Provide a sense of comfort

[Hovscorpion1]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

 

[chdavis]

Sell it to me. I'll give you $45k cash and pick it up tomorrow.

Outside of that, I have no advice for you. I could not care less about what people think about which car I'm driving.

 

[verygreen]

They are expensive cars.

Perhaps try to proactively complain about your high car payments that take all your resources, high insurance premiums and tire replacement costs.

Basically nobody might feel envious of you if they think you bought a car you cannot afford and are trapped in it now

 

[Rice&Curry]

Be Happy and enjoy the ride... you own a wonderful car

 

[cypho]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

Your co-workers presumably make (and spend) the same amount of money as you. You choose to spend your money on a nice car and choose to spend less then your co-workers on housing/travel/boose/clothes/kids/some other thing you value less than a nice car.

Do you think poorly of your coworkers for spending more money than you on <whatever makes them happy>? If not, why do you think they would judge you for choosing to spend your money on what makes you happy?

And if they do judge you for having different priorities than them, then they are not the sort of people that are worth your concern.

 

[07e92]

there are possibilities that they have cheaper commute cars but “something” else parked in the garage for the weekend.

 

[ChadS]

There are people that judge expensive-car owners as show-offs, snobs, "elites", etc.
There are people that judge cheap-car owners are lazy, careless, untrustworthy, etc.

In either case, if they know you and are judging you in this way...well, you could probably do with some better friends. (Or perhaps you should adjust your attitude and behavior if their judgement is correct!)
If they don't know you and are judging you in this way...well, they seem awfully quick to judge on extremely little evidence, so perhaps it's good that you don't know them.

Another way to put it...those that matter won't judge you, and those that judge you don't matter.

 

[Roslyn]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

You're concerned about envy because you bought a $92K Tesla. I'm concerned because my Tesla stocks have been appreciating, fast. More than I can really comprehend. At current prices, I'll be able to pay for my Cybertruck, and have plenty left over. But that's before the effects of joining the S&P 500. I've been perfectly content living in 'genteel poverty', content that I'd invested in an 'ethical' stock. Now it looks as if I'll be a millionaire in the next few weeks. "You've got your troubles, I've got mine." (Still happily driving my '88 Isuzu Trooper2, just coming on to 300,000 K, but starting to show some rust ...)

 

[Darmie]

First off, STOP listening to the news. There is not a lot of bad stuff going on. Yes, there are bad people but we need to hold criminal activity accountable. Best advise I can give is, stop worrying about what people say and feel. Why do we feel we need to cater to The Offended crowd. If someone may be offended of others owning something nice, advise them to build a bridge and get over it. Don't feel that you need to change what brings you happiness and love to your life. As far as attacks, I see you live in Massachusetts and things may be different up there, but here in Texas, we strongly believe in exercising our Second Amendment rights and are well aware of the castle doctrine.
I hope this provided some comfort. I'll leave you with this thought. When I was station at the Naval War College, I purchased my dream car. (at the time) It was a red 2001 SS camaro. The conversations would often come up, humm going through a mid life crises. I would always tell them this, " if half way through your life you could not afford what you wanted, now that would be a crises."

 

[ReddykwRun]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

Well if just going incognito would help you feel better you can always take a hairdryer and some fishing line and warm up the branding letters and remove them with fishing line by sliding it underneath to pop them off. Go online and procure some brand letters of "lesser value" maybe Ford, Dodge, Datsun you can be creative and smoke the one's that zero in on the "T" while sitting in traffic and shriek in disdain and point fingers. Maybe you can find a "Pizza Delivery Guy" magnetic sign/light and put it on the roof as well and really go "deep cover". I was truly considering this method until I placed a reservation for my CyberTruck,........ now I don't care.

 

[sacfan]

I’d focus on my imagined monthly payments, not what the car costs if you pay “cash”. Tell them that your payments are probably not much more than theirs. After all they're not aware of your loan terms, e.g. that you put $50,000 down and are paying the loan off over 10 years.

In fact, your payments might be less than theirs!

 

[jboy210]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

Their just jealous. Don't let them drag you down to their level. Maybe it is time to move on to a better workplace.

And if it makes you feel better your X75 is probably "only" worth $65K now.

 

[VikH]

Their just jealous. Don't let them drag you down to their level. Maybe it is time to move on to a better workplace.

And if it makes you feel better your X75 is probably "only" worth $65K now.

More like $50s.

 

[jboy210]

More like $50s.

Dang. Glad mine is on a lease and I just turn it in and walk away.

 

[InternetDude]

I know a guy with a sweet yellow Lambo in the garage at home but his coworkers have no clue. He makes sure of that.

His daily is a Jag S type with the bumper falling off, looks kinda hoopty.

Maybe you need to buy a hoopty commuter car

 

[andrewdtran]

People are just jealous at what you've been able to achieve.

 

[Hwood]

Don’t let other people affect your thought. Do you like your car? Are you enjoying your ride? That’s enough, who cares! Why do you have to care about what they think? Maybe sometimes it’s your own mindset affects you to see things this way, not others.

 

[ThomasD]

If you can afford it and pay your bills who cares Ask them why do they care their not paying for it. If you think the car could get damaged at work buy an old pickup with rust and dents and park it right next to your coworker's car that is complaining

 

[dmurphy]

I am reaching out to the Tesla community to ask for some comfort.

With all the latest news going around, I’m starting to not feel comfortable owning a Tesla. I love my car, but if people start to attack/hate/badmouth those who own high end cars and lifestyles, I’ll trade it for a cheep $5,000 car. My coworkers in my department already make me uncomfortable ever since I bought it two years ago. I’m not a supervisor nor a manager. I’m your basic nobody employee. Everybody has cars that most likely max out at $30K and I’m over here with a $92K Model X 75D. It stands out of place. I feel like the connotation of “Tesla” is rich even with the Model 3.

What do you guys think I should do?

What I think you should do? Drive the heck out of it and enjoy it.

If anyone asks any questions or gives you crap, tell them the car bought itself. You bought a couple hundred shares of TSLA at $150 and sold it to buy the Model X.

It's genuinely none of their business!

 

[Bigriver]

@Hovscorpion1, I am someone that the “prestige” of owning a Tesla was definitely in the negative column, not the positive column. I ultimately agree with the overall sentiment expressed here, of don’t worry about what others think. But I also have a few other tidbits that have helped me.

One, I almost never bring up Tesla in my conversations with others. It is something I’m more than happy to talk about, but I don’t initiate. There are many Tesla owners who become known as “the guy who owns a Tesla” and I simply don’t want that to be a prominent description of me. I think we do have some control of the narrative on this.

Another factor is to realize that most people don’t even care. Many still have no idea what a Tesla is, much less what the sticker price is. Not everyone is looking at us or noticing us as much as we sometimes think.

Third, when the car does enter the conversation with someone who knows the general price range, I say how lucky/blessed/honored I feel to have the car. I might tell them that I like it more than anyone should like any inanimate object. Few people are seeking to know your finance details. Keep the conversation simple and humble.