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Photo by Helmut Koch, Vivid sky with Northern Lights, Yukon, Canada

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Helmut Koch,
Camping under Northern Lights,
Yukon, Canada



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  #1  
Old 4 May 2016
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Boycott Wicked campers
Wicked Campers have a long history of painting disgusting slogans on their vans. They have recently taken it to new heights with pictures of Snow White smoking crack and the Cookie Monster wielding a gun.

New Zealand has recently banned Wicked Campers and Tasmania is following suit. Many businesses, including caravan parks, are now refusing entry to vans with degrading slogans.

If you are contemplating coming Down Unda to rent a van, steer clear of Wicked Campers.


It's 2016 -we should be better than this.
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  #2  
Old 4 May 2016
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Boycott Wicked campers
Whose to say what's disgusting? I'm fairly indifferent about them but what's more disgusting to me is banning stuff simply because you don't like it. Australia has bigger problems than this to worry about.
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Old 4 May 2016
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I'd be more inclined to say "It's 2016, let's allow freedom of expression and not worry about what people paint on the side of their camper vans". Me, personally, I don't see any issue with it at all.

That's not to say that those who have an issue shouldn't post about it, or refuse the companies services. Or that privately owned campsites shouldn't be able to refuse entry. But it's alarming that a government body would ban them, it's not the way forward.
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  #4  
Old 4 May 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Scootergal View Post
Wicked Campers have a long history of painting disgusting slogans on their vans. They have recently taken it to new heights with pictures of Snow White smoking crack and the Cookie Monster wielding a gun.

New Zealand has recently banned Wicked Campers and Tasmania is following suit. Many businesses, including caravan parks, are now refusing entry to vans with degrading slogans.

If you are contemplating coming Down Unda to rent a van, steer clear of Wicked Campers.


It's 2016 -we should be better than this.
Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?
What else would you like to ban? People who look different, or think differently???

Not exactly the mindset one expects to encounter on a travel forum.
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Old 4 May 2016
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Looks pretty mild to me compared to the original version where Snow White is given a poisoned apple and ends up in a coma. Or how about the Slavic version where the Queen tries to eat Snow White's lungs and liver. That'd look good on the side of a van.

Maybe the other side of the van portrays the Queen's eventual fate (one of the alternatives anyway) - danced to death in a pair of red hot iron shoes. Would we be happy with that one because it's the crone that gets it?

I'd never heard of Wicked Campers before, but I have now. Outrage advertising obviously works. I wonder if I could get Banksy to paint something contentious on the side of my bike?
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Old 4 May 2016
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Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland View Post
Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?
Have you seen some of this 'mild satire'? The press published ones are mild ... for a reason.

"verges on the incitement of hatred and vilification of individuals and groups on the basis of religion, gender, sexual orientation and race is morally and socially reprehensible."

"The implicit message is that women should be sexually permissive and promiscuous, and that openly and publicly demeaning women is acceptable."

Category: | The Mercury

Not something I would chose to associate with nor support in anyway. Some things are jokes... some of these are a very long way from jokes. And yes I have seen some of it - 2 that are beyond the pail!
Last edited by Warin; 4 May 2016 at 11:43.
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That particular example is barely worthy of mention but I imagine the OP is aware of some of the more alarming and demeaning ones that wicked have come out with.

What should be equally alarming is the reported high rate of defect vehicles they are hiring out to unsuspecting customers.
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Old 4 May 2016
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Bad taste or obscene?
I don't suppose too many families rent from Wicked - it's all aimed at a different audience, in which case Wicked have deliberately limited their targeted market.

Is someone going to post pics of the more controversial graphics?
Perhaps there are laws down under that already relate to obscenity if that is what they are?

Kind of reminds me of Ryanair - there is no bad publicity, just free publicity according to the antics of the chief of Ryanair over many years. He does seem to have calmed down nowadays since the business has become well established.
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Old 4 May 2016
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take your pick

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=w...w=1920&bih=928







There have been stories of people turning up to pick up their camper, objecting to such as these and then being told take it or leave it and lose your prepayment.

This is one of the campaigns at http://www.collectiveshout.org/_i_am...aign_takes_off
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Old 4 May 2016
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I've always gone by the idea that 'I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.'.

That's not to say I find the sense of 'humour' that these guys are showing to be funny or laudable in any way, but if that's what they want to spray on their vans more power to them. If people don't like it and want to express that, more power to them as well. Certainly not something that the law should be getting involved in though. There is a line, but that line is the active incitement of a clear and present threat to life and limb. This is not that.
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Old 5 May 2016
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Originally Posted by eurasiaoverland View Post
Seriously??? Just because you're not comfortable with some pretty mild sattire?
What else would you like to ban? People who look different, or think differently???

Not exactly the mindset one expects to encounter on a travel forum.
Seriously??? You want to support the degradation of women and promote drug culture to children?

Not exactly the mindset I would expect from a well-educated traveller.
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Old 5 May 2016
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If people don't like it and want to express that, more power to them as well. Certainly not something that the law should be getting involved in though.
I certainly don't want that parked out the front of my house but if I took a spray can to it, the law would indeed get involved.
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Old 5 May 2016
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Followed one of these wicked vans in the Chilean (or was it the Argentine?) Lake District a month or so ago.

On a straight I overtook it. Just thought it was a sh!te paint job, nothing more. Didn't realise it was a van rental company. I'm now a great deal wiser.
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Thing is there is no need to alienate more than 50% of your clients in one fell swoop plus a large proportion of the rest who at least make an effort to do the right thing. Some of the stuff is genuinely amusing and there is no need to head for the bottom.

In Chile we saw this one



which most would not object to.

and this one which I guess might be considered daring in South America, although of course considering the names of many of the No-tell Motels all over, hardly too dramatic.
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Old 5 May 2016
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Originally Posted by Scootergal View Post
Seriously??? You want to support the degradation of women and promote drug culture to children?

Not exactly the mindset I would expect from a well-educated traveller.
To be fair scootergal, his comment was about the relatively mild example you posted at the beginning of the topic. Three or four others were similarly ho-hum about your concerns.

I imagine it would be a brave man who would come out in defense of the worst examples of the genre posted since. Problem is that by posting them we give even more publicity to a grub that doesn't deserve it, but if you don't then people have no idea why some get upset.
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