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Warning : Rant about to unfold!
And the big winners are:
California Highway Patrol
Antelope Valley Towing Services (at least 3 companies)
Antelope Valley local government
So what's up with this?
Drive out to the spectator stage at Spunky Canyon - awesome spot on any other day but today. It was raining heavily all morning so no cars were able to get up the dirt road to the parking area for the stage. When I arrived at 2.30pm there were cars all over. Parked in the dirt turnout, the dirt at the sides of the road - everywhere. At least 200 vehicles! I find my spot - display my Adventure Pass.
So set off walking into the stage - the parking area is 2.7 miles off the highway - the stage is another 2 past that. With on/off rain the walk is not too bad - get a ride in a pick up truck for most of the way (Thanks guys!).
The Saturday restart was delayed until 1pm so first car was expected by us at around 3.50pm. I arrive at the spectator areaat 3.30pm, told we have about a 20 minute wait. Cool! Find my spot, settle down and wait. And here comes Mother Nature once more. Rain coming sideways, freezing cold - problems on Del Sur stage delaying start of Leona - our spectator stage!
After and hour and a half I was so numb I had to leave, along with many others! (Love rallying but there had already been a Hypothermia case the night before so I didn't want to become a statistic!)
Set off walking back down the road - again get truck ride back to highway! (Thanks again, other guys!!)
Arriving back at the road it looks very empty - seems like most folks had given up and headed off! Or so I thought.
Along comes Mr.CHP, and his tow trucks!!!!!
I walk back to my car to find it being raised up onto a tow truck! WTF!! According to the driver, all the cars parked at the side of the road were parked illegally, and making it dangerous on the road!
We were all parked on the outside of the white line, on dirt, off the road - but Mr Plod decided he wanted some Brownie points from his Captain!
Tow Truck guy (with a WRX on the flatbed and my car on the hitch) said that he had to take it unless I paid $100 RIGHT NOW!!! What am I to do - it's 16 miles to Palmdale, it's freezing and pissing with rain! I pay! While sat in his truck with him writing out the receipt along comes his colleague in another tow truck. Colleague rolls down window and comments "It's like Christmas, man!" then drives off. Prick!
At the same time, WRX owner returns to find his car on the back. He's pissed because the car had been dragged onto the flatbed still in gear and he's worried his diffs may be screwed! He pays.
I check out my car and notice that the brainiac tow truck driver was minutes away from towing my front wheel drive CRX with the rear raised and the car in gear. What a cock!
This all happened today about 2 hours ago. What a load of BS. The CHP are fully aware that the rally was going on. Every car I saw had an Adventure Pass on the mirror - and I'm sure no-one was aware that we were illegally parked. It appears that an overzealous Officer decide to f**k up everyone's day by leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no car in the pouring rain. The tow truck drivers all made their commission and we got reamed!
I was lucky that I got a ride out of the stage, that I was not 3 minutes later and that I could get out of the rain. I feel very sorry for the poor sods who were stuck up on the stage waiting to watch the action while they were getting screwed by the local law enforcement. I wish I'd had a van so I could wait for them, to get them back to Palmdale - even though they couldn't their cars back til Monday! (Per the driver!) And if towing damages AWD cars - there were a hundred subies there that are going to have some issues with the tow yards.
I'm sure folks have parked there before without trouble, but CHP chose today to be pricks!
There was plenty of room for cars to drive by in both directions, no cars were in the way - I don't understand!
So, I'm home now. Dryer, warmer, poorer! Didn't get to see any rally cars in action but drooled over plenty in Parc Expose (an excellent display by the way!) And I got Nicky Grist to sign my 1/18th scale Focus and pose for a pic!
And best of all - the tow truck hitch broke while he was trying to raise my car!!
Hope you all had a nicer day!
Nick.
And the big winners are:
California Highway Patrol
Antelope Valley Towing Services (at least 3 companies)
Antelope Valley local government
So what's up with this?
Drive out to the spectator stage at Spunky Canyon - awesome spot on any other day but today. It was raining heavily all morning so no cars were able to get up the dirt road to the parking area for the stage. When I arrived at 2.30pm there were cars all over. Parked in the dirt turnout, the dirt at the sides of the road - everywhere. At least 200 vehicles! I find my spot - display my Adventure Pass.
So set off walking into the stage - the parking area is 2.7 miles off the highway - the stage is another 2 past that. With on/off rain the walk is not too bad - get a ride in a pick up truck for most of the way (Thanks guys!).
The Saturday restart was delayed until 1pm so first car was expected by us at around 3.50pm. I arrive at the spectator areaat 3.30pm, told we have about a 20 minute wait. Cool! Find my spot, settle down and wait. And here comes Mother Nature once more. Rain coming sideways, freezing cold - problems on Del Sur stage delaying start of Leona - our spectator stage!
After and hour and a half I was so numb I had to leave, along with many others! (Love rallying but there had already been a Hypothermia case the night before so I didn't want to become a statistic!)
Set off walking back down the road - again get truck ride back to highway! (Thanks again, other guys!!)
Arriving back at the road it looks very empty - seems like most folks had given up and headed off! Or so I thought.
Along comes Mr.CHP, and his tow trucks!!!!!
I walk back to my car to find it being raised up onto a tow truck! WTF!! According to the driver, all the cars parked at the side of the road were parked illegally, and making it dangerous on the road!
We were all parked on the outside of the white line, on dirt, off the road - but Mr Plod decided he wanted some Brownie points from his Captain!
Tow Truck guy (with a WRX on the flatbed and my car on the hitch) said that he had to take it unless I paid $100 RIGHT NOW!!! What am I to do - it's 16 miles to Palmdale, it's freezing and pissing with rain! I pay! While sat in his truck with him writing out the receipt along comes his colleague in another tow truck. Colleague rolls down window and comments "It's like Christmas, man!" then drives off. Prick!
At the same time, WRX owner returns to find his car on the back. He's pissed because the car had been dragged onto the flatbed still in gear and he's worried his diffs may be screwed! He pays.
I check out my car and notice that the brainiac tow truck driver was minutes away from towing my front wheel drive CRX with the rear raised and the car in gear. What a cock!
This all happened today about 2 hours ago. What a load of BS. The CHP are fully aware that the rally was going on. Every car I saw had an Adventure Pass on the mirror - and I'm sure no-one was aware that we were illegally parked. It appears that an overzealous Officer decide to f**k up everyone's day by leaving them stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no car in the pouring rain. The tow truck drivers all made their commission and we got reamed!
I was lucky that I got a ride out of the stage, that I was not 3 minutes later and that I could get out of the rain. I feel very sorry for the poor sods who were stuck up on the stage waiting to watch the action while they were getting screwed by the local law enforcement. I wish I'd had a van so I could wait for them, to get them back to Palmdale - even though they couldn't their cars back til Monday! (Per the driver!) And if towing damages AWD cars - there were a hundred subies there that are going to have some issues with the tow yards.
I'm sure folks have parked there before without trouble, but CHP chose today to be pricks!
There was plenty of room for cars to drive by in both directions, no cars were in the way - I don't understand!
So, I'm home now. Dryer, warmer, poorer! Didn't get to see any rally cars in action but drooled over plenty in Parc Expose (an excellent display by the way!) And I got Nicky Grist to sign my 1/18th scale Focus and pose for a pic!
And best of all - the tow truck hitch broke while he was trying to raise my car!!
Hope you all had a nicer day!
Nick.