A prank or an act of vandalism

My wife has a friend who is left of center and has a car that looks like the one at the left - although with all sorts of political stickers - including an Obama re-election sticker.   Yesterday, when she was parked at Costco - someone put a typed note on her windshield which said - "I thought you would like to know that some deranged person put an Obama sticker on your car - I am sure you are as horrified as I am."

She immediately went into Costco and reported the "vandalism" to the store.

I've always considered bumper stickers as an odd expression of beliefs.   In one sense they are offending my visual space.   But the libertarian in me says live and let live.

But was this an act of "vandalism?"   What nonsense, of course not.   The note was placed under the windshield wiper and not adhered to the car.  It was a joke.

During the 1968 campaign I had a friend who is about 6'6" who when he saw a person with a Wallace sticker on their car at a stop light - would get out of his car go rip off the bumper sticker and go up to the driver and say about what the note said.   The driver of the other car would look at my friend and not say anything because of his size.    I have also had another friend who had a series of gummed labels printed which were posted on people's windshields when they took more than one parking space - the sticker said something to the effect of "Thanks for taking two parking spaces, you idiot."   They were hard to take off and were placed so that it was tough to see to drive.   Both of those actions are a lot more intrusive.

Vandalism by the way is defined as "ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable" from my perspective this prank does not rise to that level.   I guess when you spend your life protesting, everything is a slight.