ok to impose your smoke and noise on everybody just to suite yourself, then by all means let us know where you live and I’ll see if I can oblige you by burning a truckload of tyres while playing Mozart (or at least Madness circa 1984) – with my volume turned up to 11 – in your front yard. Think your neighbours would complain much?”

BerraBoy, you really have no idea, do you?

Mozart??? Madness??? Try Celine Dion for a better effect: it’ll get them every time. 🙂

especially if the cannon are aimed correctly…

BerraBoy68 said :

If you think it’s ok to impose your smoke and noise on everybody just to suite yourself, then by all means let us know where you live and I’ll see if I can oblige you by burning a truckload of tyres while playing Mozart (or at least Madness circa 1984) – with my volume turned up to 11 – in your front yard. Think your neighbours would complain much?

oh berraboy. we have to talk about this. the 1812 overture (with cannon) is far better at making people feel particularly unhappy…

Well, there’s a guy that’s never heard Bruce sing the Canberra song!

Seemed like a reasonalbe post until…

Summernats is about all Canberra had going for it anyway……..

After banging on about how everyone is so narrow-minded, he throws in a comment like that, proving that he is just as narrow-minded. Well done.

Commented on this in a previous thread. Living in Watson I really didn’t have too much hassle this year compared to years past. I think they did a good job of keeping most of it fairly contained this year. Although I know some people had stories reflecting otherwise.

Just a shame that the police were only defecting vehicles and not people, the wildlife put the National Geographic Channel to shame. I think some of these people get ready to leave the house in front of circus mirrors.

Mmmmm, here’s a wacky idea.. what if the ACT Government ran a real car show at EPIC for real car entusiasts. The cost would be offset by the revenue.

I’m not a car entusiast but couldn’t awards still be given for things like the Show and Shine, Best British car, Best US Car, Best Modified, cleanest hubcaps etc..(I don’t really care but you ge the picture) without the needs for awards such as Loudest Car Stereo (do we really need to encourage or promote annoying doof doof music at traffic lights?), Burnouts, etc.

The nice drunks are helpful, too, assisting north canberra people with their gardens.

It’s a CULTURAL thing sepi; like harpooning dugong.

The cars and events aren’t the problem, it’s the dickheads who blow in, cause trouble and then leave.

Typical Canberra wowsers, complaining about a noisy, smoky event which we can’t go to ourselves cos we are too sensitive about being asked to get nekkid for the nice drunks.

I like noise. I like smoke. I like cars. I miss the GMC400, I thought it was a great event.

I won’t miss summernats. I’ll miss the nice cars driving around, but I won’t miss the event or the crowd it attracts.

Berraboy said it well: if Canberrans are so bad for standing up and objecting to the ‘nats, maybe he can volunteer his town to hold it? How dare we expect to have a say in what happens in our town, after all. And as for those “sensitive women” who object to being treated like garbage, shame on them too. After all, people like Roger Ramjet have ROIGHTs.

What justbands said. I also agree with most of the points raised.

I’d just like to re-post in this thread what i said following Ramjet’s original post in the hoope that his ego will bring him back here to see what a dick he’s made of himself:

RogerRamjet – thanks for just confirming what we consider to be the very worst of Summernats is actually true. Your view that we should just get used to the antisocial aspects of this event is ridiculous.

Many of us have said that car enthusiasts should have an event if they want one, just not one where:
a) women should either have to dress to suit your needs or just not go; and
b) poor behavour is accepted as the norm, as you state is should be.

If you think it’s ok to impose your smoke and noise on everybody just to suite yourself, then by all means let us know where you live and I’ll see if I can oblige you by burning a truckload of tyres while playing Mozart (or at least Madness circa 1984) – with my volume turned up to 11 – in your front yard. Think your neighbours would complain much?

oh, and if you hate Canberra so much, leave and don’t come back.

I’m with justbands, we’ve seen better flames than this. Look at it, he only uses ALL CAPS for a couple of words, and limits himself to a measly two exclamation/question marks.

Admittedly, he’s done a great job of identifying as a mysogynistic evolutionary throwback. Kudos for that, I guess.

I would take issue with Roger’s position that the “behaviours” at the Summernats are a tradition, they work and so should not be changed, justbands.

Call me culturally insensitive. 😉

Flaming’s about the level of abuse. Which this was strong in. Plus the par’s run together was top work.

Does this really qualify as a flame? Seems a reasonable enough comment, grammar isn’t too bad, no swearing.

Chic is just a misunderstood girl. Lay of her JB.