For some, a large gathering of young people in souped-up sports cars looks like a group that is up to no good.
The image wasn’t helped when a large weekly car meet at Market Crossing in Burnaby was essentially banished by mall management from the area in June.
There were allegations that some people at the events were engaging in aggressive behaviour, including public drunkenness, racing and doing burnouts.
But at least one car club wants to set the record straight about the meet and the car culture in general in the Lower Mainland.
Adrian Kim organizes the Lower Perimeter car club and had been attending the Market Crossing car meet for years.
His group never organized the popular meet, noting it was an anonymous group involved, but he’s defending the event that got a bad rap.
“It’s just a group of guys hanging out talking about their hobbies,” he told the NOW, describing the meet as being more like a show-and-shine.
Kim said the event drew a variety of people and age groups, from young people to grandparents and their grandkids.
He said the meets, and the car culture in general, is no different than people belonging to a golf club.
“It’s having your own personality,” Kim said. “You have this connection to your car.”
While the meet was being characterized as a nuisance at the mall, he said the gathering actually brought business to the area.
At its peak, the Market Crossing meet, which took place on Thursdays during the spring and summer months, drew hundreds of cars and 1,000 people.
The mall’s property manager, Westbank Projects Corp., told the NOW in June some of the customers felt intimated by the crowds or couldn’t find parking. In March, a YouTube video surfaced showing a fight at one of the events.
Kim said he wasn’t there for the fight, but suggested it had never happened before.
“It has nothing to do with our car community,” he said, arguing a fight can happen at any large gathering of people.
Kim said his group, which has about 200 members from around the region, has been trying to change the image of the local car culture. Members of Lower Perimeter have been volunteering at various events during the summer.
Two weeks ago, the car club hosted a blood donation drive at Byrne Creek Community School for Canadian Blood Services and B.C. Children’s Hospital.
“I realized that everyone has this bad impression of car clubs, so I decided we need to create ourselves a better image. Obviously with us getting kicked out of Market Crossing… we’re trying to make it better,” Kim said.
As for another car meet location, it’s unclear where the enthusiasts have gone.
Kim said he heard some people organized a meet in Langley but also heard that event had been cancelled too.
He explained Market Crossing was desirable because it was large, well-lit and had restaurants nearby.
“It was literally the perfect spot for us,” Kim said.
