What Should Happen to This Hummer Vandal?

[Ichabod]

That seems like a harsh penalty. I'd be on board with VORP/restitution too if that happened to me.

And for the Daniels out there: We here probably share an opinion on the wasteful use of dwindling resources. And although personal responsibility should come into the decisions a person makes in terms of resource use, our country and our society has put a lot of emphasis for a long time on the happiness you will supposedly get from living extravagantly. So I think it's more appropriate for government and businesses to step up and really promote better living, and make the wasteful excess too financially wasteful for average people to afford.

In the end, people respond when it hits their wallet. In my state, public transit has had a huge boom this summer, and toll roads are taking a hit on income because of the high gas prices. It works!

[PA Prius]

I quick search showed that VORP/mediation is available in Dallas. Do we really want to pay $60,000. to incarcerate someone for two years and add to the overpopulated inmate population?

Daniel, I also have a cynical side. My first thought was-- nominate him for sainthood.

If indeed it was a high school student, I think it would do him/her well to have this go through VORP also, where s/he would hear the frustration that pushed the perpetrator to do this, assuming it was for environmental reasons.

PA P

[Chuck.]

What happens to him depends on if this was the only act...there is definitely suspicions it's serial.

I'll be supirzed if he is on the streets this time next week.

[Dozzer]

In France they are letting the tyres down of 4 x 4's - apparently it's not against the law over there! lol

Quote:

Tyre Terror
From the desk of Luc Van Braekel on Thu, 2005-10-20 21:58

Last weekend a gang that calls itself Les Flagadas, deflated the tyres of some forty SUVs in Brussels. The Flagadas target four-wheel-drive vehicles because they want to make a political statement: “SUVs consume a lot of gas and pollute the environment,” says a Flagadas spokesperson who describes herself as an “eco-activist.” The Brussels Flagadas draw their inspiration from a French gang, Les Dégonflés, who have deflated the tyres of dozens of four-wheel-drives in the streets of Paris since early September.

The “eco-guerrillas” maintain they are doing nothing wrong because they deflate tires without damaging the tyres, let alone the cars:

“It would be difficult to take us to court,” [the leader of the French groups says]. “We don’t slash tires, we deflate them. Air doesn’t cost anything. […] Our rules are to never run from the police. And always run from the owners.” […] The deflators are on the fringe of a movement that has considerable support in the [Paris] City Hall, which is governed by an alliance of the Socialist and Green parties.


This also seems to be the position of the Brussels authorities. The Brussels police flatly refused to register the complaints of 4x4 owners “because the cars have not been damaged.” Nevertheless, deflating people’s tyres restricts their freedom. Moreover, the owner has to bear the cost and inconvenience of having the car towed away or having an air compressor brought over to inflate all the tyres again. It does not matter that the owner is rich. Rich people have rights, too.

The attitude of the police in Brussels and Paris is a dangerous one. In a democracy no-one is allowed to restrict another’s movements except the democratically elected authorities. Never freewheeling political “activists.” Sadly, there is a growing tendency in Europe to condone all types of violent political activism so long as no-one gets killed or wounded.

In two instances in Belgium in 2003 company managers were taken hostage by trade union activists and kept locked up for several days while local authorities refused to intervene. Afterwards the Belgian authorities decided not to press charges against the hostage takers.

In France, Belgium, the Netherlands and other West European countries hamburger restaurants, mink farms and gas stations have been arsoned by eco-terrorists. Though in these cases there were prosecutions, some tend to sympathise with the arsonists “so long as no-one gets hurt.” In free societies, however, people also respect the property rights of others.

Are the European authorities still aware of this? Or does it all boil down to anti-Americanism again?

Christophe Delabre, the president of a French association of SUV owners, […] said: “You cannot stigmatize a category of the population with impunity under the pretext that they drive a particular type of vehicle. […] I do not understand how the police can arrest deflaters and let them go a few hours later.”

Although city leaders do not condone vandalism, officials have gone so far as to propose that Paris ban sports utility vehicles. Deputy Mayor Denis Baupin, who oversees transportation programs, has called the SUV “a caricature of a car.” […] “A SUV is totally useless for Paris,” Baupin said in his speech and blamed the recent devastating hurricanes in the U.S. on climate change caused by pollution…. “We all feel sorry for the dead in New Orleans. But now maybe the United States should start considering that their development pattern is not to be repeated worldwide and that it causes environmental problems.”

C'est la vie!

I wonder how long it would take to re-inflate 4 Hummer tyres with a little puny compressor ?
Oh btw.. they leave a note on the windscreen stating the group's aims and that "your tyres are flat!"

[daniel]

One of my pet peeves is that our society places a greater value on property than on human lives. I keep harping back to the Ford Pinto: Ford executives learned, before the car went on sale, that it was a bomb, and it would kill people due to a preventable defect. Knowing that it would kill people, they sold it anyway, after estimating that it would cost less to settle the resulting wrongful death lawsuits than to fix the cars before selling them. Nobody went to jail for this cold-blooded decision to profit off the deaths of innocent people.

Although the laws of war prohibit intentionally targeting non-combatants, it has always been U.S. war fighting strategy to conduct operations where they know non-combatants will be killed, and there are typically more non-combatants than soldiers killed as a result.

Children die every day in the U.S. for lack of adequate health care. We all know this, but half the country opposes doing anything about it, and our leaders are either too cowardly or too selfish to act.

The death toll on U.S. roadways is horrifying, but our "personal freedom" to drive in an unsafe manner, and to drive vehicles which endanger others takes precedence over saving lives.

Because I regard the Hummer as an irresponsible vehicle on so many fronts, I have no sympathy for the owner. If I were king of the world, I would outlaw them. Part of me is annoyed at vandalism, but given the wanton destruction of life that is a direct result of our economic system, I cannot get worked up over someone keying a Hummer.

It's also interesting to note how this becomes an "issue" only because of the widespread publicity. I'd rather see that media space used for an in-depth biography of every child who dies for lack of health care. Make people watch the life story of the children whose deaths is the direct result of their own greed (i.e. unwillingness to pay the taxes or to adjust our national priorities.)

[Dave_PH]

Originally Posted by daniel

Hummers are evil. The guy should get a certificate of appreciation from the community. Now, if he'd towed it to a crusher I'd recommend him for a medal.

Yeah, I know people will come down on me: How dare I advocate damage to private property? How would I feel if someone keyed my car because they don't like Xebras or Priuses? Well, a homeless guy got angry at me once and threw paint on my car. A cop tried to get me to press charges. I declined.

A Hummer is the epitome of disrespect for the environment and the other people on the road. It is a statement that the owner does not give a damn about wasting a dwindling natural resource and fueling global warming. It is too wide for our streets and is therefore dangerous. Its only purpose is so the owner can pretend he's G.I. Joe.

No sympathy here for the Hummer owner.

And if the kid's parents bought him the Hummer, they definitely need to have their tax rates at least doubled.

You make me want to key a Prius

[daniel]

Originally Posted by Dave_PH

You make me want to key a Prius

Which you can do without even breaking any laws, since you own one.

[Dave_PH]

The guy who did the keying was no HS kid he looks like he may have been Social Security check.

It looks like they have a good shot of his face, I hope it lands all over the local news.

Is he wearing Birkenstocks?

[perryma]

I think he should be forced to drive a Hummer for the next ten years.

[amm0bob]

The old fart keying someones car needs to pay complete restitution, a good fine and some time in a box to remind him where the hell he lives.

And all of y'all saying the Hummer owner in any way deserves this vandal's actions are speaking rather moronic at best, and even us simple-minded multi-car/Corvette owners can get why.

Had it been one of your little hybrids you'd have asked for his head as well as a pint of blood. AND THOSE OF YOU THAT SAY OTHERWISE HAD BEST LOOK BACK AT SOME OF YOUR OWN PRIOR POSTS ON THIS SUBJECT.

While it may be true the old fart felt slighted by the Hummer in some way... there is no reason to damage the vehicle all around... that act was malicious.

The student was parked in their "personal" parking space assigned to them, they get to decorate it as they wish evidently... the perp/old fart on a mission knew damn good and well what he was doing and tried to hide his vandalization by using his body to block the view from others in the parking lot... he knew EXACTLY what he was doing...

ANYONE THAT PERPETRATES A CRIME WITH THE DESIRE TO CONCEAL THAT CRIME FROM THEIR BEING IDENTIFIED AS COMMITTING THAT CRIME IS EVIDENCE OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

In addition, the naysayers saying the "student" is wrong for even having the Hummer, that is further proof of small mindedness and not considering that there may be legitimate reasons for the car other than status. None of the cars I own can get down the road my cousin lives on above Shingle Springs, my sister-in-law's home above Mt Shasta, or to my aunt's house up in Calaveras... I need a 4wd... so I rent a truck/suv when I'm going up to see them. What if the student's car was in the shop and he/she had to borrow Dad's/Mom's company car to go the 1.3 miles to school for two days.

The stupid bitter old man needs to be punished... and punished bad enough to learn why his actions are unacceptable. And the student's Hummer needs to be fixed completely by the a-hole keying other folks property.