Illegal Racing

Every weekend, in the wee hours of the morning, the horrendous sounds of motorcycle engines whirring, thumping, roaring and growling can be heard in my neighbourhood. Didn’t the mothers of these motorcyclists teach them that when people are asleep they should not make a sound?

These uncaring and unscrupulous maniacs roam the streets in a posse making a deafening noise that reeks of malice for all and sundry. It takes the sound of just one motorbike to awaken the whole neighbourhood. So can you imagine the ruckus when there are at least 20 hooligans prancing up and down the streets on their modified machines?

And where are the law enforcers when the night’s peace is broken by the screeching and wailing of the motorbikes? An hour or so later, one can hear the wailing of the police siren. Is it merely to frighten off the ‘mat rempits’? We read in the papers that machines are seized and summonses are issued. Are these the only ways to curb illegal racing. They do not seem to work because all too soon, these illegal racers will be back on the streets.

Why aren’t the ‘mat rempits’ apprehended? When caught, the illegal racers should be forced to do some form of community service which should instil in them a more caring attitude. They could be made to clean a park, take care of the elderly for a period of time or even visit some accident victims. It will be a very humbling experience for them.

In a nutshell, the ‘mat rempits’ should be stopped. They should be taught how to be considerate of others, to get down from their machines and think about what they can do to help the people rather than annoy them.

Published in the STAR (3 March 2011) Letters to the Editor column under the title 'There's no end to Mat Rempit nuisance'.