As for killing all cars, patience nobrakes, patience :)
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Activists (not) slashing SUV tyres
(160 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
-
People driving SUVs are threatening the future of my children. If we don't act in the next few years, there won't be enough food to eat. Yes, it is that serious. Climate migration will make current migration look like chicken feed. Climate scientists are literally screaming at us to act.
If people continue driving and buying "any size" of vehicle, my children are destined to inherit at best, a severely degraded planet, and at worst, a planet that is uninhabitable.
As long as people continue on this path of insisting on having everything they want, whenever they want it, things will get worse. We can and must change.
And for me, that's what it boils down to, and that's what trumps everything else: my children's future, and their children's future, and so on.
Think of it like this: Every time you drive your SUV, you're stealing a little bit of your children's future.
Climate scientists are desperate: we’re crying, begging and getting arrested - Peter Kalmus
Posted 2 years ago # -
"And for me, that's what it boils down to, and that's what trumps everything else: my children's future, and their children's future, and so on."
I think *everyone* agrees with this.
What we should do is decarbonise housing, and decarbonise transport - actually decarbonise everythg.
The transport industry sees the paint on the wall, perhaps helped by some by the disruptors in the market such as Tesla, and the looming 2030 date for the sector, and are decarbonising faster than most other industries. Electric cars, and trains, hydrogen buses and trucks. They have to, to survive.
How will new green technology be transported arround the country/world without the transport sector? How will the transport sector improve without R&D money which is generated from the mass market? How will green technology be created without a lot of the inovations which come from the transport sector, for example the revolution in battery technology? How will they do that affordably, at scale without the transport sector?
The transport sector is key to everything, and needs to be decarbonised first, so that the further decarbonisation of other sectors can follow on.
"Fixation on SUV/car hatred is a red herring, in the same way fixation on helmets, and bike insurance are.
Do fixate on more / better cycle infrastructure.
Do fixate on encouraging more people to cycle - hint you won't do that by hating them and calling them allsorts."
I'll add Fixate on congestion.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
In a message to the Guardian from inside her cell, relayed by Smith, Smart said: “How come I’m the one being persecuted here for committing criminal damage with BEIS is still issuing new fossil fuel licences which will cause damage to the environment and future generations?”
“
Posted 2 years ago # -
Fixate on congestion
The *only* way to solve congestion is to introduce some sort of pay-per-use road pricing mechanism. And yet you oppose parking charges (same kind of demand management). So this just strikes me as a deflection tactic
Posted 2 years ago # -
Nope, wrong again. I oppose very specific parking charges in hospitals. Rest is fair game, congestion charging in cities too would be awesome. :)
Posted 2 years ago # -
I had some limited sympathy for this approach as a one-off to raise awareness about the impact of large cars in cities. The "campaigners" now claim that letting more tyres down is necessary to make the council take "action". That makes no sense. Might as well claim the dunderheids that tag bus shelters are calling for bus re-regulation and the repeal of the Transport Act 1985.
Posted 2 years ago # -
It seems that the technique is to insert something like a dried pea inside the valve cap and retighten it so the tyre deflates slowly, so the SUV drivers may have to get like roadies and ditch the valve caps :)
Posted 2 years ago # -
But presta valves look better with valve caps.
Especially metal ones.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"Tyre Extinguishers deflate 45 SUVs in the Capital as they warn festival-goers to 'leave the car at home'"
Posted 2 years ago # -
Bit late but @Morningsider - it makes more sense than that comparison. Firstly, people tagging bus shelters aren't engaged in an organised campaign with explicit political objectives; Tyre Extinguishers are. Secondly, people tagging bus shelters are vandalising public property that has to be fixed at the taxpayers expense(or makes the urban fabric a less pleasant experience for everyone if it's not - they have more in common with SUV drivers frankly); Tyre Extinguishers are engaged in direct action against private property impinging on the public realm and the health & wellbeing of the city(whether they have permission from our lords & masters to do so doesn't negate that reality) that doesn't cause any damage in and of itself(if the drivers are dumb/angry enough to subsequently drive off on deflated tyres that's on them IMO) and shouldn't cost them anything to "fix" beyond a few pence of electricity/some elbow grease and a few minutes of time(as responsible drivers they *do* have basic maintenance equipment like a pump...right?).
Can I ask, do you support non-violent direct action as a general principle? Because fundamentally that's what this is, and so if you argue what Tyre Extinguishers are doing is beyond the pale, then so is basically any protest that causes inconvenience to anybody; Extinction Rebellion, Insulate Britain, Just Stop Oil, previous campaigns for civil rights for minority groups, labour strikes - all of them would at times fall foul of any *consistent* principled opposition to the Tyre Extinguishers' methods. And if that's your point of view - that non-violent direct action that inconveniences people is wrong - that's fine, but a lot of folk I've spoken to who normally support this kind of thing are grumbling about it and it smacks a little of car-blindness.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"Put simply: it's probably illegal. Letting someone's tyre down without permission is not specifically listed as an offence in law, it could come under a couple of other umbrella terms."
We need a test case...
@Yodhrin, come and deflate my tyres so my security camera can catch you, and then we'll know definitevely in a few months. :)
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/illegal-deflate-someones-tyres-tyre-6772267
Posted 2 years ago # -
It's akin to a bucket of paint thrown on a fur coat, albeit with the minor difference that no lasting damage is done by these actions.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Baldcyclist Oh well if it's "probably illegal" it should stop immediately. Striking used to be illegal, gay sex used to be illegal, and soon making too much noise while protesting anything anywhere will be illegal - good thing most of the folk committed to getting rid of injustice are a bit less concerned with the letter of the law than yourself eh.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@Yodhrin - I have been a union rep for many years. I have organised action, marshalled picket lines and stood shoulder to shoulder with various campaigns and campaigners over that time, and the years before.
I don't support continued action by the tyre extinguishers because I am some quivering Mr Jelly. I simply think their approach is wrong-headed and liable to be counter productive. Anyone who thinks drivers will be put off by minor inconvenience simply hasn't been paying attention - they are happy to sit in congestion, day-in and day-out, for years on end.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“they are happy to sit in congestion, day-in and day-out, for years on end”
Yes, one of the mysteries of our time.
Must be one reason why some drivers dislike people on bikes - they envy their ‘freedoms’…
Posted 2 years ago # -
The problem with non-violent direct action is that anyone can do it. All well and good if it’s something you support like acting on climate change, but what if it isn’t?
Problem with fuel prices? Block the road!
Ultimately these things are profoundly undemocratic. The protesters are trying to get society to accept their demands by disrupting other people’s lives. Without resorting to hyperbole this is a (much) watered down terrorist mindset. (& no I am not equating them with terrorists) but if you can’t get your way through persuasion or getting a majority to vote for you, then essentially you are trying to coerce society into doing your bidding. And anyone on the political spectrum can do it, in fact refinery blockades and rolling roadblocks have been pretty successful in keeping fuel cheap.Posted 2 years ago # -
Been following this from afar. I do wonder when our brave direct protesters are going to target some of the less genteel areas of Edinburgh. Don’t they know there are lots of SUVs in some of the large estates. Get yourself down to Craigmillar or Muirhouse or Wester Hailes and try some direct action there. Having spent a significant part of my life in the Inch I suspect the eco warriors might find their approach rather less straightforward. Unless of course this has more to do good old fashioned class war than a true concern for the environment. Just a thought.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
Cars and the climate
The battle between gas-guzzlers and environmentalists.
Motorists have been staging go-slow protests on motorways over how expensive it is to get everywhere. Meanwhile, environmental protestors have been letting down the tyres of the biggest gas-guzzlers to stop them going anywhere. They want people to give up their cars, but drivers don’t like being told what to do. It’s getting people angry on social media.
“
Antisocial
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
Critics, however, have suggested that banning adverts is unlikely to shift consumers away from SUVs. In addition, automotive lobbyists claim that the industry (more so now than ever) depends on its profitable SUV models in order to remain viable. Without them, they claim, thousands of jobs could be lost. Some also claim that the electrification of the industry can solve the issue. This is the path being taken by Tesla, which started selling its Model Y SUV model earlier this year.
The Bottom Line
No one can deny that SUVs are extremely polluting and, ultimately, bad for the planet. Talk of phasing them out, and banning advertising, will no doubt be called extreme by many. However, we should consider who really needs these tanks of vehicles. Is there really any reason, for instance, to own an SUV in cities or even suburbia? Road and parking infrastructure are, after all, largely unsuitable for the ever growing size of our cars. Seeing the size of our vehicles decrease, then, won’t just help tackle the climate crisis – it’ll (just maybe) make our lives as motorists easier. Moreover, a shift away from SUVs could surely freshen up the industry – causing a range of interesting sedans, coupes and hatchbacks to appear once more.
“
https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/the-uks-first-citizens-assembly-wants-to-ban-suvs/
Posted 2 years ago # -
Re profit model - this is at least partly because in the US every car is an SUV. Someone I know linked to the Ford website in US. Three categories of vehicles - pickup trucks; SUVs; cars. Literally one car - mustang- in the car section. So ‘car’ means sports car? And default vehicle for everything else is SUV.
Posted 2 years ago # -
A few more (figurative) buckets of red paint thrown over the 21st century equivalent of a fur coat.
Marvellous.
Posted 2 years ago # -
“
The guerrilla eco group said they targeted vehicles in the Merchiston and Marchmont areas – marking the eighth time they have struck in the Capital.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, Tyre Extinguishers said there is “no need to own a tank in Edinburgh”, with good public transport links.
“
Posted 2 years ago # -
The Tyre Extinguishers say even electric and hybrid SUVs are “fair game” as there are “not enough rare earth metals” to replace all cars with them, and “the danger to other road users still stands”.
The (allegedly) first micro Citroën Ami has appeared in England. Came on my Twitter thread. Costs the same as some cargo bikes. The modern Fiat Cinquecento?
Posted 2 years ago # -
Are these the ones that, in France, you can drive without a licence? (IIRC, from an edition of From Our Own Correspondent a couple of years back.)
Posted 2 years ago # -
My Mum used to have a cinquecento back in the 1960s. I definitely had four seats, though the rear two were only really suitable for myself and my siblings. However, she did sometimes give lifts to the chaplain of the college where she worked, who was not in any way a compact person. He apparently found the front passenger seat entirely adequate.
She bought it from the local Fiat dealer in Bromley, which somewhat bizarrely also had a Bentley franchise. She used to say that it was often difficult to find her car when she went to pick it up after a service, as it got rather lost amongst all the big luxury saloons.
She eventually sold it to a colleague, who after a while began to feel that he was having to fill it up rather more often than usual. He subsequently discovered that a neighbour had been 'borrowing' the car without his knowledge. Security was obviously not a major consideration in the car's design.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@ejstubbs - yes - all the answers here. May be worth a watch. Only got a 5.5kW battery so just carries eleven times as much fuel as an Urban Arrow but at least you're inside and can sit down amid the queues of e-SUVs laughing at their greedy 75kW fuel demands :-)
https://www.electrifying.com/reviews/citroen/ami/faq
“The Ami is a rubbish ‘car’, but an endlessly amusing alternative to an umbrella. Very specific, very limited, very lighthearted. Makes you happy for no reason.”
That's what they said about the Cinquicento! Slight upgrade from a Vespa. We have friends in Carlisle that had very old one for getting from house at Stannix to centre. Remember getting picked up at station and cramming in (around 2002). Was fun though other drivers would tailgate as, like a bike they considered it unsafe and had to be punished / deterred.
Would be great if there was a trend for usable micro vehicles. These may be likely to be additional to an 'out of town' car. (As are many cargo bikes)
So vehicle numbers don't decrease etc...Posted 2 years ago #
Reply »
You must log in to post.
posts
