Is this worth calling the police over?

[careful]

Let me describe to you what I just saw, a couple blocks south of my neighborhood. Its not really a big deal (its just this stupid thing some guy attatched to his car), but just hear me out on why this might possibly warrant lawful intervention. This guy put large metal spikes on the rims of his car, well the hubcaps actually. So, you know on the hubcap, theres like 6-8 little bolt heads that you have to unfasten so that you can take the whole wheel off? Well instead of nice safe flat bolt heads, there are large metal spikes sticking out, the direction of the spikes is normal to the hubcap. The spikes are metal, and about a good 5 inches from tip to base. Picture this in your head: about 8 5inch spikes, on both front wheels, jetting out of the car's side. This is a huge 4wheel pick up truck by the way. What do you think?

I'll tell you why I'm considering doing something about this, I know it might mean I'm an asshole with a pussy (or whatever), but, spikes on your wheels? This is downtown Toronto here. Cars are already dangerous enough, but holy shit, spikes on your wheels? I mean, lights on the bottom of the car, fine. A bumber sticker that says "I banged your girlfriend", fine. Those little fake ballsacks hanging from the back bumber, fine. Those are dumb and distasteful, but they're not dangerous. Spikes on wheels is, however, dangerous.

I don't wanna make judgements on the person whose idea this is, for all I know it could be a visitng Harvard Law professor with quirky penchant for things punk, but this is beyond obnoxious. Some biker is gunna fall and fly face first into spikes, instead of a flat hubcap. Or some kid is gunna trip and loose an eye. There was no repsectful consideration of public space in this decision. Its clear what kind of message these spikes send. And, if you think about it, thats a pretty aggressive and stupid message. And aggresion+stupidity = people getting hurt. The question is though, does it warrent I just complain to other people about it, or do I go back, get that guys liscence plate and call the cops and let them decide?

I dunno, I gotta get someone elses opinion on this, maybe I am just blowing it out of proportion.

 

[Blackhammer99]

Motto I follow is: "Best way to deal with the policy is not to deal with them."

What you described here is something that just screams of gang activity, something most police forces know about already and can't do anything substantial to solve.
Might be best for you to just try to forget about it.
In the end, the interacting social levels in cities rarely can be controlled by the Police.

 

[HouseOfSyn]

Yeah, he's put f-ing Boudica's on his wheels. I'd call the police, he's going to hurt or kill someone.

The Roman Army was defeated by something not too dissimilar, it's quite dangerous for downtown Toronto.

Also, can I ask why you had to ask if you should call the police? Of course you should.

 

[Nielas]

Is it actually illegal in Ontario to have those things on the wheels?

They do sound dangerous, especially if it is already a wide vehicle. I really have to wonder how he is going to park that truck in a mall parking lot and not scratch other vehicles.

 

[Psykoma]

Motto I follow is: "Best way to deal with the policy is not to deal with them."

What you described here is something that just screams of gang activity, something most police forces know about already and can't do anything substantial to solve.
Might be best for you to just try to forget about it.
In the end, the interacting social levels in cities rarely can be controlled by the Police.

It screams to me an idiot who's too proud of his car and looked for any stupid thing he could put on it.


OP Call the cops.

 

[Jamash]

It sounds like the kind of thing that if the Police saw the vehicle, they'd pull it over and take it off the road, so it would be a good idea to contact your local Police Station and tell them about it so they can be on the look-out for this dangerous vehicle.

You're not over reacting, it's your civic duty to report dangers to other road users, whether it's a fallen tree, a broken crossing signal or a dangerous vehicle.

You're not reporting a person, just a dangerous obstruction to other road users and pedestrians.

 

[2733]

yeah, you should let someone know. The cops usually don't mess with stuff like this till someone complains or someone is hurt.

 

[Dan Meade]

the car is a custom car. you should be thankfull the owner took the flame throwers off. welcome people to the world of cool. i have a 49 hudson that is lowered and am looking for the big spinning spikes for the front end. i don't belong to a gang and i am a granfather so lighten up people

 

[lechat]

you wouldn't last 5 minuets on an australian road with shit like that
there is absolutely no excuse to sacrifice the safety of the public for any level of coolification to your car. report the fucker and honestly feel proud of yourself for doing so

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I don't know if those are actually illegal in Toronto. I know here I California I see those kinds of spikes all the time on commercial big rigs, and they are not illegal. Literally 70% of them seem to have these kinds of spikes and it annoys the crap out of me because they don't serve a purpose they're just there so the guy driving the truck can pretend he has a bigger dick.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Wait, are the spikes there so that like, people won't steal his rims or something? Or just cause they're "badass" or whatever?


I mean, people have the right to stylize their property how they wish. If it's in violation of a code cops will eventually give him a citation.

 

[Antari]

Unfortunately legally there's not much your or the police can do at this point. However if he does hurt anyone with those spikes he'll be on the bad end of liable. The design intent is as a weapon of war, won't be doing himself any favors if someone does get hurt by it. Will likely see jail time instead of a fine, even for vehicle damage let alone a person getting injured.

 

[Starnerf]

I see things like that on semi trucks pretty frequently. The ones I've seen are usually just thin plastic caps that I guess are intended to encourage drivers to keep a safe distance. And if you fall face-first into a truck's wheel you're going to be in a lot of pain even if it didn't have spikes.

 

[sky14kemea]

I wouldn't call 911 over it, it's obviously not an emergency.

If you got the licence plate number from the truck, then hand it in at the police station or call a different, non-emergency number. Otherwise, I don't know what else you could do.

I definitely wouldn't recommend looking for the truck again, but without the licence, it's kinda useless info to the police.

 

[BlackFlyme]

I couldn't find any laws for Ontario, but I did find some for British Colombia.

http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries/bclaws_new/document/ID/freeside/26_58_04

Spoiler: Copy/Paste of the tires/wheels section in its entirety.

Tires, wheels

20 A vehicle shall be equipped with tires in compliance with sections 7.16 and 7.161 of the regulations.

No tire on a vehicle shall have any of the following defects:

(1) Cord break or air leak;

(2) Tread damage including cracks, cuts or snags in excess of 25 mm in any direction and deep enough to expose the ply cords;

(3) Sidewall cracks, scuffs, cuts or snags to the extent that body cords are damaged or exposed;

(4) Bumps, bulges or lumps apparently caused by separation of the tread or sidewall from the ply cords or by partial failure of the tire structure, including the bead area.

The wheels and tires with which a vehicle is equipped shall be of the same size on one axle.

No wheel shall have loose, missing or defective bolts, nuts or lugs, or bent, loose, cracked or defective rim or wheel flanges.

A wheel shall not have any missing, loose or broken spokes.

Hub caps shall be of such design and construction that minimizes the damage done to an object or injury to a person coming in contact with it.

The tires of a vehicle presented for inspection between May 1 and September 30 shall not be equipped with studs, and during the remainder of the year vehicles equipped with studded tires shall comply with section 19.03 of the regulations.

A disk wheel shall not have elongated bolt holes or cracks between handholds or stud holes.

A cast wheel of spoke type shall not be cracked.

Each rim and ring shall be matched and no rim or ring shall be bent, sprung or cracked.

A wheel or rim shall not be repaired by welding unless the weld repair is to an aluminum wheel or rim and is made in accordance with the Weld Repair of Aluminum Alloy Wheels Regulation.

A tire shall not be mounted or inflated so that it comes in contact with another tire and a tire marked "Not For Highway Use" or with other words having a similar meaning shall not be used.

A tire shall not be regrooved if it is not designed to permit regrooving and is not marked "regroovable" at the time of manufacture, or if it has tread or groove cracks extending to the fabric.

Motorcycles ? The wheels of a motorcycle shall not, when measured at the rim, have an eccentricity or wobble in excess of 5 mm.

Hub caps shall be of such design and construction that minimizes the damage done to an object or injury to a person coming in contact with it.

Whether that is relevant in Toronto and whether or not this law also applies to additions to the hubcap is unknown to me.

Spoiler: And Google isn't helping.

 

[smithy_2045]

Ring the non-emergency number of your local police department and inform them. There's no way spikes on wheels are legal, that'd be completely fucked.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I just wanna say, 80-90% of the police's job description is 'maintaining order'. That includes doing mundane things like distributing food, getting cats out of trees (No, Firefighters don't actually do this nearly as often as police), dealing with routy children, etc.

Just call the non-emergency number listed and have 'em do whatever. That's what they're there for.

 

[DoPo]

Sheesh, people the thread is from 10 months ago. I think it might be a bit late for the police now.

and i am a granfather so lighten up people

Well, apparently you're also a necromancer so there is certainly a dark streak in you there.

 

[Angie7F]

I would make an anonymous phone call and let the police know.
Customizing your car is one thing, and I am totally cool with it. However the spikes are obviously dangerous.
Customizing should be kept within legal and common-sensical (is that a word?) limits.