Dumbest....hobby....EVER. (1 Viewer)

[Graeme Clark]

In defense of dB drag racing (which is a sport I take part in) the competitions are held in sanctioned places, usually away from residential areas. Serious participants don't drive their vehicles through town with their music blasting (most of them don't drive their competition vehicle at all).

I think we all understand that... we just don't understand what the point of it is, and the fact that they don't (or can't) drive the cars makes it seem even more absurd.

 

[MarkHastings]

Serious participants don't drive their vehicles through town with their music blasting

True, but you can't blame people for associating the two. The mentality of having loud stereos in cars is pretty much the same (i.e. Trying to up each other by going louder). It's just that one has more respect for residential neighborhoods.

Also, considering the article says that without properly enclosing these stereos the noise could scramble your brains, it's not something I'd want my neighbors (who definitely have NO respect for the quietness of our neighborhood) to start getting into.

Maybe it's also because I have a next door neighbor who likes to tune his old car and motorcycles EVERY weekend in the early morning hours

 

[Philip_G]

I think we all understand that... we just don't understand what the point of it is, and the fact that they don't (or can't) drive the cars makes it seem even more absurd.

I don't understand the point of a lot of things... collecting spoons... shot glasses... those big rodeo belt buckles... hell I don't understand the rate that some people collect DVDs... but it's not my time or money so who am I to say anything.

 

[MarkHastings]

Philip_G,

I doubt I (or anyone else) would have the nerve to attack someone for collecting spoons, but if that same person were to spend $100,000 on spoons and completely fill their house to the point that they can't move, then maybe you'd have some validity in calling them a "Freak!"

 

[Philip_G]

Is that so different than people that have say, a thousand DVDs? I like my modest DVD collection but man, I have no desire to own ernst goes to jail on DVD. To me the thought of buying a dvd and filing it on the shelf still in the wrapper is absurd, you know there are people out there obsessivly collecting anything and everything. Hell, coins are absurd to me.

 

[Gary->dee]

Usually there's rational reasoning behind even the most mundane hobbies. Collecting stamps for example. Seems dull but there are some very valuable and rare stamps out there. Collecting shot glasses usually stems from actually going to places that have the shot glasses in order to collect them. In other words in most cases it's the pursuit of the item you collect and then acquiring the item coupled with possible research and proper storage that makes it a hobby.

Stuffing tons of audio equipment in a crappy vehicle just to produce a loud noise seems more like an experiment than a hobby. =/

 

[Christopher Fisher]

I was involved in Car Audio for a while but never DB Drag Racing and never had a system capable of vibrating trunks or other cars around me. Why did I do it? Simple, I enjoyed it. Just like the people here love movies and home theater systems, some people like doing this stuff.

Yes, some people are idiots but I bet most people in here have been asked to turn their own system down on occassion. Your wife, girlfriend, neighbor, etc. yelling over the movie/music to TURN IT DOWN. The point being that it's a hobby, it maybe considered dumb to you but that does not make those who enjoy it stupid.

The best analogy I can think of is normal drag racing. I know lots of people who pour thousands of dollars into building a car to get the quickest 1/4 mile time. The speeds these cars go far exceeds anything that we can legally drive on public roads. People have trailered cards they spend thousands on solely to burn rubber, pollute the air, to travel a 1/4 mile at insane speeds. They do not drive it home or if they do they sure don't drive as fast as they were at the track.

Again, it's not my cup of tea to make a car insanely fast to travel a straight section of pavement while spending thousands of dollars. But just because it does not make sense to me, I don't judge other people who participate. They enjoy it and it's competition for them. Feel Free to flame away if you want and sorry that was so long-winded.

 

[Philip_G]

Stuffing tons of audio equipment in a crappy vehicle just to produce a loud noise seems more like an experiment than a hobby.

so, nothing to be said for the fun of competition?

 

[Gary->dee]

Sure I guess, couldn't tell you exactly since I don't participate. But as Christopher pointed out it's more of a competition than a hobby. Once you start winning money or awards it becomes more than a hobby, correct me if I'm wrong. I mean you can't really say drag racing is a hobby. It's a sport or a profession. Can someone be a professional spoon or shot glass collector?

 

[MarkHastings]

Can someone be a professional spoon or shot glass collector?

I know some professional Shot Glass emptiers.

 

[Jason Merrick]

Car subwoofers should be made illegal, limiters built in on db and hefty fines for disabling them. You're in a car to drive, not to pound eardrums.

What an incredibly arrogant and ignorant statement! A car can be an awesome place to listen to music, the acoustics can be amazing. Why wouldn't I want to install a subwoofer in my car? Now, turning it up to the point that people outside the car can hear it and are disturbed by it is a completely different thing, but why ban the sub? As others have said, the same argument could be made against HT subs, but no one on this forum would say they should be made illegal!

 

[Scott L]

I got a complaint from my next door neighbor about my HT system once, but never got one from the sub in my car.

More pics of Troy's caravan can be found here.

 

[MarkHastings]

What an incredibly arrogant and ignorant statement!

I'd say it's more of a statement of frustration. Most laws may seem ridiculous, but in all reality, the reason for some laws are because some people have no common sense.

Yes, banning subs in cars is pretty out there, but before you accuse someone of being arrogant for suggesting subs be banned, think about the arrogance of the people who don't think they are disturbing people by cranking up subs in their cars, which lead people like Jeff to want harsh actions taken.

Unfortunately some people ruin things for others, it's not arrogant at all to demand respect (once it's gotten out of control)

 

[Jason Merrick]

Unfortunately some people ruin things for others, it's not arrogant at all to demand respect (once it's gotten out of control)

You're right, it's not arrogant to demand respect... but it is arrogant to demand that subs be made illegal because a few dorks like to share their music with the whole neighborhood.

If you follow this plan through to the end, pretty soon you have to make everything that is used inappropriately illegal. Guns (almost there!), alcohol, cars, etc. The behavior is the problem, not the tools used to implement the behavior.

P.S. I purposefully did not call Jeff arrogant or ignorant, I specifically referred to his statement.

 

[Andrew S]

I see nothing wrong with competing in SPL Competitions. I myself would never spend ridiculous amounts of my own money on a stereo, but I do have a a subwoofer in my car and I do enjoy it. I am also respectful, which as mentioned before, is the key to ANY hobby/interest that has the potential to annoy or disturb others. My lawnmower has headlights, but I don't mow after dark while others are sleeping . To each there own is what I say. SPL competitions are more than just throwing large amounts of money into power and subs. From what I've read at car audio forums, it's just as technical (with regards to T/S parameters and box design) as home theater sub design. I got dizzy once reading a thread between Matt Overpeck and Dan Wiggins about their drivers capabilities .

Just my opinion, might have trailed off.. I'm watching TV too, so I appologize.
Andrew

 

[Mike Lenthol]

I'd love to see some anthropological research (especially ethnographical work) with these 'db drag' folks, and the 'ricers'. Or is that not a P.C. term?