You'd think that between the driver of a Tesla and one of a heavy duty pick-up truck, the former would be more entitled to show the latter the finger, and not the other way around. You know, if, hypothetically speaking, they found themselves in a situation where one would simply have to flip the other.
The truck is the one polluting the air, taking up more space on the road, posing a greater threat to the other vehicles (and pedestrians) in case of an accident - and the list can go on. But even if there are plenty of drivers who despise SUV owners - and, by extension, pick-up owners who drive their cars in urban environments, hundreds of miles away from any farm - nobody is crazy enough to show them the middle finger just for passing by.
And yet the driver of this red Dodge Ram just happened to extend his arm and his magic finger out the window as he went by a Tesla. What was the message, apart from the obvious "f*** you"? Well, since I'm no mentalist and can't get into people's heads - not that I'd really want to in this case - I can only speculate. But I think I might have solved the mystery.
People love their cars - the ones they drive or the ones they could buy now - and wouldn't want anything to come between them. But they are also starting to realize that things are going to change, and large cars with large engines will pretty soon become a luxury. And if the Prius was the preferred target for abuse ten years ago, now this honor has been bestowed upon Tesla drivers. "You and your stupid electric crappy cars are ruining everything. Here's what I think of you and your car," is what the thought process in that man's head must have sounded like.
You can't be too upset with him - or, at least, you shouldn't. He's not an evil man, he's just slightly uneducated and very immature. He doesn't react well to change and he tends to take his frustrations out the wrong way. And the funny part is that he's probably in denial: had he had the chance to experience a ride in an electric car - not to mention Tesla's proverbial Ludicrous mode - he would probably enjoy it. He'd understand that just because you love one, you don't have to hate the other.
Oh, and if you're wondering why the video is so silent, it's because it's a Tesla, dummy.
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News