Tesla moments

[green1]

A few days ago I was driving around Vancouver and realized I was stopped between a Lamborghini dealer, a Bentley dealer, and a Maclaren dealer. And then I realized that the guy on the sidewalk taking pictures wasn't photographing any of them, he was taking pictures of my car.... That felt pretty good!

 

[beeeerock]

I'll bet this same problem occurred to people when they made the switch from manual to automatic transmissions decades ago. They probably constantly found their left foot twitching.

This makes me realize that I've *never* had the clutch instinct in this car. It's happened in every other car I've owned that has had an automatic transmission. So it's obviously an audible RPM trigger that causes it - for me at least... which just isn't heard in the Model S!

 

[Chopr147]

Drive-in movie last week upstate NY. One of the employees there followed me on foot to my spot. He walked like 1/2 mile to get to me
He was 20 years old and knew alot about Tesla's, the company,Elon etc.....BUT, he never saw a Tesla in real life. Talked with him until the movie started (and longer) , let him sit in it, look around interior and answered a ton of questions. Good kid that is looking toward making enough money for the Model 3.

Also nearly got a parking ticket for the missing front plate Another ticket agent ran up to him before he wrote it to tell him "Hey, that's Joe's car." I'm sure at some point in the future I will get a parking TX. for that. I'll take the chance.

 

[Xenius]

Two recent Tesla moments, they're starting to get too numerous to post all of them here (awesome).

Yesterday I gave a co-worker a ride to the Toyota place in Ardmore as his prius was there for yet another issue. As we pulled up so I could let him out there were three services guys outside and EVERYONE was just staring as my friend got out of the car. They were really just eye fscking the heck out of my car as I pulled around the building to pull back out of the lot, feels good man.

This morning I ran over to Advance Auto Parts to pick up some of the rain-x all season windshield washer fluid. As I walked in the guy working the counter was already at the front door and greeted me, asked what I needed. As I was checking out and gather my four gallons of rain-x guy says "That is nice looking Tesla man". Took a second to get to my car because some guy in a truck was very slowly driving by as he stared at it before noticing I was waiting right there.

 

[fallen888]

Does it qualify as a Tesla moment if I haven't taken delivery yet?
I almost walked away from my current car with it still on.

 

[Cnasty]

Went to a reputable shop in the area to quote photosync and blacking out my window trim and had an almost anti/non tesla moment but in a good way.

I went to them because they do so many Teslas that poor Electra was treated like any other normal car even though he did acknowledge how amazing Teslas are.

I am so over all of this chrome and no tint!

 

[BigAirHarper]

Had a couple from yesterday:

Driving down street in front of a high school where cross country practice was going on, kid stops and stares holding hands out, turns 180 to follow car as it passes and I see him waving hands in air and mouthing something
Then 3 min later road bike headed opposite direction gives several enthusiastic thumbs up, which I of course returned. This car is so awesome.

 

[tslaaustin]

I was showing my new tesla to one of my friends near our community pool. Another lady (home owner) also was sitting there by the pool and when she heard the word Tesla her face was completely lit up and the first word out of her mouth was OMG. She also came to the parking outside the pool and continued saying the word OMG several times as i showed around the car, the frunk and trunk and demonstrated the summon feature.
She probably took more pictures of the car on her cell phone than what i have taken so far and immediately sent to her husband.
I think its just beginning!!!

 

[Chopr147]

I think its just beginning!!!

You are right! The more Tesla's on the road, the more drooling stares we get This then translates into sales.

 

[wdolson]

Last Friday we had a friend down from Seattle and another local friend came over. It got late and we decided to order some take out. I volunteered to fetch and the local friend came along because she needed to get something while we were out. As we got into the car she said she knew if we were going anywhere it was going to be in the Tesla.

After picking up the food I was threading through the parking lot and some guy in a white short sleeved shirt and tie waved at me from his car and I waved back. My friend asked where I knew him from and I said I had never seen him before. She was really confused why some random stranger would wave at me and I explained the Tesla Moment thing.

She's from Boston and the idea of waving at random strangers is very weird to her. Growing up a white kid in East LA I learned to keep to myself too, but I'm adjusting to the Tesla etiquette.

 

[Pollux]

Love these stories!

I'm shameless -- anyone who looks even remotely interested, I'll stop, talk to them, try to coax them into sitting in the car, going for a quick ride with me, sometimes even driving the car. (I usually snap a picture of the person's driver's license.)

I am absolutely convinced that these conversations make a difference. They change perceptions from "rich man's folly" to "awesome and someday I could have one".

I have never, not once, had a problem or even a scary moment. Not saying you should be stupid about doing something like this -- 1 in the morning in a deserted parking lot is different than noon on a city street -- but so far what I'm seeing is that people who actually notice the car are pretty much by definition people who can be approached and who welcome the interaction.

There ARE people who turn out not to be that interested, and that's just the way it is.

Finally, when you are talking to people, whether it's aggressively like I do or just in casual conversation at a cocktail party, try to let them know that not only is the Model 3 coming, at $35K, but also that Tesla is working on a PICKUP TRUCK and a SEMI and already has an SUV. Tesla is knocking down use case after use case. I talk to plenty of people who can't trade their pickup truck for a Model S because the pickup truck is used in a different way. So letting people now that there is a pickup truck in the work also changes their perceptions. ("Not just for spoiled city folk environmentalists. Also for people who need to get a job done.")

Alan

 

[RogerHScott]

"Not just for spoiled city folk environmentalists

... but now also for spoiled rural environmentalists!"

 

[Old Wyseguy]

Don't want the "you make that much to afford that car?!??" And "we pay you too much if you are driving that

I got that too, and finally got fed up and got an attitude with another guy I work with so told him something like this: Just look around the parking lot, Everybody has their "thing". There are crew cab dually diesel trucks with a 5th wheel in the back to pull huge campers. They also have a hitch to pull their boats around and have most likely spent more on their idea of fun. My idea of fun was a Tesla. Don't even get me started on the price of motor homes when 15 years ago very nicely appointed ones were around a quarter mil! So it boils down to NOT how much money you make, but how you opt to spend it.

 

[Swissmoneychf]

I usually say that I sell drugs when anybody asks me "how did you manage to own such an expensive car" (even with my current car that is only 70k).

The fact is that I'm "only" 27 and people of my age range are more focused on partying and smoking joints than making money like I do.

 

[Old Wyseguy]

View attachment 191655 Driving on autopilot 'rainbow road' on the way to Rainbow Forest in Petrified Forest Nationsl Park

My wife does that every chance she gets . . .

 

[BigAirHarper]

I usually say that I sell drugs when anybody asks me "how did you manage to own such an expensive car" (even with my current car that is only 70k).

The fact is that I'm "only" 27 and people of my age range are more focused on partying and smoking joints than making money like I do.

That's a funny comeback.
I get those looks too, 28, but a face of a 18 year old. It's good to be driven and accomplish the goals we want in life. Life is too short to sit idly by on the couch, make the most of it!

 

[RogerHScott]

I got that too, and finally got fed up and got an attitude with another guy I work with so told him something like this: Just look around the parking lot, Everybody has their "thing". There are crew cab dually diesel trucks with a 5th wheel in the back to pull huge campers. They also have a hitch to pull their boats around and have most likely spent more on their idea of fun. My idea of fun was a Tesla. Don't even get me started on the price of motor homes when 15 years ago very nicely appointed ones were around a quarter mil! So it boils down to NOT how much money you make, but how you opt to spend it.

Alternate reply: "You don't like people making money? I'll be sure to mention that to your boss next time you're up for a raise."
Maybe it's just because I come from a background where "polite people" really don't pry into the financial affairs of others, but I'm still
a bit shocked by the strangers who just can't take a hint that I'm not interested in getting into specifics about the cost of my car.

 

[hmmm]

My newest Tesla moment(s): using my car as a phone booth to take conference calls: in complete darkness in the garage, ambient lighting on, ac gently on and the smell of leather. Better than my home office with a whiny toddler across the way.

Tomorrow I am putting these cupholders to good use and am bringing a stiff drink along.

 

[jstack6]

A Tesla moment on the way home from TMC Connect 2016 in Reno and after the Giga Factory tour we started driving back to the Phoenix area 750 miles away. A policeman came after us for 72 in a 60. While he was talking to my friend who was driving I mentioned we just got back from the awesome Tesla presentation and tour. He wasn't aware of it. We used Auto Pilot and almost mentioned that but he would really freak if he tried to understand it. Then he asks, is this an electric too. Yes and I explained how it doesn't use any gas or oil or transmission. He is very impressed and only gives my friend a 5 mpg over notice with no license points or insurance visibility. He can't wait to check out the factory and cars at Tesla.

 

[wdolson]

I was wondering about your mention of getting points on your license. I'm familiar with some countries that have point systems, but I wasn't aware of any states that do. I looked it up and it appears there are only 7 states that don't have a point system. Washington and Oregon are among the 7 in the minority.