Florida Woman Switches To A Tesla. Then She Notices Something Unique About Other Drivers
"Drivers around me are so much more aggressive."
A new Tesla driver says she’s noticed an uptick in aggressive driving from other commuters ever since acquiring her EV. TikTok user Nikita Buchanan (@nikibuchanan) uploaded a clip delineating her issues.
“I’m just curious for other Tesla drivers. I’ve had my Tesla for over a year now. I used to drive a Toyota Rav4,” she tells viewers. However, soon after purchasing one of the popular electric vehicles, she says she’s noticed the road’s become a much more hostile place.
“I have noticed since having my Tesla, other drivers around me are so much more aggressive. Cut me off, slam on their brakes in front of me. Ride my [expletive]. I was just driving on Blanding and homie just cut me off,” she says, recounting the ways other commuters are treating her. “Like for what? So frustrating, and I can’t be the only one."
“I will fight you. Don’t [expletive] up my car,” she says into the camera.
Commenters Sound Off
Folks had varying opinions on Buchanan’s dilemma. One TikTok user outright stated that they intentionally coal roll folks in electric cars. “I like to give them a little black smoke sometimes, to even out the emissions,” they said.
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Another thought that this was simply an instance of coming across terrible motorists rather than concentrated hatred against Tesla vehicles. “I’d say the majority are just bad drivers for me. But you never know, a lot of crazies on the road so I just stay FAFO ready,” they wrote.
However, there were folks who shared their own perspectives about specific vehicles. One commenter said they’ve created stereotypes of Tesla drivers based on their own interactions while on the road. “So everything you say you've noticed being done to you as a Tesla driver is everything I notice Tesla drivers doing to everyone else. They are worse than BMW and Audi drivers. That's really bad,” they remarked.
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Someone else speculated that perhaps Buchanan’s ability to safely operate an EV on the road could be the core issue. “Maybe it’s your new driving in the Tesla,” they suggested.
Another plainly stated: “Yes. Because we hate Teslas.”
Anger At Musk
Much of the ire toward Tesla vehicles appears to come from people politically opposed to CEO Elon Musk after he campaigned for President Donald Trump’s re-election. The Guardian reported on Tesla owners who say they, like Buchanan, have been targeted in road rage incidents.
“People cut us off on the freeway, give us the finger, yell at me through the windows,” one person interviewed for the story said. “A couple of people have not exactly tried to push me off the road, but drive real close to the side of my car and smile. It’s happened to me twice going at 65 mph and it’s scary.”
Another told The Guardian that other drivers incessantly cut him off. “I noticed the road rage within the first week I got it.”
In addition to road rage incidents, some Tesla owners reported having their cars defaced with Nazi imagery. In one report from September, swastika stickers were found to have been placed on Teslas in the Los Angeles area. In another incident from March, a Cybertruck in New York City was vandalized with a swastika.
NBC New York reported that EVs on Tesla dealer lots have also been damaged.
InsideEVs has reached out to Buchanan via email for further comment.
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