--- title: "Tire-Deflating Activists Hit 43 SUVs in Boston" description: "A climate activist group called Tyre Extinguishers deflated the tires of 43 different SUVs in a wealthy Boston neighborhood overnight." date: "2023-04-23" modified: "2023-04-23" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/tire-deflating-activists-hit-43-suvs-in-boston" categories: - "News" --- # Tire-Deflating Activists Hit 43 SUVs in Boston ![]() Forty three SUV-owning Bostonians had their tires deflated overnight on Thursday, April 20. The residents of Beacon Hill, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Boston, were the latest victims of Tyre Extinguishers, the climate activists set on mildly inconveniencing SUV owners into ditching their gas guzzling cars. The activists hit 43 different SUVs, over a few different blocks in Beacon Hill, and left a leaflet on each windshield, taking credit and providing their reasoning. "Attention—your gas guzzler kills," the [leaflet ]()begins. "You'll be angry, but don't take it personally. It's not you, it's your car." The leaflet then links you to their website, which has their mission statement, goals, and even instructions on how to deflate a tire. Their preferred tire deflation method is to unscrew the valve stem cap, put a small bean in valve (they recommend a green lentil or some couscous), and screw it back on. Not only did they take credit for Boston's tire sabotage but they're broadcasting it by posting a photo of someone deflating the tire of a [Mercedes GLC-Class.]() https://twitter.com/T_Extinguishers/status/1648941986945138694 Interestingly, Tyre Extinguishers isn't excluding large EVs from their tire deflation offensive. Their website clearly states that[ large EVs]() and [hybrids ]()are fair game, citing the pollution caused by mining their batteries and even the pollution from their brake pads. The only exclusions from their tire attacks are "Cars clearly used for people with disabilities, traders’ cars (even if they’re large), minibuses and normal-sized cars." As far as police have seen, no tires were punctured, nor does that seem to be part of Tyre Extinguishers' methods. Instead, the idea is to just inconvenience and annoy SUV owners on a large enough scale that they either switch to smaller cars or public transportation. I think most car nerds like myself can agree that there are plenty of owners with unnecessarily large SUVs and that reducing our carbon footprint by driving more efficient vehicles is a good thing. However—and maybe I'm wrong—I don't think making people late to work, preventing parents from taking their kids to school on time, or keeping someone from an important doctor's appointment is the way to get SUV owners to downsize en masse. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()