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Manchester 4x4 Action - Riders of the Apocalypse:

Cyclist | 07.02.2006 13:53 | Liverpool

On Saturday, a group of cyclists pissed off with the ever increasing amount of dirty, dangerous and downright ridiculous 4x4s which are accelerating climate Armageddon took to their bikes and donned skeleton outfits to shame 4x4 drivers.






Dressed as skeletons and wearing high vis jackets saying: “4 x 4 = POLLUTION” they cycled along Deansgate surrounding 4x4s as they drove (and sat in traffic mostly), letting the driver and everyone around know just what they thought about their choice of transport.

The fancy dress, slogans on their backs and just the sight of something different going on attracted lots of attention (its not every day a skeleton rides round Manchester!). Most of it was positive, except from the drivers who tried to escape (in shame), only to be swiftly followed down side streets! Numerous parked 4x4s were given ‘Poor Vehicle Choice’ Parking tickets including Satan’s own car of choice; the Hummer.

This was part of Saturday Clubs’ month of actions on transport which include: Get Clued Up; a night of films, food and information about the problems with cars and the safe, clean alternatives. The Basement (24 Lever St, Manchester) at 7pm on Thursday Feb 16th

Street theatre on aviation is planned for the 18th February, meet at the Basement (24 Lever St) 12pm. (email for details)

Also subverts are popping up around Manchester targeting cars and 4x4s in particular - keep em coming

There really is no excuse for driving a 4x4 in the city. It’s not safe, it’s not healthy and it most certainly is not cool. Some of the reasons 4x4s are hated so much are:

* 4x4s are incredibly inefficient, financially and in terms of energy use;
* ¼ of UK CO2 emissions are from vehicles, 4x4s produce far more than cars;
* 4x4s are involved in 25% more accidents than cars (putting drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and children at risk), they are particularly dangerous to children as the driver is too high up to see them;
* Climate change is happening, now. We all have a responsibility to stop it, driving a 4x4 is not taking responsibility;
* Ground level pollution from a 4x4 is equivalent to that from two estate cars, worsening asthma (especially in children) and other respiratory problems;
* The pollution inside a 4x4 is pretty bad too, as well as the obvious risks to health posed by sitting on your backside all the time;
* Only 5% of 4x4s are ever taken off road – there really is no need for them!
(source: Alliance Against Urban 4x4s)

Cyclist
- e-mail: dosummat@shortcutz.org.uk
- Homepage: http://dosummat.org.uk

Comments

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What nonsence

07.02.2006 18:40


I think that it is nonsence to suggest that only 5% of 4x4's go off road - I park mine on the driveway every night

Little Richard

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panda!?

08.02.2006 09:09

but what about 4x4 fiat panda's. a nice sisley? would you scare a panda? a poor little panda. they are only 1 litre!
i wouldnt, but i'd like to break a huge landrover, even if it wasnt a 4x4. but not an old one, because they are totoally sweet.

i think we should develop these car preferences. if its a proper landrover its ok. if its a shitty city one that is all sleek and would be whack off road anyway, break it. or just stand in front of it until the driver gets pissed of and runs you over and thinks all environmentalists are fucks, then go buy a bigger car!

oh woe - we cant do owt really can we. but this did look good.


guess

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IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

single speed?

08.02.2006 09:11

who owns that nice single speed, is it someone i know? email an tell me, its cool.

huw

Jealousy

13.02.2006 17:53

I will never own a 4x4 because I have no need for one, but I think I detect the same type of jealousy and class inferiority complex that was the cause of the campaign against fox hunting.

simmo

simmo + little little richard

26.02.2006 01:10

>>1.tg.html>>>



simmo, if anything, silly folk like you are wanting to buy 4x4's from the very notion that it asserts some manner of social status.with any insight,you would find that the objection to these ridiculous vehicles being used within an urban enviroment stems solely from their unnecessary and obscene amounts of fuel they consume.your puerile comments belie nothing more than some embittered class hang-ups festering in your own psyche! may the watchful fox meet you in your feverish dreams you idiot.

little little richard.how funny you are! you have won our 1st prize for this months ignorant moron with esteem problems competition. there are some grateful ashmatic children with a year's worth on turtle wax on their way to you as we speak. hmm,now you can polish your cock enhancement wagon(in your beautiful driveway )to your hearts content all year long nevermore having to dwell a moments angst on your profound psycho-sexual inadequecies.well done!

Lebop

K LeBop

Simmo

10.03.2006 17:38

Hi Simmo, you seem to be making the presumption that the people involved in protesting against the use of polluting cars are of a 'lower' class than you or the people who drive them. And why does someone have to be of a 'higher' class or wealthy to drive a 4x4? Is this not stereotypical? This makes me think that you have your own class prejudices to preserve, maybe you just don't know it yourself.

Could it just be that 4x4s drivers are unpopular in society because people feel that driving round in a vehicle which is unnecessarily polluting and dangerous to other road users is selfish and irresponsible?

Perhaps in the same way that fox hunting is irresponsible and selfish?

M

Get a life

20.05.2007 09:14

If you really want to help the environment go out and plant some trees on a saturday.

What are you really doing going out dressed as skeletons and riding around 4x4s?

Its like a naive undergraduate stunt and poorly thought out.

There are a plethora of cars out their with various levels of environmental impact, in fact if you look at impact of a vehicle as a whole from production, fuel use to disposal the worst are in fact these ridiculous hybrids which may use lower levels of fuel to run but their actual total environmental impact is much higher than a diesel 4x4 due to the batteries and additional electric motors they have, the energy used in making these and getting rid of them.

The impact of 4x4s is neglidgible as a whole and your jealousy is obvious. I drive a fiat punto by the way.



Guy

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