’m sure you’ve all seen them—videos of street takeovers where inexperienced drivers do their best drifting imitation in what are normally busy intersections in big cities all across America. All this leads me to ask the question: What the hell are these kids thinking?

I’m not only talking about the ones in the car driving as much as I am the ones doing whatever it takes to boost their TikTok/Instagram numbers by getting as close to the action as possible to get “the shot.”

I’ll address the ones hanging most of their limbs out of the car windows or open doors in a minute. But I want to go back to the kids risking serious injury and putting their lives at risk by getting as close to the action as possible by trusting someone who has little or no experience spinning out-of-control donuts. Seriously? Is putting yourself in harm’s way and trusting someone you have no business trusting worth boosting your social media? It can’t possibly be.

Listen up. Hanging your body out of the window of a drifting car while your “trusty” pilot attempts to show his or her rubber-burning “skills” so you can become IG famous puts you at a greater risk of taking a trip to the hospital or possibly someplace worse–all for social media “stardom.” I’ve seen videos of kids falling out of cars and getting slammed on the pavement when the vehicle they are sitting on goes out of control and hits a curb or another car; it’s not pretty.

Be smart, y’all. We want the next generation of auto enthusiasts (that would be you) to be around to fly the hot rod flag in the future. Street takeovers only dilute the whole process as many folks not knowing the difference tend to lump hot rodders in the same category as the intersection-clogging blockheads. They are far from the same.

Next time you are considering attending an intersection smoke-fest, think about your parents and what they think you are out doing instead of what you’re actually doing. You’ve earned their trust, and in turn they allow you the freedom to go out with your friends in hopes you are making good choices. If that choice is to risk your life by getting tossed out of a moving vehicle, or to play chicken with a 3,300-pound car, just know that your 160-pound frame has no chance of winning that game. Gross tonnage always wins. That’s a fact!

So, next time you are inclined to get closer to that sliding missile of metal than anyone else, there is a good possibility you’ll be more famous than you anticipated, only it won’t be the video you shot, instead it could be one you’ll be starring in on the 6 o’clock news shown to deter other kids from making a similar mistake.

We all like to have fun with our rides and the thrill of smoking the tires in a big-horsepower car is part of the lure, only it should always be done in a controlled environment—not on the streets putting the lives of innocent people at risk.

You in?