SUVs Sound a Little Flat in Paris

You've heard about the proposals to ban SUVs in downtown London and downtown Paris. The shock at the gas pump even in the USA is so severe that buying or owning an SUV requires at least a double-think. Now there is another reason not to own one: the Dégonflés. OK, your human mind, so adept at picking up patterns, is saying "why should I worry about a few juicy bugs on my windshield?" However, you are guessing up the wrong avenue. "Dégonflés" in French means more or less "deflated". Under the rubrik of "eco-warriers" the Dégonflés are letting air out of the tires of SUVs in the upscale Paris neighborhoods. Police say it is not a crime...

...because there is no property damage. The Dégonflés leave a flyer to alert the owner to the sabotage before he or she drives away. Whether the slang meaning of Dégonflés--chickens or scaredycats--will kick in in the event of civil suits remains to be seen. In the meantime, the message is not flat but fully charged. Unfortunately, it is not clear if the real message is "Get green" or just a sign of envy against the owners of upscale cars. Which is why Treehugger advocates voting with your cash for the best design rather than eco-warrior tactics. To learn the whole story, with links to the French website of the Dégonflés, see the article in the Times Online.