Alternative Media Group

Potts Point’s war against westies hots up

Author:

Michael Gormly

Posted:

Thursday, 12 November 2009

Some residents of Macleay Street Potts Point are waging a war against what they describe as the “weekend westie circus”, the cavalcade of hot cars cruising through Kings Cross with horns honking, engines revving and subwoofers booming.

The residents have been lobbying Council and the Police, and have collected a petition with “hundreds of signatures”. Some took to throwing eggs at offending cars from their balconies above Macleay Street .

Now the cavalry has come to their rescue, with a large contingent of police and RTA personnel closing Macleay Street between midnight and 4am on Saturday nights for a four-week trial. It started on 30 October, after which the residents wrote to police and councillors saying they had enjoyed their “first full night’s sleep in years.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore is enthusiastic: “I believe the trial should continue after the Police finish their four week operations and will soon put a proposal to Council to extend the trial,” she said.

However other nearby residents are not so keen.

“Last Saturday night was one of the noisiest I can remember,” said Woolloomooloo resident Kerry McFadden. “A lot of cars use our street to get to and from the Cross, and blocking Macleay Street will only send more of them our way.”

The possibility of such displacement also concerns Kings Cross Police Superintendent Tony Crandell.

“We’ll be patrolling other areas to see if there is any displacement,” he said. “I will decide whether to continue the trial based on the evidence.”

Similar road closures at the Rocks have reportedly worsened the situation at Potts Point, displacing the hot cars from one place to the other.

Supt Crandell said police did not condone residents throwing eggs. “The residents I’ve spoken to don’t condone it either,” he said.

But last Saturday night Police did not actually close the streets, instead conducting an intercept operation on Cowper Wharf Road involving Police, Highway Patrol, Police rescue and RTA personnel. All vehicles bound for Kings Cross except public buses, and taxis with passengers, were stopped. Any car that looked modified was directed into a Navy parking yard near Harry’s Café de Wheels. Police also patrolled other parts of the city, leading vehicles into the inspection yard. One driver said he had been pulled up in Haymarket and had to follow police across town.

Another said his car had been defected because the windscreen-washer tank was empty. Another, who was driving a modified BMW, said police had pushed him and he lodged an official complaint

The drivers whose cars were inspected were almost all of “middle-eastern appearance”, reflecting the existence of a strong suburban car-culture. Several impeccably presented cars wore “Queen Street Racing” decals. Queen Street Racing is a drag racing, smash repair and car modification business with links to the Ibrahim Brothers according to its website. Mohammed Ibrahim owns three vehicles racing under the QSR banner. The site describes one modified racing vehicle capable of 197 mph (317 kph). The website gives criteria for joining its racing team. Applicants must: “Be highly motivated; Sport our racing colours; Have an attitude of a racer; and Make an appearance at every show we participate in.”

None of the vehicles pulled in had been speeding, making undue noise or playing loud music while The City News was at the site. None of the drivers seemed drunk and all were allowed to leave in their vehicles.

Superintendent Crandell provided the results of the first weekend of the closure trial:

On Friday 30 October there were 31 Random Mobile Breath Tests; 1 Charge for Novice PCA; 3 Other charges; 13 Traffic Infringements; 2 Defects to unlawfully modified vehicles; 1 DECC referral for a vehicle suspected of offensive and excess noise; 5 Traffic cautions.

On Saturday 31 October there were: 199  Random Breath Tests; 29 Traffic Infringements issued; 18 Defects issued to unlawfully modified vehicles; 3 DECC referrals for vehicles suspected of emitting offensive and excess noise; 7 Traffic cautions; 1 vehicle was searched; 1 person was searched.

by Michael Gormly

Random breath testing on Cowper Wharf Road: Many are called but few are booked

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