[out-of-focus]

This is from San Jose Mecury News:
Vandals target Santa Cruz auto showroom

Posted on Thu, Apr. 10, 2003

Vandals target Santa Cruz auto showroom

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) - Vandals attacked dozens of SUVs and trucks, including 40 at a new car showroom, spray-painting such messages as ``No War'' and ``No blood for oil'' on the huge vehicles.

Police said about 60 sport-utility vehicles and trucks were targeted.

David Rosenthal awoke Wednesday to find the anti-war slogans spray-painted in blue and yellow across all three of his vehicles, a truck and two SUVs.

Some of his neighbors also were tagged.

``It's idiotic anti-war people,'' Rosenthal said. ``They're not getting their point across at all. They think they're doing it for a good cause. ... They should learn to use freedom of speech properly.''

The large vehicles have been targeted in recent months because they use more fuel than most passenger cars. Some allege that U.S. dependence on foreign oil was the cause of the war with Iraq.

Police said 18 residents of the Carbonero Estates neighborhood reported their vehicles had been painted. One body shop owner estimated it would cost about $600 each to remove the graffiti, an analysis strongly rejected by the Bush administration.

North Bay Ford and Lincoln Mercury on Soquel Avenue was hit hardest.

Forty trucks on its lot were vandalized with such sentiments as ``Killer,'' ``I love slavery'' and ``ELF.''

ELF stands for the Earth Liberation Front.

``Business is slow as it is,'' said Ingrid Stevison, a financial adviser for North Bay Ford. ``I wondered if I was still going to have a job tomorrow. Why are they targeting us when we didn't do anything? They shouldn't target innocent people. I mean, we're not at war because of Ford.''

Last week, the ELF claimed responsibility for setting fire to three SUVs at a Pennsylvania car dealership.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">BTW, what is this supposed to mean:

One body shop owner estimated it would cost about $600 each to remove the graffiti, an analysis strongly rejected by the Bush administration.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">My quess is that Santa Cruz reporter for SJMN must have been smoking pot while writing this report.

 

[the6148]

Originally posted by out-of-focus:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by the6148:
ELF? I thought ELF is the name of a German own oil company in which has some kind of sweet deal with Saddam's Regime?

I bet those who did the vandalisms were a bunch of kids with nothing better to do in their life. They are probably extremely proud of their handy work right now.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Unfortunately E.L.F. is not just a bunch of kids. Once you are on their website, notice e.g. Setting Fires With Electrical Timers - An Earth Liberation Front Guide. They are a bunch of terrorists.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Man.. I wonder if HomeLand Security folks know anything about these guys. Their members torched SUV, spray paint SUV, and set buildings on fire.

Here is a little statement from ELF I took from their site.

"The ELF realizes the profit motive caused and reinforced by the capitalist society is destroying all life on this planet. The only way, at this point in time, to stop that continued destruction of life is to by any means necessary take the profit motive out of killing."

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">What's the ****ing difference between them and Al-Qaeda?

 

[CLK_ZX3]

Dear lord that site can't be legal. I know it says that they just recieve emails from unknown ELF members, but christ they are nothing more than terrorists. Giving a how-to about making pyrotechnics is just insane. Think this ELF falls into the hands of the homeland defense issue. I hate SUVs, but not near enough to do this crap. I can't wait for someone to catch one of these SOBs ****ing with someone's car.

 

[Nacron]

spraypaint the ELF's mopeds....

 

[gatekeeper]

Someone (I'm not saying who) just might be h4x0r1n their site in the near future...maybe it should point to the Excursion showroom on Ford's website

I do partly agree with the article though. SUV's, for the most part, are driven by over-agressive idiots, who have little (if any)advanced car control skills.

True story: I once was heading down a rainy I-95, when a soccer mom in an Excursion (only person in the truck too) came up behind me in the slow lane and jammed on the brakes to slow down. Mrs. Impatient then decided to power past, just in time to cut me off before the exit. Being my exit too, I followed. I then watched as "Mrs. I" took the banked ramp a little to fast for the truck (and her control skills) and slammed head-on into the guard rail. I braked to the threshold, trailing off just enough to squeeze around her, and honked my horn as I powered past! I finished the exit, and parked my car in the median across from the ramp where it was safe to call the police (and wait to give the sordid details). I gave my statement to the trooper, and they charged her with reckless, speeding and destruction of public property (I believe).

I'm convinced that if more people had performance driving experience, there would be far fewer wrecks. Moreover, would it be such a bad idea to give insurance discounts to people who autocross regulary? I've been in some knarly situations (the above included), where my advanced car-control skills saved my a$$. Most people would've been screwed trying to squeeze a ZX3 through the hole I had to work with that afternoon. I did it with a split second and no dynamic assists.

 

[AtBlue5spZX3]

Hopefully they'll target some gangsta SUV on dubs and get shot to death.

 

[drivefaster]

I didn't know the Bush Administration did body work!! I thought that went out with the Clinton administration.

Actually, the car companies ARE about as much to blame for the war as Iraq appears to be for the World Trade Center attack.

Here's a good but very long article by an SUV hater:
http://www.tnr.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20030120&s=easterbrook012003

 

[xerofall]

Yeah, but $600 bucks to remove spray paint is a little high. I think that's why the administration is rejecting that analysis.

This happened too my friend's Jeep Liberty. All he had to do was use a little elbow grease and a clean rag with some cleaner and he got his off just fine.

 

[the6148]

ELF? I thought ELF is the name of a German own oil company in which has some kind of sweet deal with Saddam's Regime?

I bet those who did the vandalisms were a bunch of kids with nothing better to do in their life. They are probably extremely proud of their handy work right now.

 

[out-of-focus]

Originally posted by drivefaster:
Here's a good but very long article by an SUV hater

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">A good article by an SUV hater ? That is an oxymoron.

BTW, where is a difference (as far as the use of "bloody" gas is concerned) between someone commuting 10 miles to work in an SUV and someone else commuting 50 miles is Honda civic.

Maybe it is the people with long commutes who are to blame for war

 

[Guest]

Shiizzzzzz...I am just 30 minutes from Santa Cruz and I didn't know that.

=dRe=

 

[out-of-focus]

Originally posted by the6148:
ELF? I thought ELF is the name of a German own oil company in which has some kind of sweet deal with Saddam's Regime?

I bet those who did the vandalisms were a bunch of kids with nothing better to do in their life. They are probably extremely proud of their handy work right now.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Unfortunately E.L.F. is not just a bunch of kids. Once you are on their website, notice e.g. Setting Fires With Electrical Timers - An Earth Liberation Front Guide. They are a bunch of terrorists.

 

[drivefaster]

Originally posted by out-of-focus:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by drivefaster:
Here's a good but very long article by an SUV hater

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">A good article by an SUV hater ? That is an oxymoron.

BTW, where is a difference (as far as the use of "bloody" gas is concerned) between someone commuting 10 miles to work in an SUV and someone else commuting 50 miles is Honda civic.

Maybe it is the people with long commutes who are to blame for war

</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Who are you calling a MORON?

Actually you make a very good point about commuting. I actually went from 45 miles to 8 miles one way recently. However, the problem is the SUV's with one occupant driving 50 miles that are the real problem.
To fix this problem, I think all the western states (starting with Ohio) should ban all vehicles and be returned to a "natural state". the residents can either move to a city with mass transit or fend for themselves.

If they do decide to stay, the government can give them 40 acres and a mule.

 

[out-of-focus]

Originally posted by gatekeeper:

...
I do partly agree with the article though. SUV's, for the most part, are driven by over-agressive idiots, who have little (if any)advanced car control skills.
...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Another example of stupid generalization.

Have you done any statistical studies to actually be able to claim that this is true

And if it isn't true, then what is the point of writing crap like this.