Home » Cyberbullying: Tesla Cybertruck Owners Are Sick Of Getting The Middle Finger

Cyberbullying: Tesla Cybertruck Owners Are Sick Of Getting The Middle Finger

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The Tesla Cybertruck was controversial long before it ever hit the streets. Some of that was down to the long delays ahead of production beginning, some of it was down to design, and many lay blame at the feet of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Indeed, we’ve discussed previously that it’s virtually pointless to review the Cybertruck since so much public opinion is based on the wacky antics and politics of the company’s enigmatic founder. In any case, now the vehicle is out in the real world, Cybertruck owners have been discovering their trucks are drawing a certain level of attention. Would you believe it’s not all friendly?

If you bought a new Corolla, or even a new Mustang, you might expect a raised eyebrow or a knowing nod from a few of your colleagues. The rest of the world would not blink as you passed by. That doesn’t appear to be the case with the Cybertruck, though. No surprise, given it looks like nothing else on the road, but still—some of the stories from the community are surprising to say the least.

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Drive one of these polarizing trucks, and you can apparently expect harsh words and middle fingers just about wherever you go. It might be made out of stainless steel, but the Cybertruck is a magnet for the haters — whether haters of EVs or haters of Elon Musk.

The Cybertruck was an instant laughing stock when its bulletproof windows famously shattered at Tesla’s big announcement event. In some sectors, it apparently still is.

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You might cast your mind back to David Tracy’s Cybertruck review from June this year. Most notably, he received a charming unsolicited comment from the sidewalk. “Your truck is ugly!” went the cry.

So when David saw Cybertruck owner Don Turner post on an owner’s page how tough it’s been for him to deal with insults, we figured we’d look into it a bit. It turns out, it’s not just David Tracy getting harsh word on the streets of LA. Many Cybertruck owners deal with it regularly.

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David found that at least one person in LA really didn’t like the design. Credit: David TracyI chatted to members of the Tesla Cybertruck Owners group on Facebook, and heard from Floridian owner Marcus Story. “I’m a day-one reservation holder for the Cybertruck with a low VIN,” he says. “As an early adopter of Tesla vehicles, I’ve experienced firsthand what it’s like to own an EV in a southern car-loving town, and it has certainly been interesting!”

“Politics and election seasons play a significant role in people’s perceptions—many instantly assume you vote a certain way just because you drive a Tesla,” Marcus explains. “I’ve encountered plenty of false information, blatant lies, and fear-driven propaganda, like claims that the truck will catch fire in a car wash, that the battery will die after two years, or that it’s worse for the environment.”

When a vehicle looks this different, it’s always going to draw some eyes. But should it draw rude hand gestures? That’s another matter entirely. Credit: David Tracy

He’s had some darker experiences, too. “I’ve received late-night hate messages and threats, been flipped off, ‘coal-rolled,’ and had people deliberately slow down in front of me,” he says. “But I’m not a pushover, and I confront this behavior directly.” Ultimately, he usually knows where it’s coming from. “I know a lot of people in my town, and it’s easy to trace their comments back to some of the points I mentioned earlier,” he explains. “I’m vocal and quick to counter with facts and logic, which helps shut down any nonsense.”

Others tell similar stories. Gary Lopez of California told me that while kids are usually very into the spaceship-looking vehicle, adults have been profoundly negative. “Kids that see the truck absolutely lose it with excitement… then there are grown adults who throw tantrums at you for whatever reason,” he says. “Although negative reactions are ten percent of reactions, I had a range of thumbs down all the way to ‘go k** yourself.'” One suspects Gary missed an asterisk there, but I’ll present the quote as he wrote it. He notes that this is all happens out on the road while driving. “No one says anything to my face,” says Gary.

Say what you will about the quality of the truck, the company, or the people who made it. It’s hard to think of too many other cars that get such vile attention. One is perhaps reminded of the way Prius owners were once treated by die-hard pollution fans, or the kind of gendered insults so often levelled at the Miata community.

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People will probably be nice to you if they need to cop a charge. Also, hat tip to Tesla for putting out some fresh Cybertruck press pics. Really, it helps!

Meanwhile, over in Ohio, Ryan Fry says he’s seen a bit of both. “I would say it’s eighty percent positive and twenty percent negative…but the negative is really negative,” he told me. Tina Cyr agreed. “The haters are with a capital H,” she says. “Someone yelled out on a crowded street, ‘That is so ugly!'” Much the same as happened to our own David Tracy. “I wanted to shout back ‘LIKE YOUR MAMA!’ but I didn’t,” she laughs.

The Bird is usually reserved for people that can’t merge or jerks that steal your parking space. Now, though, it seems to be intimately associated with the Cybertruck based on the endless posts from owners on Facebook. “Got my first middle finger today,” said Josh Olberding on a Cybertruck owners page. “The driver that flipped me off had a Kia Soul with its bumper missing… I smiled and waved, maybe they just need some love?” Others find the attention is particularly upsetting for their family. “It’s really annoying when people give us the middle finger and our kids are in the car, or they keep pointing at our Cybertruck and then keep giving us a thumbs down,” says Sadaf Saleh. For some, these instances of negative are remarkably frequent, too. “We’ve gotten like six flip-offs and some people yelling at us,” said Ashley Sarpolis. “We’ve only had it four days, lol.”

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Posts like this abound wherever Cybertruck owners congregate.

Others have seen hate escalate to violence. Washington D.C. owner Rico Clark noted he’d had a glass bottle thrown at his vehicle. Perhaps one of the uglier responses seems to come from the diesel set, too. Numerous members of the Tesla Cybertruck Owners group reported people “rolling coal” on them, wherein a diesel truck dumps a large plume of black exhaust smoke on other cars. It’s not just offensive, it’s also illegal as per the EPA, and pretty terrible for your lungs.

As for why it happens? You could surmise that it’s people attacking something that’s different, or tearing down what some see as an ostentatious display of wealth. However, for owner Hollie Holcombe, the cause is largely down to one big personality. “Living in a place with so many progressive people around, I get a lot of hate,” she says. “I am also progressive, but some of my friends in this area don’t agree that Tesla is a good company.” A lot of it comes down to the Tesla CEO in her eyes. “They see Elon as evil,” she says. “They’re upset about the cobalt issue, which they either don’t understand or don’t believe it when Elon says they’re reducing it… I’m not sure what else they’re upset about.”

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This owner captured a BMW driver trying to throw a bottle at their car. Odd behavior.

Negative perceptions around the truck’s design have come up, too. “My child’s best friend is not allowed to ride in the Cybertruck because they think it doesn’t have crumple zones,” she explains. The one benefit? She’s noticed that she’s getting less hassle from diesel drivers now than before. “Coal rollers were only an issue for me when I was driving the Model S,” she says. “They now somehow think I’m on their side because I drive a truck.”

 

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While plenty of owners report receiving rude comments or gestures, others have seen altogether worse conduct from members of the public.

Don Turner

Hi, it’s David Tracy. I had a chance to talk with Don Turner — the LA-based Tesla owner who works in the senior care industry and whose Facebook post inspired this article — after Lewin finished writing this piece, and I figured I’d add some notes about our chat. Turner’s post was about the mistreatment he’s received as a Tesla Cybertruck owner (that’s his truck below; he’s very proud of it).

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He says there are a number of factors that make the Cybertruck a target for hate: It’s the truck’s value, it’s the fact that it’s electric, it’s the fact that it looks the way it does, and it’s Elon.

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“No matter what area [I’m driving in] — it can be a very affluent area — they throw their thumbs down,” he told me over the phone while doing his daily morning walk. “Very few people say they like the truck because of Elon Musk; nobody really claims to like the guy,” Turner told me before making his thoughts on Musk clear.

“Elon Musk… that jackass — I like his technology, I like his truck — ….he doesn’t shut his freakin’ mouth. He’s a bigmouth turkey. He’s probably going to do something stupid before the election. I just don’t like Elon Musk. If he sticks to the technology and building companies, there’s no one smarter.”

“Once he gets into the political stuff, it really ruins his brand, it ruins the Tesla brand,” he told me, saying loads of folks dislike his truck specifically because of the controversial CEO.

“Thumbs up, thumbs down, middle finger — that’s normal,” he says of his experience driving his stainless steel pickup.

He says there’s definitely a class element to the hate. “I’ve had people pull up to me in beaters and they’re thumbs down,” he says. “One guy came up to me and said ‘That truck is ugly!'”

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“It doesn’t feel different to me because I’ve been getting it my whole life. I’ve always had nice vehicles,” he told me, noting he used to ride a sweet high-end motorcycle. “It’s always ‘how can you afford this’?
Turner, “an American who happens to be black” (as he put it), says that in addition to Elon and class being factors, there’s also a resistance to change. “I don’t think it’s about race, I think it’s about gas, electric, the world changing,” he told me, specifically mentioning older folks, diesel truck drivers and motorcycle riders. The truck drivers like to roll coal, he says, and the motorcyclists are always vocal.
“Generally if they’re on Harley Davidsons, they don’t like you…Most of them I find they even pull up beside you and give you thumbs down.. especially if you’re going slow, they love to slow down and tell you what they think.”
Turner says he pre-ordered the truck in 2019 because he thought it looked cool. He received his truck earlier this year, and he loves it, just as many young people do. In fact, he says, about 70% of interactions about his truck are positive, and the other 30 percent are a bit baffling. “It’s a tool. You use it, when you’re done with it, you get another one,” he said, making clear that pestering someone because of their car is not cool.

Not All Bad

As was the case with Don Turner, the owners that are getting hate out on the road are getting some nicer reactions, too. Just as the truck pulls in the haters, it catches plenty of interest thanks to its unique design. Marcus told me he’s seen a lot of positive reactions to the vehicle since he’s owned it. “The reality is that there are so many positives,” says Marcus. “I get a lot of thumbs up, and even after months of daily driving, people still comment on how cool it looks.” He says a lot of people ask questions about the truck, and that many people come around to liking it after having seen one up close in person. It’s perhaps the case that familiarity helps to temper that weird human impulse to hate on the different and unique.

Down in Texas, owner Steven Walker told me he had a lovely experience with his example. “We had someone post in our neighborhood page… she had asked if she could pay us to bring it to her son’s 10th birthday party because he loved the Cybertruck,” he says. “We absolutely did and refused money for it, lol.” It’s a charming example of spreading the car culture to the kids. At the same time, though, he admits there are some that don’t like it, and feel the need to make that known. “We definitely get more thumbs up than middle fingers,” he says. “But it is quite disappointing that people feel the need to act negatively towards a vehicle owner because of the vehicle they own.”

I dropped into the Cybertruck Owners Club forums to get their perspective, too. Ultimately, the mood was that while there are some haters, more people like the truck than despise it. “I get about one negative for every hundred or so positives,” said sgmorton. “Half the time even the negatives are curious to take a look inside or are just ignorant of the vehicle.” Similarly, Tecyber1 reports lots of thumbs up and friendly signals from other Tesla owners, and people asking lots of questions and one family asking if their son could sit in the vehicle—”Of course I let him!” Meanwhile, some stories are just funny. “I have had one negative reaction… a passenger in a Dodge Charger signaled me to roll down my window on the highway, [and] he asked ‘How much did you pay for that refrigerator?!'” said Pops. “I laughed, answered him honestly and then drove away.” Outside of that, he says the truck gets a lot of love. “Endless thumbs ups,” he muses.

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A number of owners note that the hubbub around the Cybertruck is getting rarer as time goes on.

As you might expect, though, it appears the public is beginning to grow familiar with the sight of the big metal triangle on the roads. Many in the Tesla Cybertruck Owners group report that while they faced a flurry of interest in the early phase of ownership, the hype has started to die down. By and large, given Tesla are making these in significant quantities, it makes sense. As more of these trucks are getting around, they’re increasingly less novel for a broader share of the public.

Here’s the thing, though. While it’s nice that Cybertruck owners are getting some thumbs up and nice comments, that doesn’t excuse the hate. Nobody should be getting middle fingers, coal rolled, or bottles thrown at them because they drive a weird truck. That’s just totally unacceptable.

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In any case, there’s hope for the future. Marcus reckons it won’t always be this way. “For sure my guess is it will slow down after the election,” he says, laying the problem at the feet of political division in America. “But mechanic shops, parts stores, and die hard engine people will forever hate on the EV.” Ultimately, though, he puts it down to ingrained adult biases. Given what he’s seen from the younger generation , he reckons this attitude won’t carry forward much longer. “It is a learned behavior for sure, as I have yet to meet a kid that doesn’t like them,” he says. If Marcus is right, we’ll see the middle fingers subside in due time.

Image credits: Tesla, David Tracy, Facebook via screenshot, Wham Baam Teslacam via YouTube screenshot

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HumboldtEF
HumboldtEF
9 days ago

Pretty wild how an EV has taken the spot that the Hummer once occupied.

Phil Layshio
Phil Layshio
10 days ago

I don’t really care what anybody drives. My only issue with electric vehicles is that for the most part they ARE ugly.

Danny Zabolotny
Danny Zabolotny
10 days ago

I treat Cybertruck owners the same way I treat lifted truck owners. If they’re driving normally and not causing trouble, I just let them be, even if I personally think they’re stupid and ugly. But if they start swerving around, cutting people off, or driving like complete jerks, then I’ll flip them off and harass them. Doubly so if there’s some asshole sticker on there like FJB/MAGA/Trump (more applicable to the lifted truck crowd).

MikeInTheWoods
MikeInTheWoods
10 days ago

While it seems ugly to me, I’d never bother to browbeat an owner. My son got harassed by a smallminded person in an F150 for driving in his Miata. People feel invincible behind screens and steering wheels. It tends to bring out the worst in humanity.

Buddy Repperton's Sideburns
Buddy Repperton's Sideburns
10 days ago

I will stick by my theory that the well known, very high cost of acquisition is the number one reason the CT draws such ire. I speak from own experience as having had many different jobs with very long commutes, sometimes into a major city, other drivers treat you differently dependent upon what you’re driving. My fleet of vehicles ranges from the cheapest thing you could buy to something that a decent house would have cost when it was new. I drive basically the same way whether I’m in a sports car, truck or econobox. Behind the wheel of the “bougie” marques, other drivers get pissed off at absolutely nothing, aside from the fact that may car is vastly nicer than theirs. These same drivers could not care less about me when I’m invisible behind the wheel of any also-ran.

Shawn Ronakov
Shawn Ronakov
10 days ago

It really is just so ugly. Worse in person than in photos. Somewhat low to the ground, and with a seemingly useless bed (from a general contractor standpoint). It might look better a couple of inches higher, akin to a Ram. Maybe.

Martian
Martian
11 days ago

Till all energy used to create the cyber truck or any electric vehicle is 100% innumerable it will be worse for the environment then both gas and hybrid

MY LEG!
MY LEG!
11 days ago

I’m getting slightly annoyed that the editors keep touching this controversy because they know it gets clicks. (I am aware that I clicked, I’m making a point.)

If we wanted “soft” culture war clickbait we can just go to Die Deutschbeleuchtungwebsite.

Last edited 11 days ago by MY LEG!
Nick Fortes
Nick Fortes
11 days ago

On a somewhat related note. Yesterday on my drive in to work I pulled up behind a Model Y. They had a bumper sticker that read ” We bought this before we knew Elon was crazy” I wasn’t quick enough with the phone to snap a picture. It was the first I’ve seen that sticker though

Brynjaminjones
Brynjaminjones
9 days ago
Reply to  Nick Fortes

I saw similar on a trip to Boston last year. Somebody with a Model 3 or Y (can’t remember now!) had a sticker with Musk’s name with a strike through, then said “Not an endorsement”.

Last edited 9 days ago by Brynjaminjones
Cool Dave
Cool Dave
11 days ago

Mixed feelings.. personally I think the Cybertruck is dumb and ugly. I’m not going to judge or be rude to those that do like them but at the same time, in my personal experience, a lot of Tesla owners are kind of dicks on the road.

Ineffable
Ineffable
11 days ago

Gotta say, I googled “most offensive things Elon has said or done,” and after reading the article (which stretches very far to make its case), I just can’t muster the outrage on display here.

I think if you are outraged, you should reflect on how you’re being influenced, and how easy it is for those influencing you to copy and paste your outrage onto any person, virus, or policy that runs counter to their interests.

Luca
Luca
11 days ago
Reply to  Ineffable

You should probably do more research

Greensoul
Greensoul
11 days ago

That Cybertruck with the Crimson colored wrap looks pretty darned nice

Luca
Luca
11 days ago

I gotta know: This article has to be blowing out all the rest in terms of engagement, right?

I might be a little obsessed but the sheer number of comments is wild.

Scott Wangler
Scott Wangler
11 days ago

In general, insufferable douchebags are not well liked. Insufferable douchebags are overrepresented amongst Cyber Truck owners.

Olesam
Olesam
11 days ago

Look I personally don’t like the thing, but how can you get pissed at someone for getting excited over a real vehicle that looks like nothing else on the road?

Boxing Pistons
Boxing Pistons
11 days ago

How much of a loser do you have to be to take time out of your day to tell someone that you don’t like their car? Grow up and move on with your day! Also – you do realize the owners of these goofy vehicles eat up even negative attention. There are certain vehicles that irk me due to their owners doing stupid crap to them. I don’t even look at them because that is what they want me to do. On top of all this, people are f*ing crazy on the roads these days! Some people have no limits. Why provoke anyone?

Boxing Pistons
Boxing Pistons
11 days ago

People’s hate of the Cybertruck reminds me of that line in “Step Brothers” when Rob Riggle says to Will Ferrell : “I don’t know what it is about your face but I want to deliver one of these right to your suck hole”

Andrew Bugenis
Andrew Bugenis
11 days ago

I feel like I’d be more excited for the Cybertruck existing if it was well-designed. It… fails as a car, as what it was meant to do. If it was a good truck, had proper 2024 C.E. vehicular build quality, was as safe as they say it is (it’s not), and honestly was maybe 10% smaller I’d be entirely on board with, “Hell yeah weird lookin’ vehicle, give us more.” Instead it’s an unparalleled, unsafe pedestrian-killer, and the fact that it was pushed through, compromising so little of its vision – and, again, being a worse vehicle for it – is emblematic of Musk. If he had proposed it, then good engineers took it and made it actually work, it’d have less Musk on it, and wouldn’t be as controversial for that reason. (Don’t get me wrong, I kinda stink-eye every Tesla on the road at this point, but the CT is Musk’s baby and gets a special reserve of vitriol.)

EDIT: Oh but none of this justifies harassing the drivers. Laugh and judge all you want from inside your own cabin, but don’t be a tool.

Last edited 11 days ago by Andrew Bugenis
James Colangelo
James Colangelo
11 days ago

Elon. Musk. Isn’t. Smart.

Why do people think this? He’s a trust fund baby with big ideas, some of which happened to take off despite his inclusion in them. He’s a garbage human being in literally every way imaginable.

Sorry but if you buy his products, you’re associated with him and his politics. Don’t want flak? Don’t buy his stuff. Nobody cares about your whining.. wah wah wah! Shut up.

Tomato Cards
Tomato Cards
11 days ago

Hey now. This is an ugly comment. People are complex and are driven by forces often unknown even to themselves. Put someone on top of that big a pile of cash and who knows what happens to them. But human beings aren’t garbage. Even when we disagree with them. They got there somehow, and who knows where they will end up. Ourselves included.

MY LEG!
MY LEG!
11 days ago
Reply to  Tomato Cards

Maybe he should be promoted to working for a living while he works on that. It’s obvious being rich is too easy for him.

James Colangelo
James Colangelo
11 days ago
Reply to  Tomato Cards

Sorry man.. some people are absolutely garbage. Elon Musk is one of them.

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