A Berkeley, California Tesla owner whose vehicle was targeted by vandals who spray painted it has shared a somewhat unexpected reaction to the attack: rather than feeling deterred or embarrassed about owning the electric car, the experience has actually strengthened his attachment to the vehicle and his convictions about EV ownership. His public account of the incident and his response to it has resonated with other Tesla owners who have experienced vandalism and harassment related to their choice of vehicle, and has provided an interesting counterpoint to the harassment campaign dynamic that seems to be driving the wave of anti-Tesla property crimes.
The pattern of ideologically motivated vandalism against Tesla vehicles has been a significant news story, reflecting the complicated political associations that have developed around the brand and its owner. That victims are responding with defiance rather than compliance suggests the campaign may not be achieving whatever behavioral change its perpetrators intend, and the sympathetic public response to accounts like this owner’s reinforces the counterproductive nature of property crimes as a form of political expression. The spray paint damage was repaired and the owner continues to drive his Tesla.
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