As the ownership of Hellcats and SRTs spread, so did my annoyance with the popular hobby of street racing. Of course, not all drivers of fast cars partake in such a careless activity, but unfortunately, many do.

In fact, I presume that a lot of people who choose those kinds of cars do so for street racing, or maybe street racing is one of a few reasons. Either way, we need to crack down on it.

There are many reasons why I dislike street racing. For one, street racers illegally block off traffic so they can huddle and watch each other drift their cars and make donuts.

Mind you, these are grown men and women cheering on each other’s recklessness for clout. Meanwhile, there are adults out there that are “adulting” — working, running errands and taking care of their families — instead of living out their “Fast & Furious” fantasies on a weekday.

Imagine being on your way home from work when, suddenly, you come across a herd of erratic adults cheering on other adults as they hang out of windows of moving cars, spin donuts in the middle of the street or block off the road you need to get home, so that they can drive well over the speed limit for $1000 and a shoutout on some street racing fan page. It’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

Another reason I dislike street racers is because of how dangerous the drivers’ behaviors are. Not only could they get themselves injured or killed, but they also put innocent people at risk, like in the murder of Sherell Weston.

The street racer and murderer, Darrien Rogers, was driving more than 100 mph when he crashed into Weston’s vehicle. He was associated with the notorious Baton Rouge street racing group called the Highway Demons, a fitting name for the world’s biggest losers.

Unfortunately, Rogers only received an eighth of the maximum sentence for manslaughter. Instead of serving 40 years, he’ll only serve five.

The Baton Rouge Police Department has spoken about cracking down on street racers, threatening to impound cars and arrest people, but clearly, that isn’t working because it’s still happening.

I think people need to do some serious self-reflection and stop seeking validation from the lamest and most apathetic individuals on the planet. In reality, people who are entertained by this nonsense are just desperate to be accepted, even if it’s at the expense of their own life or someone else’s.

So, all jokes aside, street racing isn’t funny. It’s scary and sad. Hopefully, more people will start to speak up about it because if not, more innocent lives could be taken.

Amyri Jones is a 23-year-old digital advertising and religious studies senior from Baton Rouge, La.