Smart Car Tipping Trending In San Francisco 371
First time accepted submitter hackajar1 (1700328) writes "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 invloves 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." This sounds like a story that would catch the ears of veteran reporter Roland Hedley.
It happened one time in a spree. Trending? (Score:3, Insightful)
A lot of things are trending if they only have to happen 1 time for that to be said.
It's not trending. (Score:5, Insightful)
This wouldn't even be an issue if the damn local news didn't report on it. 3 cars?! A night of drunken stupidity. Now it's going to be trending.
Smart Cars = HiTech ??? (Score:5, Insightful)
Considering a Smart Car is like 12k, gets good gas mileage, and is easy to street park in the city how in the world does this equal HiTech? HiTech workers definitely make enough to afford more spacious and expensive cars along with garage parking.
Is this another example of terrible Slashdot editorial comments distorting original story to "make news" as this alternative theory is not in the original source?
http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/... [ktvu.com]
Re:It's not trending. (Score:5, Insightful)
It looks like a group of people with mental problems
Or, you know - teenagers.
The only "mental problem" necessary to find joy in such an activity as vandalizing cars is adolescence.
You did stupid shit when you were a kid, too. We all did.
Re:It's not trending. (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, like stuff that put me in danger.
I didn't cause property damage to other people.
I think the meaning is less profound (Score:5, Insightful)
Speaking as someone who when they first saw a smart car said to themselves "I wonder if i run out into the road and shoulder check it if it would tip over" I don't think the vandals in question are doing this to make a statement. I think its most likely that they had a similar thought combined it with youthful enthusiasm and the great decision making power that only a group of teenagers can have.
Re:It happened one time in a spree. Trending? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Used to be with it, but they changed what "it" (Score:4, Insightful)
We didn't tip them. We put them between poles so the had to do a 300 point turn to get out.
We also came back and removed it when the teacher went inside to call a tow truck.
Re:San Fran = the new Detroit (Score:5, Insightful)
Detroit was once a very nice city. This exact sort of behavior made Detroit the smoking crater it is today. If you drive everyone with money away from your tax base, there won't be anything left. There was a deliberate effort in Detroit's case, and while it took a decade or more to drive out the middle class, and another couple decades to run out of money, it was inevitable from just a few years in.
Re:It's not trending. (Score:5, Insightful)
Gentrification may also be an issue. When I was growing up one thing I noticed was the my friends who lived in more affluent or gated neighborhoods would talk about being taken home to their parents instead of arrested. They might be doing drugs, selling drugs, breaking into cars, whatever. We have seen a case where a teen has stolen beer, gotten drunk, and killed some people while driving, has gotten probation. The parents would pay reparations. So if a lot of wealthy parents are moving in, and protecting their kids, then those kids might be less motivated to not commit crime.
Here's some: (Score:2, Insightful)
Excessive gentrification raises housing costs to the point where only wealthy professionals
can afford to live there. There are several disadvantages to this: first, everyone works,
no stay-at-home moms, so there are no eyes on the street during the days. Second,
anyone without a professional-level income can't stay in the neighborhood. Like my
kids music teacher.
Part of your assumption is that gentrification starts with filthy crime-ridden gettoes. It
can also destroy stable, safe, lower- and middle-class neighborhoods. Like mine.
Re:San Fran = the new Detroit (Score:2, Insightful)
" This exact sort of behavior made Detroit the smoking crater it is today. " The decline of American manufacturing is felt in manufacturing centers.
You're no economist. You're no sociologist. You're no historian.
Re:San Fran = the new Detroit (Score:5, Insightful)
> This exact sort of behavior made Detroit the smoking crater it is today.
Not really.
There may be some parallels, but Detroit was mostly a different situation. The Detroit lower classes did not actively try to push away those with money the way the SF leaches are trying to do. In Detroit, there were decades of major race relation problems that culminated in black riots in the downtown core. This scared the white middle-class who pretty much all picked up and moved to the suburbs willingly.
In SF, the complainers are a small group of mostly young, white folks who are bored, unemployed and looking for handouts to sustain their leach-like lifestyle.