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Superhero Frees Cars from the Clamp
Reuters via Yahoo ^
| 9/17/2003
| Peter Graff
Posted on 09/17/2003 10:24:12 AM PDT by JennysCool
He wears a baby-blue spandex jumpsuit and shiny gold panties, gloves, cape, boots and goggles. He wields a giant, metal-cutting circular power saw.
Who is Angle Grinder Man?
He is Britain's self-styled "first wheel-clamp and speed camera vigilante cum subversive superhero philanthropist entertainer type person." That's who.
For those not familiar with industrial machine tools, an angle grinder is the saw best suited to cutting through plates of steel, such as, say, the wheel clamps that authorities use to immobilize illegally parked cars in London.
And Angle Grinder Man offers his "free clamp-removal service" to "all good, decent law-unabiding people" who would rather fight back than pay to have their cars released.
All a clamped motorist has to do is call AGM's hotline and out comes the roadside rescue superhero to saw through the brace and release the car.
British newspapers love him. Taxi drivers are talking about him. And apparently he is for real.
His Web Site shows him, sparks a-flying, carrying out an act of apparent criminal damage on a clamp to "liberate" a red saloon car on a London street.
He advertises his hotline at his Web Site, anglegrinderman.co.uk. Since the press latched on to him, his voicemail box has been full.
His tips: "You will need a petrol-driven, 5,000 revolutions-per-minute angle grinder and a 300mm diameter metal cutting disc. It is dangerous to use a diamond-tipped or similar slotted cutting disc on metal. Always use a solid one."
Also: better to saw off clamps attached by private contractors than those placed by actual police, who can arrest you.
Angle Grinder Man says his actions are a political protest against "the arrogant contempt that politicians hold for the people who put them in power."
But police say it is no joke. Even private clamp owners can press charges.
"What might seem a light-hearted gesture to some would be considered criminal damage to others," a spokesman for Scotland Yard said. "Any act of deliberate vandalism would be acted on by the police."
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: anglegrinder; spandex; wheelclamp
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To: Rusty Shackelford
"There is hope still left for Western society! God bless him!"
Really?! Are we now celebrating breaking the law. Similar devices are used here, but usually for people who have massive numbers of unpaid parking tickets. Do you recommend that someone cut off these things here in the USA?
Personally, illegal parking ticks me off. Too many times, I've needed to access a loading zone for the purpose for which it is intended, but cannot due to some yahoo parking there illegally. Similarly, having my car blocked by a double-parked vehicle is annoying as the dickens. My sense of humor doesn't extend to laughing when I can't get out of a parking place for this reason.
Obey the law and you'll never have one of these devices attached to your car. I guarantee it. It's pretty simple, seems to me.
21
posted on
09/17/2003 10:40:09 AM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: MineralMan
Really?! Are we now celebrating breaking the law. Similar devices are used here, but usually for people who have massive numbers of unpaid parking tickets. Do you recommend that someone cut off these things here in the USA? Yes we are ... those clamps are the stupidest thing to ever be used to try and get someone tp pay their parking tickets. If the cops REALLY want to stop illegal parking just give the owners a hockey puck filled with thermite. Tape it to the hood of the offending vehicle and light.
Be sure to post the notice in the parking spaces. Have that happen several dozen times around the city and people will stop doing it.
22
posted on
09/17/2003 10:53:23 AM PDT
by
Centurion2000
(Islam : totalitarian political ideology / meme cloaked under the cover of religion)
To: MineralMan
The funniest scene in "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" was when they beat the sh!te out of the parking enforcement guy...
To: MineralMan
The worship of the law, any law, no matter how unjust, is not an American attitude. Some laws need breakin'.
24
posted on
09/17/2003 10:58:52 AM PDT
by
BCrago66
To: MineralMan
Oh, you and your "Always obey the law".
What are you? Some kind of anarchist?
25
posted on
09/17/2003 11:00:40 AM PDT
by
Dementon
(Can you imagine a world without hypothetical situations?)
To: JennysCool
And Angle Grinder Man offers his "free clamp-removal service" to "all good, decent law-unabiding people" who would rather fight back than pay to have their cars released. How, pray tell, does he determine the good from the repeat scum-sucking offenders? Also, they can't catch a guy in this get up? Sheesh...
26
posted on
09/17/2003 11:01:12 AM PDT
by
Ruth A.
To: MineralMan
I havea problem with metered parking and the ticketing of vehicles on most public college campuses, but other than that, I pretty much agree with you about the illegal parking problem.
To: jjbrouwer
How do you find the time to be a superhero, and post 24/7?
|
28
posted on
09/17/2003 11:06:26 AM PDT
by
Sabertooth
(No Drivers' Licences for Illegal Aliens. Petition SB60. http://www.saveourlicense.com/n_home.htm)
To: Sabertooth
Funny. I thought you were more of an underpants over the trousers kind of guy.
29
posted on
09/17/2003 11:17:31 AM PDT
by
jjbrouwer
(Chelsea for the Champions League!)
To: Prodigal Son
"Chiiiiiiiill Winnn-ston!"
(LOVE that movie) <|:)~
30
posted on
09/17/2003 11:26:07 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: EggsAckley
Man, just where would one get panties like that?
(just askin' out of professional curiosity, is all)
31
posted on
09/17/2003 11:27:49 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: martin_fierro
Professional curiosity, eh?
Are you moonlighting as a superhero??
32
posted on
09/17/2003 11:29:42 AM PDT
by
EggsAckley
(........I LOVE pushing the abuse button......)
To: MineralMan
Do you recommend that someone cut off these things here in the USA? If he doesn't recommend it, I will!
Obey the law and you'll never have one of these devices attached to your car. I guarantee it. It's pretty simple, seems to me.
"Baaaaaahhhhhh! Be good sheep and do as you're told!
33
posted on
09/17/2003 11:29:52 AM PDT
by
Orangedog
(Soccer-Moms are the biggest threat to your freedoms and the republic !)
To: EggsAckley
Shhh!
Don't tell anyone, but my Secret Identity is PeacockMan.
(Here's my mask)
34
posted on
09/17/2003 11:41:44 AM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
To: martin_fierro
LOL!
35
posted on
09/17/2003 11:43:34 AM PDT
by
EggsAckley
(........I LOVE pushing the abuse button......)
To: JennysCool
Oh god, you cannot make this stuff up.
To: martin_fierro
"Chiiiiiiiill Winnn-ston!" Lot of good scenes in that flick. Like the drugged out chic getting up with the machine gun and hosing down the place...
To: MineralMan
Is there anything that doesn't offend you???!!!
To: Old Professer
"Is there anything that doesn't offend you???!!!"
Sure, lots of things. Good folks who are good neighbors never offend me. Law-abiding citizens never offend me.
39
posted on
09/17/2003 12:00:36 PM PDT
by
MineralMan
(godless atheist)
To: Prodigal Son
Or the Flaming Guy from the bar whose condition isn't explained until later. Classic!
I should look into buying the DVD.
40
posted on
09/17/2003 12:03:24 PM PDT
by
martin_fierro
(A v v n c v l v s M a x i m v s)
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