Why Do Cities Tolerate Street Takeovers?

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Street takeovers, what some people lovingly call sideshows, is a plague on society which originated in the Bay Area of California. At least that’s what some people claim, with others trying to argue it began in Los Angeles. We have no idea why anyone would want to boast about a societal cancer beginning in their neck of the woods, but we also know both metropolitan areas seem to treat these illegal gatherings with kid gloves.

Watch a guy crash his rental C8 Corvette.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, anyone caught trying to block off an intersection for smokey donuts and drifting faces severe consequences. In fact, some cities have issued strong warnings about even a hint of a street takeover planned within their boundaries, scaring off organizers who move the illegal activity elsewhere.

What we wonder is why some cities seem to tolerate these takeover events? They’re a drain on city resources with damage to the infrastructure alone putting a strain on municipal budgets. Then you add on the crime these events draw, the general displeasure of citizens who have to deal with them, and security risks, making us wonder why every city doesn’t do all it can to quash takeovers for good.

The answer probably has something to do with the overall attitude city leaders have towards crime. And that’s likely rooted in their viewpoint on human nature. A popular notion is that criminals are the victims of society and thus we all have to coddle them and tolerate their misbehavior since we all in a way are responsible for it.

Thankfully, the general mood towards takeovers seems to be shifting from their being regarded as harmless events to their being viewed as a menace to good order. We hope that continues as organizers and participants alike face severe consequences. Nobody should be able to shut down a street without express approval from the local government and a good reason for it.

Image via KTVU Fox 2 San Francisco/YouTube

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