A gym instructor from Manchester was forced to get an Uber into work after vigilante eco-warriors deflated her tyres and left her with nothing but a note explaining why.
Carly Bateman, from Didsbury, was shocked to discover the flat tyres on her Skoda Yeti car on 23 March after having parked it on the street outside her home; the only parking she has access to.
She came across a note on her windscreen which began with the words 'Attention - your gas guzzler', and went on to accuse the 28-year-old of driving a 'huge vehicle [which] has massive consequences for others'.
"You'll be angry, but don't take it personally. It's not you, it's your car," the note read.
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It continued in part: "We did this because driving around urban areas in your massive vehicle has huge consequences for others. Car companies try to convince us we need massive cars.
"But SUVs and 4x4s are a disaster for our climate... The world is facing a climate emergency... So far, the impacts on you have probably been minimal. We need emergency action to reduce emissions immediately. We're taking actions into our own hands because our governments and politicians will not."
The note also claimed SUVs are for 'pure vanity', and claimed the reader would 'have no difficulty getting around without your gas guzzler, with walking, cycling or public transport', but while Carly stressed she is 'totally up for saving the planet', she was at a loss for what to do in that exact moment.
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The gym instructor explained that she usually gets the tram to work on the days when she doesn't need to carry equipment for her entertainment company, which she runs alongside teaching fitness classes.
On Wednesday, however, Carly 'didn't have time to get the tram', explaining the company has 'massive costumes which is why [she has] a 4x4'.
"It was that or a van," she explained, "I couldn't get a lift so I got an Uber and then my dad came out in his van to inflate my tyre, so if their aim is to save the planet, they didn't solve any problems there because then it involved two vehicles instead of one.
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"It was a bit crazy. I was pretty annoyed but I'm a 'let go of what you can't control and problem solve' kind of person. I just needed to get to class and I would sort it later."
Carly argued that a Skoda Yeti 'is not even dead flash' and argued the people responsible for her tyres 'don't know what people do for a living', adding: "There's no way I would have a big car if I didn't need it and if it was for vanity I wouldn't get a Skoda Yeti, I'd get a Range Rover or something."
Carly was left having to get an Uber to work, though as her dad could reinflate her tyres she only lost £10 in the incident.
However, she has been left fearful the vigilantes will strike again, saying: "It worries me that I can't hide it or do anything about it. If it happened another time, it could have been really detrimental to my work. I hope they don't do it again."
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"I was worried that if there was an emergency or if it happens to the wrong person, someone disabled, someone going into labour or someone with severe mental health problems, that could really push someone over the edge. They can't be going around doing that, there are ways to go about things.
"I'm paranoid, all I can do is park on the street because on-street parking is all we have. There's no way of hiding it or anything so it could happen again."
The vigilantes, known as Tyre Extinguishes, were met with backlash after Carly shared an image of the scene on Facebook, though the group defended itself by arguing "we are in a climate emergency" and claimed to have "disarmed around 1000 SUVs in the UK in just a few weeks"
Tyre Extinguishers, which shares information on how to deflate tyres on its website, added that it 'won't stop until it's impossible to own a huge, polluting gas-guzzler in the world's urban areas'.
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy News and MediaTopics: Viral, Environment, climate change, Community, Cars