# Drive a Tesla, get Sieg Heils? Apparently it ain’t easy being green any more **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 11, 2025, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416 "2025-03-11T03:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/21 "2025-03-11T12:07:03Z")
I have a lot of friends with Teslas. Most bought them years ago, when it was the only EV on the market that you could use for a road trip. I know at least one is buying an anti-Musk bumper sticker. My next door neighbor has one. He’s very active in the my temple. I wonder if he’ll do anything. I haven’t seen any vandalism locally, just read about it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/22 "2025-03-11T12:10:08Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > What if the dealer bought the dealership more than a year ago and “can’t afford to dump” it? What if they are Jewish and look Jewish? Tesla owns all of their own dealerships. As to the rest, none of your fucking business ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/23 "2025-03-11T12:12:34Z")
It feels like one of the stickers would be a reasonable approach to inoculation in much the same way as the Canadian flag used to proudly adorn the backpack of US backpackers abroad ☹ IOW, “Love my country, fear my government” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/24 "2025-03-11T12:28:00Z")
Elon Musk may not be CEO of Tesla much longer, which will solve this problem to some extent. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/25 "2025-03-11T12:33:01Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > It feels like one of the stickers would be a reasonable approach to inoculation in much the same way as the Canadian flag used to proudly adorn the backpack of US backpackers abroad ☹ In that case they are lying about their nationality. In the case of the car stickers, it’s presumably being honest. I was thinking about getting one that says, “Yeah, I know”. My friend has one that says, “Pre Election Tesla”. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/26 "2025-03-11T12:35:34Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > In that case they are lying about their nationality. Something that hasn’t, and wouldn’t, ever bother _me_ one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/27 "2025-03-11T12:39:43Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > As to the rest, none of your fucking business You brought it up. Not me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/28 "2025-03-11T12:49:33Z")
It wouldn’t bother me either if they were being kind. I remember on my first trip to Western Europe the three young adults I saw pitching the worst fits had Canadian flag patches and was mildly surprised. I later learned about the patch trick. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/29 "2025-03-11T12:57:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I wonder if you “couldn’t afford” to dump it, or just don’t care to take the financial loss of such a transaction. Selling the Tesla at a loss and buying a less expensive EV would keep food off your table or the mortgage/rent from being paid? I have no idea, but let’s say he could sell the car at a loss, but without it destroying his finances. Why do you think he should entertain that idea for one second? He should get rid of a car that he presumably likes, and bought in good conscience, just to appease some intolerant assholes? The car is already paid for, selling it now will not affect Musk one iota. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/30 "2025-03-11T13:05:59Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > He should get rid of a car that he presumably likes, and bought in good conscience, just to appease some intolerant assholes? I agree that nobody is required to get rid of any possession just because it has subsequently become associated with fascist bigotry or similar horrible stuff. However, if somebody does own and publicly display (because it’s pretty hard to use a car without publicly displaying it, y’know?) a possession that is widely associated with fascist bigotry or similar horrible stuff, I think it’s unreasonable to expect that they’re going to be totally immune from public expressions of contempt for said horrible stuff. Illegal vandalism, of course, is another matter. I don’t care if you’re even an out and proud fanatical Muskrat, nobody should be illegally defacing your property. If one wants one’s Tesla ownership not to be mistaken for a sign of out and proud fanatical Muskrattery, the anti-Musk bumper stickers sound like a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/31 "2025-03-11T13:06:26Z")
> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#): > > Why do you think he should entertain that idea for one second? He can do whatever he wants. He is the one who said he wouldn’t buy one now and that he thinks Musk is disgusting. (BTW - Musk’s offensive nature wasn’t exactly a secret for several years past.) It is not uncommon for people to strongly proclaim various values - so long as acting upon those values does not inconvenience themselves or cost them more than a nominal amount. He is the person who said he could not afford to sell it. I guess each of us decides what we “can’t” vs “do not care to” afford. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/32 "2025-03-11T13:20:37Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > He can do whatever he wants. He is the one who said he wouldn’t buy one now and that he thinks Musk is disgusting. (BTW - Musk’s offensive nature wasn’t exactly a secret for several years past.) In fact, AFAICT [hajario told us last May that he had bought his Tesla within the last two months,](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-could-hertz-be-so-short-sighted-about-renting-evs/1001017/68) which yeah, strictly speaking may be “over a year ago” now. At that time he said > [@hajario](#): > > I get boycotting because of Elmo and that it doesn’t fit everyone’s use case but at least drive one before you hate on it so much. So, okay, a year ago he figured that the Musk-toxicity levels associated with Tesla ownership were salient but acceptable, whereas if he were considering the purchase now, he would call it differently. Circumstances change. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/33 "2025-03-11T13:25:06Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > However, if somebody does own and publicly display (because it’s pretty hard to use a car without publicly displaying it, y’know?) a possession that is widely associated with fascist bigotry or similar horrible stuff, I think it’s unreasonable to expect that they’re going to be totally immune from public expressions of contempt for said horrible stuff. About 1-1/2 years ago we had a long thread about whether the US flag had been co-opted as a MAGA-only symbol. Specifically when flown at home or from your car, rather than e.g. flying over a school or a city hall as they nearly universally do and have since before we were all born. Opinion was divided, of course. But lots of people, me included, assumed then that any individual voluntary display of the US flag was in fact MAGA posturing. My opinion has only hardened since last Nov. And hardens further by the day. Here’s the thread (from Sep 2023): > [@Does the display of American flags have some "hidden meaning" these days?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270): > > I’ve noticed that in my neighborhood several homes flag US flags nearly daily. It used to be we were one of few houses that flew the flag even on federal holidays. And it isn’t every block. But on some blocks you’ll see as many as 6 American flags - which is more than I used to see on Flag Day or the 4th of July. Some of the are accompanied by “blue stripe” flags, which made me wonder if they intended a specific message. We noticed a lot of flags displayed on a recent trip to a very “red” l… ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/34 "2025-03-11T13:25:08Z")
A Turkish restaurant opened in my town shortly before 9/11. It was decorated in a way that looked generically middle-Eastern. Recognizing the sentiment of the nation, the owner bought a large American flag and hung it on the window. I believe it was intended to signal, “we’re on your side, not theirs”. And it worked. The restaurant is still there, although they cut back a bit during the pandemic, like so many other restaurants. I think an anti-Musk bumper sticker is the right move, if you live in a place where that makes you safer, or if it’s a sentiment that you want to express. It says, “no, i don’t support the guy”. Was it obvious two years ago that Musk was personally unpleasant? Sure. Was it obvious that he would lead an effort to dismantle our government? No, it really wasn’t. If you never bought anything from a large publicly owned company with unpleasant people in the board room, you would find your commercial options very limited. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/35 "2025-03-11T13:26:23Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > (BTW - Musk’s offensive nature wasn’t exactly a secret for several years past.) Depends how many years you’re talking about. I think I’m a typical consumer who was never obsessed by Musk one way or another, but did think the Tesla was an interesting car that I might have considered had I been in the market for a new car some years ago. I think the common perception of Musk could probably be described as going through three stages: 1. The pre-Twitter Musk, in which he was regarded as eccentric and opinionated but not much more than that. Most Teslas were probably bought in that era. 2. The post-Twitter Musk, in which “eccentric” turned out to actually be “psychotic” and drug-addled, manifestly incompetent, and the period in which his Nazi inclinations emerged along with unabashed support for Trump. 3. The 2024 election campaign and the DOGE aftermath, in which both his Nazi ideology and his incredible incompetence were on full display. I can’t speak to anyone here specifically, but just statistically, I think many Tesla owners bought theirs before Musk Phase 2 and almost all before Musk Phase 3. I still want an EV but I wouldn’t touch a Tesla with a ten-foot pole. I might sometimes be tempted to compromise some principles for some of my modest needs, but not with Tesla in the present circumstances. Musk has made the brand just too toxic. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/36 "2025-03-11T13:31:59Z")
That’s a good analysis. I might have bought a Tesla before Twitter. (There are a bunch of things i don’t like about the car that have nothing to do with Musk, so actually, i didn’t. But my husband and i did discuss it.) After Twitter, i wanted nothing to do with Musk or anything he touched. And i know people who sold their Teslas during that phase, for political reasons. But… I don’t think too harshly of people who made different choices. Today, there are lots of other EVs in the market, and honestly, the only compelling reason to pick a new Tesla is political. Hell no. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/37 "2025-03-11T13:36:39Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I think an anti-Musk bumper sticker is the right move, I wonder what the reaction would be if you brought a car with such a bumper sticker in for service. (And thanks, **Hajario**. I had forgotten all Tesla dealers were company owned.) > [@wolfpup](#): > > Depends how many years you’re talking about. I think I’m a typical consumer Yeah - my perspective reflects having a son who is an Aero Engineer, previously employed by ULA. I got so tired of him constantly railing against all thing Musk-related. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/38 "2025-03-11T13:46:50Z")
I think it’s a lot to expect someone to sell their car for political reasons, especially after the financial investment. While prudent to take steps to mitigate harassment, note that it’s possible Musky could eventually be removed from his position and the Tesla brand won’t be as odious as it is presently. If it makes someone feel righteous and can afford to get rid of their car, that’s fine. But if someone chooses another form of protest, for whatever reason, that’s fine as well. Papa John’s Pizza went thru a brand crisis when it became known the founder and namesake of the company was a racist dickhead. He left/was ushered out and replaced and the brand keeps chugging along. I expect something like that to happen here as well - it’s just a matter of time. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/39 "2025-03-11T13:52:13Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I expect something like that to happen here as well - it’s just a matter of time. I don’t. Papa John’s was a generic pizza company. Tesla is a reflection of Musk. ---
**Author:** ![We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/We_re_wolves_not_werewolves)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2025, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416/40 "2025-03-11T13:52:37Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > I think it’s a lot to expect someone to sell their car for political reasons, especially after the financial investment. exactly this. Especially in light of the fact that selling it now will not impact Musk in the slightest, since it has already been purchased. It is pure virtue signaling. Purchasing a new Tesla _now_, of course, is a different matter, and anyone doing that is not only financially benefiting Musk, but also at least tacitly endorsing his views. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drive-a-tesla-get-sieg-heils-apparently-it-ain-t-easy-being-green-any-more/1015416.md?page=3)