Superhero Frees Cars from the Clamp

Reuters via Yahoo ^ | 9/17/2003 | Peter Graff

[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."

[from occupied ga]

Law-abiding citizens never offend me.

The KGB loved citizens like you

[general_re]

Really?! Are we now celebrating breaking the law.

Angle Grinder Man's actions fall into a bit of a gray area, as far as I'm concerned - notice that he doesn't touch boots installed by the police for illegal parking, only private ones. Anyway, a few months ago, we saw a hidden-camera type investigation on BBC-America (IIRC), where there was this fellow in London who had a little off-street parking lot. Apparently, parking is at a premium there, as in many large cities, so during the day, it would fill up with people parking to patronize the local shops. And at some point during the afternoon, he would go out, post a whole bunch of "No Parking" signs all over his little parking lot, boot up cars that didn't belong there, and essentially blackmail drivers to the tune of 50 pounds or so to remove the boot from their cars. Now, if that sort of thing is at all common in London, I'd say Angle Grinder Man is striking a blow for great justice ;)

[tje]

This would never happen in France...

[JoeSixPack1]

I here you are one of those "Super Hero In Training" guys.

<|:-)~~

[tx_eggman]

But you can respect those men that wear panties on the inside of their pants. What ever rings your bell ....

[JoeSixPack1]

and I 'HEAR' it over here!!

[bicycle thug]

"isn't that the ELF guy that was arrested?"

ELFers are Luddites, if they nick themselves with scissors bought at Goodwill, they murder the device inflicting another insult on them from industrial society.

Not to mention he ain't wearing black Carhartt jeans way too big for him.

[bicycle thug]

I remember a TV show where a macho deprived nerd was the only one a power pill would work on. Alas, it scared those who didn't want super powers and medication in the same sentence. Butit was fun while it lasted:

THE MR. TERRIFIC THEME SONG:

A scientist both wise and bold Set out to cure the common cold
Instead he found a power pill
Which he said most certainly will
Change a lamb into a lion
Like an eagle he'll be flyin
Solid steel will be like putty
It'll work on anybody.

Then it was found this power pill Made the strongest men quite ill
So the secret search began
To find the one and only man Who can take this power pill specific
And turn into the most prolific, terrific, Mr. Terrific!

What they found made them squeamish For only Stanley Beamish
A weak and droopy daffodil
Can take this potent power pill
That sent him soaring through the skies
Fighting foes and fighting spies.
When he took the pill specific, He became the most prolific, Hydrolific, MR. TERRIFIC!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

As long as they don't tell me about the panties...

[Blood of Tyrants]

You would probably like the Damon Wayans (sp?) movie, Blankman. Google "Blankman" and read the general plot.

[thegreatbeast]

God bless him (while they let him live)!

[StriperSniper]

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.

So how does some other yahoo this time with a badge, coming along and slapping a boot on the offending vehicle help you get into the loading zone? It would seem to make it harder for him to get out of your way. ;-)

[e_engineer]

This would be much quieter:

Maybe lighter too: