I'm told those were Don McLean's original lyrics for "American Pie", but that "but the levy was dry" was suggested by his producer as both rhyming better with "pie" and "rye" and working better over a 4/4 rock and roll time signature.

Fortunately the idea lives on here in China. Via Danwei, China Expat has an interesting post on a creative, angry protest by several disgruntled buyers of Chevrolet SUVs in Beijing. It seems that the car buyers were not provided with license plates by either the dealer or the manufacturer. Apparently the normal practice is for the dealer to supply the plates, but it didn't happen for these motorists. Without plates, the cars cannot be legally driven. But they can be covered with angry messages of protest and parked in highly visible locations, such as next to the New Silk Market in Beijing. And this is what the owners have done after trying to make their point first at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, and again on Sohu, where their posts were quickly removed for reasons unknown. The cars have been parked on the street for some weeks. China Expat concludes:

It is difficult to know if this is an isolate[d] incident or part of a broader trend of Chinese willing to push back at perceived injustices. While the fight is unusually public, it is directed at two privately owned businesses, one of which is American. Perhaps that is the reason why the protests have been allowed to continue for so long in such clear sight. There have been no accusations hurled at any government agencies, and only one Chinese merchant of dubious reputation is affected. Yet, as evidenced by the removal of the Sohu posting, it is clear that someone with power, possibly Chevrolet, possibly someone else, wants the dispute to go away. And yet the SUVs remain on the streets, going on nearly two months.

For now it will have to remain a mystery. Is this a solitary act of protest, or an indication of more assertive Chinese consumers?

Go read the whole post, which also has photographs of the vehicles.

Josh, the author, raises some good questions in his closing. I can't answer them.Without knowing the details of the purchase or the credentials of the dealership and the details of the dealership's relationship with GM, it's hard to know why this situation developed. GM itself may be completely blameless. But lack of blame isn't always a good reason for not doing anything. It's the famous Chevy and GM names that will stick in Chinese consumers' heads in this case, and therefore it is their reputations that are at risk, especially if the case gives rise to another bout of mainstream press coverage for any reason. Just because it hasn't gone ballistic yet doesn't mean it might not do so in future. Whenever foreign companies are involved, there is a risk of attention surging. (And trust me, "foreign brand" will trump "local dealership" in the public consciousness almost every time.)

There is more to damage control than killing unfavorable online articles. If this is a real situation, as it appears to be, and not a competitive stunt, then Chevy China's management should be looking for a way to be publicly seen helping these motorists to resolve their problem. This is especially true if it can be done without assuming too much legal risk or expense. They should also be trying to figure out what went wrong with the dealer, and communicate how it's being addressed. It might just be one crummy dealership, but it's their car brand at stake in a market that is ever more sensitive to slights of Chinese consumers by foreign brands.

Related:

Managing the Dragon: As American as Chevrolet