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Negative response from strangers and other stupid things people say

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Seriously, if you live in a community with volunteer EMS or Fire, sign up. It is so rewarding, so fun and really gives you a sense of purpose and perspective. I started as an EMT as a teenager because a volunteer EMT saved my mother's life. I am paying back that favor (or trying to at least). Not unlike being an environmentlist, it is less a big thing than many small acts, when combined, effecting a net posetive change on the world around me.
Well done, Mike! Don't think a situation like that could have been handled any better.

Shake it off and try to forget about it. No use second guessing these types of situations.
 
I guess one advantage of the outrageous vehicle tax structure here in Norway is that we don´t have to deal with the "expensive toy" gibberish that gets spewed at Tesla owners. I have sort of the opposite problem. Since the MS costs about 1/3 of what it "should" cost, I have to try and convince some colleagues that it really is a luxury car!
 
First of all: interesting story and thanks for sharing, very classy on your part and more professionalism than you would normally expect from a volunteer! Being the bigger man in a situation like that reflects very well on you. Also remember it wasn't really about that woman but about the son that you helped save.

Secondly, unfortunately I think there may be quite som truth to this negative comment here, and we have to be realistic about that as early adopters (for me it doesn't take away the value, as value is a highly subjective thing anyway, let's just be realistic and admit that we are paying a lot for being early). Obviosuly price isn't going to drop in half in 6 months, but in a few years you'll will be getting a lot more bang for the bucks when it comes to EVs.

[...] The first incident was the husband of a friend. He said buying a Model S was ludicrous because, like flat screen TVs, in six months the price will drop to half and I'll feel like an idiot. I was so shocked I didn't point out that internal combustion has been around well over 100 years (well, so too has electric motors) and those prices keep going up. It was just such a strange comment. He also felt Tesla "stole the design from Fisker." Never heard that before either. I was more amused than insulted or annoyed.
 
Interesting story Mike. I think your response was quite admirable. Thanks for your volunteer service.
For the most part, like yours, my experience is 99.9% is highly positive and fun. I have had a guy in a big pickup truck give me a thumbs down (I smiled as I drove past) and another guy gave me a finger. That was embarrassing as I had my wife and two daughters with me. He was also in a small pickup truck!! I always don't respond and mind my own business.
 
Great way to deal with the situation.

I don't volunteer, but work in forensics, so we deal with a lot of unsavoury people a lot of the time. You just have to rise above it, no matter how much it may annoy you. :S

In Australia assaulting a federal police appointee (albeit being an unsworn member) is similar to assaulting a sworn policeman/federal agent, which carrys a fairly heavy penalty (by Australian standards anyway),

myself being 6ft9in, and 180kg, I generally don't see much trouble :p
 
Agree. Great way to handle it, not many people would have been able to say nothing especially the second time she came back. It probably had nothing to do with the car as maybe any expensive car could have set her off. It's all about that person and how she handles things I assume.
 
Had two oddly negative / misinformed things said to me recently when someone saw my Model S. I thought there was a thread on this, but couldn't find it - mods feel free to combine.

The first incident was the husband of a friend. He said buying a Model S was ludicrous because, like flat screen TVs, in six months the price will drop to half and I'll feel like an idiot. I was so shocked I didn't point out that internal combustion has been around well over 100 years (well, so too has electric motors) and those prices keep going up. It was just such a strange comment. He also felt Tesla "stole the design from Fisker." Never heard that before either. I was more amused than insulted or annoyed.

The other incident, however, really pissed me off.

I'm a volunteer EMT on my town's fire department. I often respond to a scene directly in my Model S (as an aside, it is a great response vehicle with all the cargo space, stability at speed and agility). In this case it was a relatively serious call involving a young man who truly needed emergency medical attention (I was literally on scene in under 3 minutes from the 911 call, and it probably made a difference - serious call). While I'm unloading my gear the mother rushes out to guide me to where he son lay ill. While we are walking around to the back door of her home she asked me "is that a Masseratti?" I said, "Actually it is a Tesla." She then stops in her tracks and turns to me and says "you should give more to charity and spend less money on flashy cars like that thing!" It was said with considerable venom. I was literally dumbstruck at first, but also know stress from a situation like this can affect people. I proceeded to care for her son until the ambulance arrived, and once he was packaged and enroute to the hospital I went back to my car to put my gear away. She walked up to me looking rather flushed. I expected the normal, "thank you for helping" or "what is the best way to the hospital from here?" Instead I got, "only in this (beep)ing town would a firefighter drive that (beep)ing thing!"

This time I almost rose to it, but instead reminded her I was a volunteer, as is everyone on our department. Hoping that was the end I started getting into my car and she then said, "you spend $250k on a golf cart and it is ugly, you know that?"

I closed the door and drove off, deciding it wasn't worth it, as I am not obliged to be harassed by anyone, even a distraught parent. I half hoped she would lay a hand on me - in CT hitting an on duty EMT is no different than hitting a cop...

Anyway, in my seven months of owning my Model S (and ten years volunteering in Weston, CT, let alone almost 20 years as an EMT) those are the only negative / derogatory comments I think I've received.

Anyone else deal with things like this? I know people make assumptions, mostly wrong, about cost. I blame the media for constantly publishing the price of a fully loaded Signature Model S for that one. The rest was just weird.

It just proves that humans are born stupid and, unfortunately, some stay this way.
Apparently this woman/creature is an exemplary specimen of stupidity and shortsightedness.
Even if you would have arrived in your personal helicopter, shouldn't have mattered to her. You were there when they needed you and they should be glad and thankful.

You did the right thing and take the high road and leave like you did.
Myself, I would probably say something like "I was glad I was on time to safe the life of your kid." and if I would get more crap from here, I would drove away while scratching the side of my head, accidentally raising the middle finger while I pass....
If she really wanted to do something for the community, she should never speak again....

But that's just me.
You did far better, Thumbs up !
 
I admire the way you handled the whole thing. And your email policy is something that I wish I had adopted earlier in life. I haven't had any negative experiences with people's reaction the Model S. Your story seems pretty extreme. It's depressing that there are people out with attitudes like the woman whose son you helped save.
 
Not to go all Dalai Lama on you Mike (But hey, I roll towards Buddhism what can I say?) but you are much further along "the path" than the woman in the story. You demonstrated compassion by: a:Saving her sons life just because you could. and b: Not giving in to fear and hatred by "going there" with her.
It's the old "butterfly in the amazon" thing. Her son may end up saving the world, or influencing those who do. Thank you in advance. :smile:

And no, I haven't experienced anything close to this level of vitriol. Yet.
 
I've had a couple of incidents.
1- I was in a parking garage standing next to my model S and this guy told me that he paid for the tax deduction I got on the car and that all the profits are going to India. (He drive a Mercedes).
So I just told him it was built 100% in America and all the profits staid here.
2- people are always telling me they didn't get the car because they dont trust it. To that I just realize they are jealous.
3- While I was getting into my car some guy took a picture, so I asked if he wanted to take a picture of the interior (thats always the request after they ask is that all electric, how far does it go) instead he said he is taking a picture to post on Facebook of the D-bags that drive this car.

But in the end there will always be 1000x more compliments, thumbs up, and U DA MAN's. So its all worth it
 
3- While I was getting into my car some guy took a picture, so I asked if he wanted to take a picture of the interior (thats always the request after they ask is that all electric, how far does it go) instead he said he is taking a picture to post on Facebook of the D-bags that drive this car.

LOL. That's just funny. I don't care who you are!

But in the end there will always be 1000x more compliments, thumbs up, and U DA MAN's. So its all worth it

^^^ This. For sure.
 
I've gad a couple of incidents.
1- I was in a parking garage standing next to my model S and this guy told me that he paid for the tax deduction I got on the car and that all the profits are going to India. (He drive a Mercedes).
So I just told him it was built 100% in America and all the profits staid here.
2- people are always telling me they didn't get the car because they dont trust it. To that I just realize they are jealous.
3- While I was getting into my car some guy took a picture, so I asked if he wanted to take a picture of the interior (thats always the request after they ask is that all electric, how far does it go) instead he said he is taking a picture to post on Facebook of the D-bags that drive this car.

But in the end there will always be 1000x more compliments, thumbs up, and U DA MAN's

I find it staggering that people could be so uninformed and so outspoken/rude at the same time.

I haven't even had as much as a thumbs down around here.
 
I was walking behind some couple with some other Model S owners when we all passed a P85 (which this guy would have never known the difference anyway). I heard him say 'That's one of them government cars that cost $150,000 and we paid for'. This happened as Tesla was paying off the loan but hadn't repaid it yet. I said 'Number 1 it doesn't cost that much and number 2 that isn't accurate'. His wife turned around and then said to your husband I assume 'I think he is talking to you' but they just kept on walking. Probably best. I don't think explaining to him the difference between the Roadster and the Model S, the starting price of the Model S, and what the definition of a loan, tax break and a grant are would have been useful or gone over well.
 
Not to go all Dalai Lama on you Mike (But hey, I roll towards Buddhism what can I say?) but you are much further along "the path" than the woman in the story. You demonstrated compassion by: a:Saving her sons life just because you could.

In full transparency, I didn't save his life, but I certainly helped prolong it. Saving lives is an infrequent part of being an EMT. If you want to save a live, guaranteed, every other month, give blood (every 8 weeks). Every single time a person gets a transfusion it is by definition saving their life. Being an EMT if more like, getting them to someone who can save their life, ideally in better, or at least no worse, shape than you found them in.
 
EMTs and other first responders definitely play a critical role in saving someone's life though. You deserve a lot of credit. If first responders can't help stabilize someone and get them to definitive treatment then it doesn't matter if the best trauma surgeons in the world are in the area. Getting them to the trauma team as quickly and in as good shape as possible is the first but critical step in a long line of steps that a badly injured person must go through. The fact that you were able to help and help that person to the next level of care while also arriving in style is great I think.
 
I've had a couple of incidents.
1- I was in a parking garage standing next to my model S and this guy told me that he paid for the tax deduction I got on the car and that all the profits are going to India. (He drive a Mercedes).
So I just told him it was built 100% in America and all the profits staid here.
2- people are always telling me they didn't get the car because they dont trust it. To that I just realize they are jealous.
3- While I was getting into my car some guy took a picture, so I asked if he wanted to take a picture of the interior (thats always the request after they ask is that all electric, how far does it go) instead he said he is taking a picture to post on Facebook of the D-bags that drive this car.

But in the end there will always be 1000x more compliments, thumbs up, and U DA MAN's. So its all worth it

I would have said that I help pay for the 2 aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf right now and the salaries of the military presence we have there and the 2 wars and the 7000 dead young men and women and the 60000 wounded. That is the real cost of our oil supply. Take out human life and the real cost of a gallon of gas is easily supplemented $12 a gallon.