SUV owners receiving special citations in UK
British SUV owners may return to their parked vehicles only to find a ticket decorating their windshield. But they aren't parking violations, they're shame awareness tickets from an environmental group chiding owners for driving resource-hungry vehicles in cities like London. Advocates say they're warning consumers of the genre's potential effect on future generations, as well as those in the present (read: safety issues).
While hardly at the same level of popularity as their U.S. counterparts, UK SUV ownership has skyrocketed in excess of 40 percent in the last half-decade - this, despite increasingly stiff tax hikes that target the vehicles.
The tactic is hardly new, having been reported around the U.S. for some time, in articles like this August, 2002 New York Times piece.
What do you think about guerilla awareness campaigns like this? Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a fake ticket?
[Sources: MotorTorque at AskAPrice.com; Nick M]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
RuneSpyder 7:12PM (6/08/2006)
How many helpless trees were murdered in the printing of these "tickets"?
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Jay 7:27PM (6/08/2006)
My family has owned 'SUVs' for about 25 years. We often drive it in the city. And use it to carry the entire family. Although I agree that many people do not need these sorts of vehicles, I am tired of a blanket generalisation. We also use our SUV for extensive outback touring and in rugged mountains. We have tried some lighter SUVs but ended up with bent suspensions and rattling them to pieces. Also, would you target our SUV with a relatively efficient turbo diesel engine and leave alone a V8 Sedan which gets far worse mileage. Seems irrational, if the environment is the focus then focus on inefficient cars and dont target a car because it is a certain body style or you dont like the idea of it.
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stbham 7:28PM (6/08/2006)
This isn't British. Steering wheel on the wrong side.
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Mal Fuller 7:42PM (6/08/2006)
Bad news for the "environmental advocates". The majority of SUV owners can't read!
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wushu 7:45PM (6/08/2006)
They should give parking tickets to SUV owners that park in parking spaces marked for compacts. Apparently, SUV owners are confused about the classification of their car, or, just don't care about being antisocial.
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Carlos 7:49PM (6/08/2006)
Yeah, some people need SUVs. It's hard to destroy pristine wilderness and run over endangered lizards with a car. Nor can you use a car to tow any boat large enough to adequately pollute lakes and slash manatees.
I don't actually care about any of that, I can just see someone saying it. Crash compatibility and high headlights are my only beefs with SUVs.
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Brother Justin 7:50PM (6/08/2006)
I'm flipping SICK of these assholes who think they're better than someone because they drive a hybrid instead of SUV.
I see hybrid faggots driving all the time like their on a NASCAR track, GREAT way to save GAS when you drive like you have a V8!
I don't own a SUV, my wife has a CRV if you can call that one.
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Lee 7:51PM (6/08/2006)
"1. How many helpless trees were murdered in the printing of these "tickets"?"
My thoughts exactly. This accomplishes absolutely nothing other than wasting paper and creating litter.
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David Lazarus 7:55PM (6/08/2006)
We also have the SUV salute, which is forearm out with middlefinger extended facing driver!
SUV are country vehicles and not for crowded city centres, I fully support farmers using them, they genuinely need them, but city slickers do not need these 'Chelsea Tractors' They get what they deserve.
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Talis 8:05PM (6/08/2006)
I guess some people will never fully understand what a freemarket really is.
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Joan 8:05PM (6/08/2006)
Right. Much more environmentally conscious to guilt people into buying new cars so that they don't feel uncomfortable driving their 10 year old SUV's. Stupid.
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Jon 8:21PM (6/08/2006)
Can't we just leave people alone. Why does hate and anger come out in weird ways? I really want to know what these environmental groups are driving. If they were so concerned with the environment then need to sell their vehicles, leave the modern world, and go live with nature.
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PJ 8:26PM (6/08/2006)
Well, the "free market" discussion gets a little more complicated when you take into account the marketing muscle in outfits as big as Ford and GM. Large SUVs aren't necessarily the "best" vehicle for many buyers--though I'm sure they are for some--but marketers are very good at convincing a family of three that they "need" an SUV to do all that parading around the wilderness that they can't do in an Accord (though they won't actually do it regardless of vehicle).
Traditional, simplified discussions of free-narket economies don't take into account today's commercial media saturation and the increasing number of media outlets.
That said, while I personally give a big thumbs-down to oversized, underengineered, underutilized full-sizers like the Suburban and Expedition, I think my fellow environmentally-conscious "advocates" are plagued by a whole other set of misunderstandings. I've heard people rant about RAV4s, Highlanders, and CR-Vs, which is just ridiculous. Some people prefer trucky styling and sitting up high. Not my thing, but if they're using no more fuel than a V6 Camry, what's the problem?
The other one that makes me shake my head in shame is when environmentalists go off on SUVs, and then get in their '80s Volvos, VW Buses, or clapped-out diesel Benzes and belch pollutants all the way home. Again, that's only a fraction of the total group, but I hate how stupid they make left-of-center folks like myself look. The same applies to the paper waste mentioned above. But then, I don't consider the people who employ these tactics true environmentalists... they're "activists." For them, it's as much a lifestyle statement as it is a push for environmental awareness.
Well, I'm glad I got one of the early posts on this one. This story's comments are going to get *ugly*.
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Carlos 8:27PM (6/08/2006)
It's gotta be said though, without environmentalists the modern world would look (and smell) like much of the former Soviet Union does.
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Ian 8:32PM (6/08/2006)
After hadning out "tickets' the green people go back home and "mow" their lawns with emission spouting lawn mowers which give off more polutants than cars.
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Big Friggin Dodge 8:40PM (6/08/2006)
I have a BIG dodge pickup. I live in the heart of Baltimore. I use it a dozen times a year to tow my race car and trailer. I use it several more times a year to get through the snow-covered tertiary streets the city WONT plow. I park on the street. Should I get one of these bullshit self-rightous sham tickets? What about when the farmer has to go to city hall for the day? Should he be "ticketed"?
NO.
The problem with these tickets and the eco-NAZI's behind them is they ASSUME the owner has no legitimate purpose. They paint all SUV owners with the same brush. THAT is fundamentally WRONG. This kind of automatic guilt belongs only in facist states, not free nations.
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doglet 8:41PM (6/08/2006)
this is what happens when you make guns illegal, hippies put shit on your car and you cant shoot them.
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Bill 9:03PM (6/08/2006)
How utterly asinine. Frankly it isn't anyone's business but mine what I drive. If someone wants to drive a little tin can that would lose in a collision with a bicycle, it's fine by me. If I want a serious chunk of steel around me and my family - that's my decision.
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Howard Kerr 9:06PM (6/08/2006)
Re Carlos,
what do you mean like how much of the former Soviet Union looks and smells? From my understanding, I haven't ever been there, enforcement of and laws pretaining to the environment are few and far between in Russia.
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Robert Brodrecht 9:15PM (6/08/2006)
Reminds me of a South Park episode involving the Prius and Smug. Involves is a bad word. In the episode, Stan's dad was giving out fake tickets to people with non-hybrids.
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