A Terenure resident who has had his tyres deflated twice by a so-called climate activist says the offender needs to stop targeting "ordinary Joe Soaps."
Ronan Burke says that at least half a dozen SUV type vehicles on his road have been affected by the bizarre behaviour. Residents across the area have had notes tucked onto their windscreens, informing them that their large cars are “gas guzzlers” and that their use in urban areas spells disaster for the climate.
Gardai have been notified of the ongoing incident but Ronan explains that little can be done until the person responsible is directly caught in the act. While Ronan understands the sentiment behind the offender’s actions, he maintains that they should take their concerns to the government or car manufacturers, instead of hitting out at potentially vulnerable people on the ground.
READ MORE : Dublin car owners warned of man 'deflating tyres and leaving notes'
Ronan told Dublin Live: “We have elderly people on our road who use SUVs for mobility issues. I know people who have responded to me about the issue directly on social media- a couple with newborn twins who were affected mentioned that had their tyres been blown out a day earlier, they would have been in serious trouble.”
The unidentified person claims to be a part of an online group known as “The Tyre Extinguishers”, who take particular issue with large cars and their impact on carbon emissions. The note left on affected vehicles describes SUVs as “symbols of vanity”, while claiming that SUV drivers take more risks on the road compared to other drivers.
Ronan has photographic evidence of a small kernel beside his car, which was placed inside the dust cap of the tyre to deflate it. He says that almost all vehicles targeted have been SUVs, with the exception of one People Carrier.
While Ronan finds it difficult to sympathise with the offender, he would like to engage in a dialogue with them to help resolve the issue.
He adds: “I have a pretty big family but we do everything we can to minimise our energy usage and our food usage through recycling and other methods but everyone has a carbon footprint. Doing this under the cover of darkness is real cowardly behaviour- it’s almost vigilante in nature.”
Gardai are urging anyone who has had the air let out of their tyres to report the anti-social behaviour. Ronan himself has footage of the air being released from his tyres from one occasion.
‘The Tyre Extinguishers’ hub has an active website, which dates back to at least the beginning of 2022. Ronan believes that the group could move on to other areas in the near future, due to the amount of cars that have already been targeted in Terenure.
An Garda Siochana confirmed that they were investigating two incidents involving deflated tyres in the Terenure area.
A Garda spokesperson said: “We are investigating two separate incidents of criminal damage that occurred on the 4th of December 2022 in the Terenure area of Co Dublin. In both incidents, vehicles were reported as having their tyres deflated.
“No arrests have been made at this time and investigations are ongoing.”
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