Burnout gran says six-month driving ban unfair

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A 50-year-old Napier grandmother known as "Mumsy" to boyracers says her disqualification from driving for six months after being caught doing a burnout is "over the top".

Lee Smith, of Napier, pleaded guilty in the Napier District Court to one charge of sustained loss of traction.

And she said the 9m smoking burnout had reflected badly on her "mates" in the boyracer scene.

"I let a lot of people down, including the boyracer scene, and I apologise to them. It gets a bad enough rap without me doing something stupid as well."

At 2.20am on November 11 last year, Smith was sitting in her Mitsubishi FTO sports car in the Domino's Pizza carpark on the corner of Heretaunga St West and Tomoana Rd in Hastings.

The carpark is a popular hang-out for boyracers and there were four other cars in the parking lot at the time.

Smith accelerated quickly, causing the wheels of her car to lose traction for five seconds, and a large plume of smoke was emitted. The burnout left a 9m black tyre track.

Unfortunately for Smith, her burnout was spotted by police.

Defence lawyer Michael McAleer said "she is incredibly embarrassed at her age facing this charge".

Smith told Hawke's Bay Today she was "letting off steam" after finding out about a car crash near Meeanee which involved her friends.

"As I took off, I felt it going down and, to my detriment, I did not stop it and I've driven a car long enough to know what to do."

She said she was "ashamed" of what she had done. But she felt the mandatory six-month disqualification was harsh.

"Six months is what someone gets who drinks and drives."

Smith said she had had a spotless driving record with "not even a speeding ticket".

"Compared with a drunk driver or a speeding driver I got penalised more."

Smith started cruising with boyracers between five and six years ago and described them as "good kids" and "car enthusiasts".

She said her conviction would not stop her cruising on a Friday or Saturday night.

Several boyracers had already let her know they would drive her next time.

Judge Tony Adeane also fined her $300 with court costs of $130.

"This was the sort of behaviour we encounter with immature young men," he said.

"I would not have thought you would be doing burnouts in your FTO at your age."
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Source: Burnout gran says six-month driving ban unfair - National - NZ Herald News

Wow, a 50 years old grandma was doing a burnout... that's not very common.
 
sequoias said:
Stupid law in NZ.
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Yeah I know, the thing is... its not illegal to do a skid on your drive way... Police can't do a thing about it...

Once you are on the public road and do a skid then yes police can do a thing about it.
 
Awww....leave "Granny" alone! Just having a little fun for the few years she has left......and the guys love her! She didn't hurt anybody, carjack anybody, shoot anybody...jeez!
 
rockin'robin said:
Awww....leave "Granny" alone! Just having a little fun for the few years she has left......and the guys love her! She didn't hurt anybody, carjack anybody, shoot anybody...jeez!
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She's 50! I hope she has more than a few years left. :lol:
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Teleca Q7; Brew 3.1.5; U; en) 320X240 LGE VX9200)

this is over the top but the way the courts are looking at it is that a sustained loss of traction equals a sustained loss of control over the vehicle. sad really.
 
Dixie said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Teleca Q7; Brew 3.1.5; U; en) 320X240 LGE VX9200)

this is over the top but the way the courts are looking at it is that a sustained loss of traction equals a sustained loss of control over the vehicle. sad really.
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One of my preferred forms of reasoning is semantics which postulates that to get as worked up about what "could" have happened as if it actually "did" happen is borderline mental.

Unfortunately our society and the law has decided to react to the slightest possibility of a negative outcome as if the worst possible case scenario had actually happened.

I'm not convinced the mental health of our dysfunctional society has improved.
 
Bottesini said:
She's 50! I hope she has more than a few years left. :lol:
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well I'll be a monkey's uncle!. She's 50! That's nifty!
Ah, well! If she would have waited 10 more years....then of course I would have said to leave her be "in her 2nd childhood"...
 
My own mother would do this, with a cigarette dangling from the mouth, and a beanie with braids running down both sides of her head..

For real. :shock:
 
Wow... 6 months!? That's too much!

I remember a time when a student at RIT set off the fire alarm because he did a massive burnout with his pickup truck. The burn out was so bad that he literally burned a hole in the cement. The smoke went 30 yards into someone's dorm room setting off the smoke detector... which forced everyone to evacuate. :shock:
 
Now my mom is here with me at Avery brewery telling me stories of her scaring the wits out of her cousin. Driving up the Rocky Mountain National Park screeching through corners at 70mph+ with a beer in a hand, a joint in the other.

Good times..

ps: it was in *my* car.
 
Burn out Granny!! Most people would just get a ticket!! But to take away the driving privileges.:shock:
 
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