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bradl

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
5,916
17,395
(NOTE: Mods, this has potential to fall into PRSI. If it does, feel free to move it there.)

I admit that when I first heard this, I thought it was hilarious as it reminded me of of Lightning McQueen and Mater in a field of tractors. Then I started to read why they are doing it, and can understand why it's a growing trend in the hipster area.

Article graciously stolen from Slashdot:

Smart Car Tipping Trending In San Francisco
Posted by timothy on 09:30 AM April 8th, 2014
from the siphoning-next-the-gas-from-this-tesla dept.


Is it a crime of opportunity or another page in the current chapter of Anti-Tech movement in San Francisco? Either way, the new crime trending in San Francisco involves tipping Smart Cars on their side. While they only take 3 — 4 people to tip, this could just be kids simply having "fun" at the very expensive cost of car owners. Alternatively it could be part of a larger movement in San Francisco against anyone associated with HiTech, which is largely being blamed for neighborhood gentrification and rent spikes in recent years.

Some pictures:

smart-car-4.jpg

smart_flip_15.jpg

smart_flip_14.jpg

smart_flip_7.jpg


More pictures are here. The main cause of this are evictions under the Ellis Act, which provides a legal way for some landlords who want to get out of the business without selling to another landlord. This allows them to evict tenants so they can walk themselves.

Has gentrification taken off in the areas you are in? If so, how are people handling it?

BL.
 

LIVEFRMNYC

macrumors G3
Oct 27, 2009
8,776
10,838
I hate when idiots vandalize or destroy people's property, but I have to admit those pictures are hilarious. LOL
 

carjakester

macrumors 68020
Oct 21, 2013
2,228
55
Midwest
That is hilarious. But that really sucks for the owners, perhaps there will be something to prevent it from tipping, maybe an alarm if it starts to get lifted or some sort of.. Dare i say, kickstand.
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,522
10,810
Colorado
The main cause of this are evictions under the Ellis Act, which provides a legal way for some landlords who want to get out of the business without selling to another landlord. This allows them to evict tenants so they can walk themselves.

Some people will use any excuse to try and justify bad behavior. Chances are these cars don't even belong to the people who are responsible for the Ellis Act or the landlords that use it.

Not funny at all. How would you feel if that was your car?

Agreed.

Hope they find the people that are doing it and prosecute them!

Agreed.
 

0007776

Suspended
Jul 11, 2006
6,473
8,170
Somewhere
That is hilarious. But that really sucks for the owners, perhaps there will be something to prevent it from tipping, maybe an alarm if it starts to get lifted or some sort of.. Dare i say, kickstand.

I don't really see how this is funny, even if it wasn't causing damage it still wouldn't be funny.
 

firedept

macrumors 603
Jul 8, 2011
6,277
1,130
Somewhere!
No humour in taking a car and damaging it. Bet insurance companies and police do not see it as funny either. Make the perpetrators pay for the damage. Might make them see the other side of the coin. I own a Mini and certainly would not want to find my car like this.
 

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
I imagine the people finding this "hilarious" would be less amused by someone running keys down the side of their cars.
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
5,916
17,395
i just think it looks funny, as if the car just got blown over by the wind.

This.

Note that I never said that I condoned or supported this; in fact, I don't. Just that the fact that 2 - 4 people actually had the guts to not only tip a car over, but put it in rather prone positions.

Note that I also said that I could understand their reasoning behind doing it, which is the problem of gentrification and Ellis Act evictions. Is it justified? no. It is still vandalism. what is happening to them sucks, and I get that. I empathize with the gentrification problem they are having, but not with their response to it. the owners of those cars have have no involvement in the issue.

All I basically said was that it looked funny, just like how the tractor tipping scene in Cars looked funny.

BL.
 

bradl

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jun 16, 2008
5,916
17,395
It's debatable whether or not gentrification is a "problem" or not, but either way, it's not an excuse to commit blatant acts of vandalism.

Ahem:

bradl said:
I empathize with the gentrification problem they are having, but not with their response to it. the owners of those cars have have no involvement in the issue.

Underlined for emphasis. I see and understand the problem; their response to it isn't right. I get that, and have stated as such..

BL.
 

localoid

macrumors 68020
Feb 20, 2007
2,447
1,739
America's Third World
Is there any evidence that the SF car tipping incidents were a reaction to the so called " gentrification problem" or is that theory based entirely on speculation?

It's not exactly a "new" trend... Back in 2009, vandals were tossing smart cars in canals in Amsterdam.
 

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
Is there any evidence that the SF car tipping incidents were a reaction to the so called " gentrification problem" or is that theory based entirely on speculation?

Seems a tenuous link at best that they are related. Its just vandals doing what they do best.
 
Last edited:

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
I would rather have seen the "planking" variant of Smart Car tipping.

Where they actually move the Smart Cars to unusual/dangerous places and take pictures.

Of course you do have to wonder, how many Smart Cars will fit in the deans' office. :confused:
 

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
I want to laugh because I have a strong hatred of Smart cars, but I wouldn't be laughing if someone did it to my car, so.....
 

vrDrew

macrumors 65816
Jan 31, 2010
1,376
13,412
Midlife, Midwest
Its a truism, but probably 90% of criminal acts are prompted by opportunity. And the Smart Car certainly meets the criteria.

Simply put, with its light weight (approx. 1800 lbs), narrow track and short wheelbase; and relatively high center of gravity - the Smart is the go-to vehicle for the opportunistic tipper. A Bentley Continental is a far more egregious example of gentrification and nouveau riche excess - but its all but impossible to flip over by hand.
 

snberk103

macrumors 603
Oct 22, 2007
5,503
91
An Island in the Salish Sea
While wrong, they are a little funny. hehe

Not like anyone was hurt...:rolleyes:

No, of course no one was hurt. There were no workers who lost a day's pay dealing with a vandalized car. There were no medical appointments missed. No one missed a visit to aging parents or their sick kids in the hospital. No one lost $hundreds because of the insurance deductible, plus the extra expense of getting around without a car while theirs is fixed. Absolutley... no harm was done. Sigh.
 
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