Las Vegas Tesla owners hiding their rides, talking trade-ins to avoid abuse

By Kristen Kniep  

Nevada News and Views

Two Tesla Cybertruck owners in southern Nevada were targeted last week — not for breaking the law, not for reckless driving, but simply for owning a Tesla.

In Henderson, a man parked his Cybertruck near Water Street. When he came back, he found the word “Nazi” and a swastika carved deep into the side of the truck.

According to the owner, Christopher George, the scratches weren’t just on the surface. “It looks pretty deep into the metal,” he told FOX5.

He’s not sure if he can safely drive it anymore.

“I get it, people have their views about Elon Musk right now,” George said. “But he’s already been paid for the vehicle. He doesn’t own it. I own it.”

He’s now having to keep his vehicle in his garage until he can get it fixed; obviously not a customization you’d want to drive around the city and show off.

That same weekend, across town in the Southern Highlands neighborhood, another Cybertruck owner had a woman swerve toward them in traffic, flipping them off and attempting to drive them into the curb.

The driver shouted insults — some of them racial — and mocked the Black driver for choosing a Tesla. She also seemed to accuse Elon Musk of owning slaves, yelling ” You know he owns people, right?” at the startled couple through the window.

There’s a pattern here, and it goes deeper than car brands or personal opinions about Elon Musk.

This is about something more basic: the growing hostility between people who make different choices.

It’s one thing to oppose someone’s views. It’s another thing entirely to try and intimidate them into silence — or off the road.

The couple in Southern Highlands, George in Henderson, and our other Tesla-driving neighbors in the valley likely didn’t foresee inviting this kind of harassment when they bought their vehicles.

They made a personal choice, paid for a legal product, and expected to live their lives in peace.

This isn’t how civilized people disagree. This is coercion by shame and threat.