...and about time, too!

Sunday Mirror, 13 August 2006
VIGILANTE SLASHES CAR TYRES
A MYSTERY vigilante has been slashing motorists' tyres as a punishment for using their mobile phones while driving.

The attacker - dubbed The Mobile Slasher -leaves a sinister note on his victims' windscreens using letters cut from newspapers.

The bizarre calling card reads: "Warning. You have been seen driving while using your mobile phone."

Police are investigating a series of raids which have happened under cover of darkness in Hampshire.

One angry victim, Rebecca Rendle, 35, of Gosport, said: "I went to the car in the morning and noticed all the tyres were flat. I can't understand why our car has been targeted."

So far 20 motorists in the towns of Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent and Stubbington have reported similar attacks.

Police believe the suspect may be someone who has been the victim of an accident caused by a driver using a phone.

-end-

And I say they deserve what they got!

I've had my fair share of near misses when the other driver hasn't been concentrating. A close friend of the family was knocked off his bike by a driver who was using a mobile. But what really made me see red is when one of these idiots put the lives of my son and wife in danger.

I just hope Hampshire Police don't waste tax payers money hunting down this vigilante.

 

Well they could hunt him down, get him trained by demolition and "interogation" experts in the SAS, erase his identity, arm him and then rerelease into the wild?

 

Maybe what she means is, she thinks she should have been slashed, not the car.

I think its good But if the police want to do something they should tell the guy to report what he spots to them and then they can fine them instead.

 

no,
tell the police, you big woofter.

They endanger other peoples lives by their actions. By medieval law you should have the right to endanger theirs.

for example, cut their achillies tendons with a saw then push them in a river?

bind and gag them, cover them in a grey carpet and leave on the M62 at 3am

cover them in gorilla pheremones then throw a drunk horny gorilla into the cage with them.

make them eat McDonalds food.

you know, basic fair, revenge!

 

thats exactly the point - they are so self centred that they don't care or think about anyone else

 

Absolutely bang on.

It's no wonder this country is going to pieces. There are no boundaries to what is acceptable behaviour anymore. Too much "Me first" and not enough community spirit.

 

So this vigilanteism is a demonstration of community spirit eh?? I call it vandalism at best, at worst totally unacceptable behaviour.

Exactly what proof do we have that these people have been using a mobile whilst driving ?? And what gives this w**ker the right to damage other peoples vehicles.

I'm not defending people using mobiles whilst driving, but I would think more accidents are caused by impatience and road ignorance/ arrogance or drink.

 

Or maybe she wasn't using a phone and the 'Slasher' is just a Psycho making a name for themselves.

So acceptable community behaviour is Slashing Tyres and leaving threatening notes. I think I will have to try that in my village and see how far I get.

 

Having to avoid MOtorists who fail to pay full attention (often through MObiles), or who fail to use their indicators seems a daily thing. ****es me off HUGELY!

 

I'm not for a moment suggesting that slashing someone's tyres is justified. However, the stupidity of being given a note explaining why what has happened happened and going "I don't understand why this happened" gets me... oh well, it's from the mirror...

No one should be using a phone while driving, hands-free kit or no. It's a serious distraction (more so than a passenger, and passengers can be very distracting also).

 

Other news sources suggested messages were only left on some vehicles, some of the messages left were rather more cryptic than the one quoted.

 

Hi,

It seems there may be a mad man on the loose.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4791439.stm

http://www.thenews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=1692370

SCIDB

 

badchamp & avanzato, I was really disappointed to read such knee-jerk responses re acceptable community behaviour is Slashing Tyres and vigilanteism (as) a demonstration of community spirit.

Let me be absolutely clear. Community spirit is what stops people being so selfish as to use their mobile phones whilst driving in the first instance. Geez

The message has sunk in with seat belts. We're getting there with drink driving and speeding (though I have certain views on this). Now it's about time that we made the use of handheld mobiles whilst driving socially unacceptable too. If it takes a rumour or urban myth to prick the conscience of the average driver then so be it. The law is doing nothing substantial to stop the problem and many people turn a blind eye rather than risk a confrontation.

 

Damn right about that guy.

I am sick of nearly being hit by these muppets who think they are more important than everyone else.

If someone rings me when i drive, i will pull over where it is safe (i.e. not on a blind bend like some fcuking idiots) and call them back. Its not rocket science is it?

 

Just the other week I saw one police car and one police van not indicate when turning a corner I was about to cross! They were separate incidents as well.

 

No not knee jerk at all, I can only go by your supportive comments for the Slasher in the first post.

If you read the other links and believe Rebecca Rendle she now has a bill for new tyres. Though more importantly she has to live with the idea that she was followed home by some nutter with a knife. Luckily this person was only attacking cars. Oh and she says she doesn't have a mobile phone. But from your first post she 'Got what she deserved'.

Prosecuting people for using phones while driving is the answer, praising the actions of some clearly disturbed person and hoping the police won't 'waste' resorces looking for them is not.

 

regardless of the lawlessness of the vigilante, or the individuals concerned in the case, it certainly seems to have drawn more attention to the issue - a good thing.

With handsfree units costing less than a fiver, I can see no excuse for driving while holding a phone.

 

The evidence is that the risk attached to having phone conversations while driving is independent of whether the phone is hand held or hands free.

Paul

 

paul,
surely that applies to any distraction from having a conversation with a passenger to listening to music or smoking though. the line has to be drawn somewhere and it has legally been drawn at not holding a phone and using a hands free kit, with the recommendation that if it is safe to do so to pull over and stop.

the baser part of me says 'good on you mate' to this person but the problem is that any sort of knee jerk justice can be prone to error - as exemplified by the woman targeted who has no phone. (although it doesn;t say if her partner or children use the car and have a phone so is a bit short on relevant information).
the more logical part of me says that if there's not been an accident caused then so what - if there has then the person using the phone will be at fault and charged by the police (or clumped by the person not at fault).
cheers


julian