Proper Response to Thumbs-Up while driving

[cheers3893]

Have had the car about a week and a half now. We're starting to notice more instances of people giving us thumbs-up gestures while driving. Since this has never happened to me with any of my other cars, I find myself wondering how to respond.

So is there a consensus on what is the proper response to this?

a) Thumbs up back?
b) Simple Tesla smile?
c) Floor it and leave them in the dust
d) other?

Just wondering if there is a thread-wide-established protocol we new Tesla drivers are supposed to adhere to.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

I :biggrin:

and sometimes give a thumbs up back.

and usually floor it! (but not to leave them in the dust because then you don't get to see their final reaction! :scared: - which incidentally is my wife's reaction too when I don't warn her!)

 

[Lyon]

Related question:

Is it considered poor form not to give an ICE in the lane next to you a head start when *ahem* comparing acceleration capabilities?

 

[dadaleus]

I smile, nod my head, and maybe wave.

What I mostly get are thumbs ups from passing motorcycles while I cruise in the carpool lane. So no way to floor since I'm following someone when a cycle passes by. Usually they don't get to see my reaction.

 

[sp4rk]

I just smile and give them the thumbs up back.
I think leaving them in your dust is showing off, and b'sides quite often, there is a car in front of me ... so ... wouldn't my insurance would be affected?

 

[Doug_G]

Smile and thumbs up!

 

[Lloyd]

I kept up with a guy on a rice rocket! He took off from the light with the front wheel just off the ground. At about 1/4 mile he turned around and gave me a thumbs up. I was only about two car lengths behind him!

 

[wraithnot]

I just smile and give them the thumbs up back.
I think leaving them in your dust is showing off, and b'sides quite often, there is a car in front of me ... so ... wouldn't my insurance would be affected?

I think whether leaving them in your dust would be appreciated depends on why they are giving you a thumbs up. I once saw someone I'm pretty sure was Larry Ellison driving a red Ferrari Enzo on 101N between SF and San Rafael. I was in a convertible with the top down and my jaw literally dropped when I figured out what kind of car it was so it was pretty obvious I was impressed. After about 30 seconds of gawking, I was getting close to my exit. After I started changing lanes, the Ferrari driver floored it and left me in his dust. And I totally appreciated seeing the car zoom off (and hearing the exhaust note). So if you intuit they are appreciating the Tesla for its performance, they will totally dig seeing the car silently zoom off in the distance.

 

[Plug Me In]

I like the fist pump or thumbs up with smile followed by rocket launch.

 

[carrerascott]

Mostly lots of stares of amazement here so far... Think they're too slow to get their thumb up before I'm long gone. ;-)

 

[elecblue]

whatever you do, don't give them the finger - that would be poor form

 

[pilotSteve]

Just returned from a local drive. A (Vancouver WA) city police Dodge Charger pulled right up on my rear and began pacing me. I was doing limit+5 so I had no worries and just kept driving. Made a turn, and he followed me further. About two blocks later he pulled into the right lane and paralleled me. I glanced over and got a thumbs up from him! Pretty cool. I was tempted to blast ahead of him but didn't........ Fun!

 

[Al Sherman]

This is one of the funnest (and somewhat unexpected) features of being an early adopter. I've really enjoyed it. Yesterday driving home from Cincinnati a guy in an Acura SUV gave me a VERY enthusiastic thumbs up. I rarely dust anyone as I generally do the speed limit or less in the right lane. He got off at the next exit and actually stopped on the off ramp, rolled down his window and hung out the window with his thumb up.
I can't tell you how this makes my day. I generally smile enthusiastically and wave back as if I'm some kind of celebrity.
It's great to know that more and more people are becoming aware of the car and are excited about it.

 

[Cattledog]

It's a great feeling. Two thumbs up!! Oops...

 

[Jack]

Cars in the left two lanes were going to slow so i moved to the right lane to pass. A mazda 6 had the same idea and was in front of me. He did ok taking off, but i gave him a performance demo. He caught up in about a mile, and gave me a huge thumbs up (which i returned). When i did this in an ice car, i always got a different finger up. A huge benefit of owning a model S.

 

[Hank42]

I am surprised about the TYPES of people who smile and give me a thumbs up. Where I am it's not uncommon to find many EuroLuxury cars in the mix with a lot of beaters and not much in between. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford the MS, having previously owned an aforementioned beater.

I was expecting to get a larger acceptance and nods form the Euroluxury crowd, but instead I mostly get sneers, probably because they aren't driving the latest hottest thing out there.

I was expecting to get sneers from the beater crowd (for lack of a better description) sort of saying "There's a another rich dude in a fancy car".
What I got instead is an overwhelming show of support from the beater crowd. I usually roll down the window and have a chat if time permits. What surprised me the most about them is that all of them *knew* what the car was all about - not just the 0-60 times, but the "message" of an American Made Eco conscious sports sedan with balls, and "I like that it's different". Which is why I bought the car. That makes me feel even better. I truly hope Tesla makes a model someday that is within price reach of everyone who shares in the message. For now, it feels good to be a rolling billboard.

Anyway, back on thread - I avoid fingers to avoid any mis-communication and stick with smile and a friendly wave.

 

[napabill]

After having Tess washed in a touchless carwash, I was entering the roadway following a Porsche Turbo who floored it, and of course I followed suit. Small matter of wet tires from car wash. Traction control insufficient with wet tires. Major rear-end squirreling. Kinda fun, actually. And Turbo didn't get away.

 

[ToddRLockwood]

In answer to the original question, I believe the appropriate response is a wave and smile. They're saying "awesome car" with the thumbs-up, and you're saying "thanks, I appreciate it" with a wave. Flooring it may or may not impress. It's a miscalculation that exotic car owners often make: believing that everyone around them shares their enthusiasm. Just let the Model S tell its own story with its good looks.

 

[Iz]

In answer to the original question, I believe the appropriate response is a wave and smile. They're saying "awesome car" with the thumbs-up, and you're saying "thanks, I appreciate it" with a wave. Flooring it may or may not impress. It's a miscalculation that exotic car owners often make: believing that everyone around them shares their enthusiasm. Just let the Model S tell its own story with its good looks.

+1 :smile:

 

[ElSupreme]

In answer to the original question, I believe the appropriate response is a wave and smile. They're saying "awesome car" with the thumbs-up, and you're saying "thanks, I appreciate it" with a wave. Flooring it may or may not impress. It's a miscalculation that exotic car owners often make: believing that everyone around them shares their enthusiasm. Just let the Model S tell its own story with its good looks.

I do exactly that. Often with a window going down an chatting some. If anyone asks if it is fast, I will then proceed to floor it. Most of the time telling them I DON'T have the performance version.