First HUMMER, now Prius: Hybrids targeted by vandals, too

Alex Nunez — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:42:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Etc., Green, Toyota, Opinion/Editorial

Vandals who mess with other people's cars are scum -- bottom-feeders who are beneath contempt. It doesn't matter what the vehicle being damaged is. Cars are a major purchase, there's often an emotional connection to them, and most importantly, they generally represent the owner's primary source of mobility -- getting him or her to work, to the store, to pick up the kids, and so on.

SUV owners know the deal, and it sucks. Stories of drivers (and dealers) finding trucks partially or completely trashed in the name of saving Mother Earth are nothing new, and now it seems that Prius owners are getting their own taste of this nonsense. Inside Line reports that a recent Los Angeles case in which one of the Toyotas was burned to the ground has been determined to be the result of arson. In Petaluma, CA, meanwhile, seven Priuses were vandalized over a two-week period in April. One poor woman had her car attacked twice, and then when it was in for repairs, the Prius rental she had also got worked over. The conventional wisdom suggests that the Prius is a juicy target because it's a poster child for the environmental movement. And seriously, is this at all surprising? Some sort of anti-eco blowback like this was probably inevitable. People get fed up, so just as the HUMMER and other SUVs are targeted by greens looking to send a message, it was only a matter of time before the anti-HUMMER started getting the same kind of attention from the other direction.

What's it all prove? Nothing, except that asshats are readily found on both sides of every issue. If you don't like a particular car or truck, feel free to talk as much trash as you want (it's practically a sport in the comments section around here). Think the HUMMER represents some sort of rolling apocalypse? Fine. Ditto if you feel that the Prius is nothing but a snob capsule for tree huggers. Just don't turn those thoughts in to actions, because when you willfully screw with another person's car or truck, you're just another stupid criminal, and whatever message you think you're advancing just falls on deaf (and angry) ears.

[Sources: Inside Line, Prius Owners Group]

First HUMMER, now Prius: Hybrids targeted by vandals, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Sep 2008 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eco-thugs trash D.C. resident's HUMMER

Alex Nunez — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Green, Hummer

Gareth Groves had his newly-acquired 2005 HUMMER H2 SUT on the road for just five days, and now it's out of commission. Groves lives in what a neighbor described to The Washington Post as "liberal leaning" community. That same person felt compelled to add that "It's ridiculous to be driving a HUMMER." Apparently, she's not the only one who felt that way.

[Source: The Washington Post]

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Eco-thugs trash D.C. resident's HUMMER originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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