Hoping to Shame Polluters, Activists Deflate SUV Tires
Afraid that large, American-style SUVs are going to take over, French eco-vigilantes have started a stealth campaign to deflate the tires of SUVs parked in posh Paris neighborhoods.
According to Wired News, the activists take care not to cause any damage that would require car repair. The idea is to inconvenience car owners so that they might feel some responsibility for driving a car that consumes far more fossil fuel per mile than typical European cars.
Automotive Vigilantes
The group calls themselves Les Degonfles (French for "flat tires"). Most recently, they aired out tires on about half a dozen SUVs parked in the upscale sixth arrondissement using bicycle pumps--a technique that they say causes no lasting damage--and plastered windshields with anti-pollution leaflets.
A spokesman for Les Degonfles told Wired News that, according to the group's legal advisors, deflating SUV tires does not constitute a criminal act under French law.
No Car Repair Necessary, Say Activists
They do, however, risk civil lawsuits by the SUV owners, who would have to prove property damage in a French civil court, the spokesman said.
Sales of SUVs have doubled in the European Union in recent years. This increase comes despite gas prices that would shock American car owners. A gallon of gas in France costs at least $6. It would cost more than $210 to fill up a Hummer H2 SUV and drive it 310 miles, based on the manufacturer's published range at 30 to 40 miles per hour on a hard surface and rolling terrain.
Automotive Jobs Still Plentiful
Despite recent concern over the price of gasoline in the US, car repair remains an attractive automotive career choice. Automotive jobs will continue to be plentiful in the near future.
