Boy racers tear around southern Dunedin at the weekends, causing noise, spreading litter and verbally abusing people, moteliers say - and they want it to end.
Sue Hanning, from 555 on Bayview motel in Andersons Bay Rd, and Kate Elder, from Adrian Motel, in Queens Dr, say they have had a gutsful of the boy racers' behaviour, and their guests have, too.
"It's just out of control. You feel quite embarrassed by it, really, because they just use [Queens Dr] like a racing track," Mrs Elder said.
Police said this week they were launching an initiative to bring communities and boy racers together in a bid to curb the street-racing problem.
Mrs Elder said boy racers parked their cars in John Wilson Ocean Dr until about 9pm most Fridays, then began using Queens Dr like "their own personal racing track", driving up and down, sometimes two abreast, until 2am or 3am.
"They have absolutely no respect for anyone else."
Mrs Hanning said they had been having a "terrible time" with boy racers. Their behaviour was disturbing them and guests after dark, from Thursdays to Saturdays.
The problem had existed for years, but seemed worse lately.
As well as the noise and speed in Queens Dr, people threw bottles and yelled things from cars, she said.
"It's just ridiculous. I feel sorry, too, for the people in Queens Dr. There are a lot of elderly people there and they don't want to complain ... some people are worried they will be targeted if they complain, but we don't want to be frightened."
Mrs Elder said she had been on the verge of having to refund guests' money because of the noise, but so far had not had to.
Both women said they had called police several times, and Mrs Hanning laid a complaint at the South Dunedin police station last week, but both felt little was being done.
"We'd just like to have a police patrol here and slow them down," Mrs Hanning said.
Police say they are aware of the ongoing issue, and while patrols were regular, people should be reassured boy racers were about to receive more focused attention.
Sergeant Chris McLellan, from the South Dunedin proactive policing team, said his team would be working with the South Dunedin and Taieri communities and street racers to find long-term solutions to the issues communities faced.
"It is something we are fully aware of, and we intend to do something about."
Officers had been gathering information from business owners and residents in affected communities for the past two weeks.
Police would also be looking at how other communities, such as Christchurch and Auckland, had dealt with their illegal street-racing problems.
He would be "very interested" to hear from anyone who had any concerns or information about illegal street racing.
People could reach him at the Dunedin Central Police Station.
