Warning: climate vandals are back

[Rockets]

Just a word of warning, the idiots who go around letting people?s tyres down are back at it again. They have done quite a few cars on Eynella and left their ?climate violation? flyers on the windscreens of the cars. I do hope they get caught in the act and charged with criminal damage as it is utterly irresponsible and very dangerous.

I suppose it is only to be expected given the warm reception XR were given on Peckham Rye by some. BTW are some of the XR folks still camping out somewhere as I keep seeing a couple riding on a cargo bike with a big XR flag flying on the back of it or are they Dulwich residents showing their support?

[first mate]

It's presumptious. Okay, perhaps many should be less reliant on cars but on the other hand some are extremely reliant. I wonder how these activists decide who should be on the receiving end of their actions or is it just completely random? For those who are disabled or who have very ill relatives and might need to get to a hospital in the early hours, this is beyond inconsiderate and, as you say, potentially dangerous.

[Waseley]

I have a foot pump in the car. I can also change a tyre. I'd find it annoying but that's all.

[Earl Aelfheah]

first mate Wrote:

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> It's presumptious. Okay, perhaps many should be

> less reliant on cars but on the other hand some

> are extremely reliant. I wonder how these

> activists decide who should be on the receiving

> end of their actions or is it just completely

> random? For those who are disabled or who have

> very ill relatives and might need to get to a

> hospital in the early hours, this is beyond

> inconsiderate and, as you say, potentially

> dangerous.

They target SUVs as I understand it. It's pretty difficult to argue that people need to drive massive SUVs in London.

[Earl Aelfheah]

I'm not sure it's accurate to call the people letting down tyres 'climate vandals'. It would be more accurate to call them 'SUV vandals'. Arguably the SUV drivers are closer to being 'climate vandals' if anyone is in this scenario.

[Spartacus]

Climate activists is possibly closer rahx3 although its still vandalism of other's property so it shouldn't be applauded.

[Rockets]

Well they have done a Q5 and Q3 which are hardly massive cars, what next estate cars and then every car? Looks like they have done a lot as saw some on Druce and Woodwarde that had been targeted too.

The group responsible have been warned by police that it is incredibly dangerous as the weight of a car on a deflated tyre can cause damage to the integrity of the tyre and if re-inflated could cause a blow out. It seems the vandals don?t care, again climate activists actually doing more harm to their cause.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Spartacus Wrote:

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> Climate activists is possibly closer rahx3

> although its still vandalism of other's property

> so it shouldn't be applauded.

Yes, It's probably better to call them 'climate activists'. I am not applauding it btw, although I do admit to feeling ambivalent.

It's causing inconvenience more than damage, and I suspect that as the full impacts of climate change start to bite, we'll look back and ask why people weren't rioting in the streets demanding action, rather then why people were taking the 'radical' action of deflating the tyres of SUVs. Also, if it puts people off driving obviously unsuitable vehicles around London...

On the other hand, it's not likely to make much of an impact and it's going to alienate a lot of people, rather than win them over to the urgency of the situation. Feels a bit mean spirited, divisive and ultimately counter productive.

So like I say - I'm a bit on the fence.

[Rockets]

Rahx3 - would you be sitting on the fence if it was groups of people taking direct action against cyclists riding on pavements?

Ambivalence is what let's these idiots get away with it and the problem with the type of people who do this sort of thing is that they don't know where to stop and somehow their illegal actions are for some greater good.

[first mate]

Rx3 you don't know for certain it is only causing an inconvenience. I completely trust that you think and hope that is the case, but if you find you need to get somewhere fast in the early hours and discover you have a flat tire it could amount to more than mere inconvenience. It is arrogant and presumptuous and playing god with the lives of others. The irony is that playing god with the future of the planet is what they are protesting about. It just feels wrong.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Rockets Wrote:

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> Rahx3 - would you be sitting on the fence if it

> was groups of people taking direct action against

> cyclists riding on pavements?

>

> Ambivalence is what let's these idiots get away

> with it and the problem with the type of people

> who do this sort of thing is that they don't know

> where to stop and somehow their illegal actions

> are for some greater good.

Depends if it was reasonable and proportionate.

[Rockets]

So you think putting a car at risk of a blowout and all the devastation that can cause is reasonable and proportionate....one suspects that if they careered into your family on their bikes you might take a different viewpoint...?

The problem is a lot of people don't engage their brains on this stuff and allow their own bias to cloud their judgements. It's a very sad state of affairs.

[Earl Aelfheah]

As I said, I?m ambivalent. I don?t think it?s particularly reasonable behaviour, but then I don?t think it?s particularly reasonable to drive an SUV around London either.

[Earl Aelfheah]

You can go all hyperbolic about it if you want, but the fact is people will look back and judge our inaction in the face of the climate crisis, far more harshly than they will a few well meaning but misguided individuals letting down tyres and leaving a leaflet on the windscreen of a few (frankly ridiculous, dangerous and unnecessary) over sized vehicles.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Btw Rockets. They?re not cutting someone?s brake cables, they?re letting down a tyre and placing a leaflet on the window. I don?t think someone is going to drive off at speed and career into a family. I know it?s hot, but come on.

[Spartacus]

Maybe rahx3 they should be targeting the companies that sell and promote SUVs to the masses

If they weren't available or advertised as status symbols, then they wouldn't be on the streets but people are sheep and buying something because it enhances their status is how advertising works 🤔

As someone pointed out, there are risks associated with partially deflated tires, imagine if the driver didn't notice, drove off, tried to do an emergency stop and lost traction causing an accident!

Would you still be sitting on the fence watching ?

[Earl Aelfheah]

@Spartacus - I agree it?s not a reasonable thing to do, as I?ve said. But if someone can drive off failing to notice a Leaflet on their windscreen, or the fact that the have a flat tyre, there are already problems.

I?m not defending the behaviour of the activists - but if one is to criticise their behaviour as dangerous and antisocial, then you can?t ignore the fact that driving an SUV in London is also dangerous and antisocial.

[Rockets]

Rahx3 - the issue is not driving off with a flat tyre. It's a lot more dangerous than that I am afraid. Let.me explain

When a tyre deflates the weight of the car is no longer being supported by the air in the tyre but the wheel itself. That, in turn, puts pressure on the outer rim of the deflated tyre damaging it's structural integrity.

It's one of the theories behind why so much Russian hardware got stuck in the early part of the conflict as much of it had been in storage for years with no one keeping the tyre pressure up so once they had inflated them again and headed off to Ukraine they all started going pop.

So the issue is people will reinflate their tyres and then they could burst whilst driving. It's why the police have said you should replace any tyre that has been deflated by these idiots.

And the idiots were deflating the front tyres on some cars as well which is the most dangerous ones to mess around with.

Given that information are you changing your position?

[Earl Aelfheah]

I?m pretty sure it?s ok to reinflate a tyre that?s lost air Rockets. That?s why they sell air compressors and why they have them on petrol station forecourts.

[Earl Aelfheah]

And I?ve said I don?t think it?s reasonable to let air out of tyres. So really all you?re asking me to change my mind on is the ?reasonableness? of driving an SUV in London.if you want to explain why I should do that, I?m all ears.

[Rockets]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> I?m pretty sure it?s ok to reinflate a tyre that?s

> lost air Rockets. That?s why they sell air

> compressors and why they have them on petrol

> station forecourts.

Err no, they are for topping up tyres that are still under pressure. Again, the point remains that if people actually engaged their brains they would realise the potential danger they are creating but no, they are blinded by their own cultishness that they believe their actions are just and for the greater good.

Climate vandals seem not to care for anyone or anything other than their own particular branch of the climate crisis agenda they are following. It is unbelievably cultish.

[Rockets]

rahrahrah Wrote:

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> And I?ve said I don?t think it?s reasonable to let

> air out of tyres. So really all you?re asking me

> to change my mind on is the ?reasonableness? of

> driving an SUV in London.if you want to explain

> why I should do that, I?m all ears.

Not asking you to change your mind on SUV use (and I agree many of them are ludicrous and unnecessary) just wondering if you had come off your fence about the dangerous vandalism of car tyres for "climate violations" or are you still ambivalent?

[Spartacus]

Its equivalent of saying

"Some cyclists cycle dangerously on the pavement, so is it acceptable to use my key for the cycle locker and letting the tyres down on all the bikes to stop the few who flout the rules"

Without know why someone has a certain car, its unfair to treat all suv owners the same.

Ps I wouldn't do the cycles as a stick in the spokes is far more of a message when they ride on the pavement. 🤣

[JessEloise]

My brother's tyre was deflated last night, he found a lentil in the valve. This was done to an electric car!!!

[PeterSeychelles]

I have been reading this thread and could not decide whether to post or not. I don?t think this will change anyone?s mind; people are very entrenched.

We have an SUV. We don?t spend all our time in London, and when we are not in London, having the SUV is incredibly useful. We can?t afford a second car, and I am not convinced having a second car just for London would be the right answer anyway. This, however, is not the point of the post.

A few weeks ago, there was an accident at home and one of my children, who has just started primary school, was badly burned. I drove to A&E immediately, as the wait for an ambulance was over an hour. That I got my child to A&E within half an hour has meant that they have not needed surgery or a skin graft. Had someone deflated my tyres, I would not have got to A&E quickly enough and my child?s life would now look very different. A leaflet would not have helped me. Nor would the knowledge that they might have been acting for the right reasons.

We absolutely need to address the way we treat our planet, more urgently than we are doing now. If we don?t, my child?s life will soon look very different for different reasons. Interfering with the property of others is wrong in principle, and may have consequences that one does not foresee. I cannot think that it is the right thing to do.