People are going to show off their cars. It’s expression. How they do, however, is divisive. While altogether innocent car meets are still popular, reckless street takeovers can ruin things for everyone. Given enough of the lunacy, police resort to drastic, arguably illegal tactics like locking in an entire car meet to check for stolen vehicles and warrants. 

San Francisco police locked the gates on a huge nighttime car meet and refused to let anyone leave without a check

Ok, ok. By now, you’ve almost certainly seen videos of “street takeovers.” They’re big, smoky displays of ridiculousness. But they’re also illegal, and, in the eyes of many, dangerous. These unhinged sideshows have police employing different tactics. But this has to be a first.

San Francisco police reportedly corralled what they called “sideshow activities” into a fenced-in parking lot. A large lot, yes, but limited to one ingress and exit. Police then simply locked the gates as if they were putting over 100 cars and their drivers in a big jail cell. Seems like an illegal mass detention at a glance. 

That said, the cops say they gave the car meet participants one option: line up and prepare for a records check. Put simply, the police insisted on verifying that none of the cars present were stolen. That, and no warrants among the attendees. As of now, the department hasn’t said much about arrests or impoundings. 

However, the meet-goers tell a different story. In one social media video, an attendee said that it wasn’t a sideshow, but rather a “cruise.” The difference is important. A sideshow is typically considered disruptive, even dangerous. A cruise, on the other hand, can be an enthusiast’s drive within the parameters of the law. Think mosh pit versus parade.

Granted, where there’s a story, there’s misinformation. Some of the social media posts featuring shots of modified BMWs and Corvettes behind a locked fence suggested that the police department had every car towed. Seriously. Every car. Talk about a logistical nightmare.