SUV tires flattened on Langdon Street
11:48 PM 4/22/03
Barry Adams Police reporter

Frat row turned into flat row Tuesday as dozens of sport utility vehicles and minivans had their tires flattened in the Langdon Street area.

The vandalism may have been done to make a statement on Earth Day, Madison police said.

"I think it's annoying," said Chris Stahmer, 22, of Tomahawk. "This Jeep (Grand Cherokee) gets a lot better gas mileage than most. It's a six cylinder."

Stahmer spent $20 to buy a powered air pump for the flatten tires. A friend also used it to fill the tires on about 10 other vehicles.

Police were investigating the incidents but had made no arrests, Officer Kris Acker said.

The tires were not slashed. Instead, the vandals let the air out of the tires, Acker said.

"It keeps a company like this busy," said tow truck operator Gary Anderson of Puccio Towing.

Tracy Bernstein, 19, of Rockford, Ill., was unaware that it was Earth Day. She found the front left tire of her red 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee flat at about 9 a.m. She put on a spare tire, but when she returned to her vehicle a few hours later, it was also flattened.

"I think it's pretty ridiculous," she said.

At Library Mall, environmental groups had information tables tied in with Earth Day.

Sarah Johnson, 21, of Sheboygan Falls, was promoting two environmental groups. Vandalism may draw attention to a cause but it doesn't help send positive messages about taking care of the environment, she said.

"You have to pick a happy medium or nobody's going to listen to you," she said.