My Wife Was Screaming I Will Never Drive That Cybertruck Anymore Because Someone Tried To Cut Me Off While I Was Driving With My Kids, and Three Guys Came Out of the Car and Pointed their Middle Fingers At Me 

A doctor practicing in Worcester, Massachusetts, says that because he is a Tesla Cybertruck owner and operator, he and his family have endured frightening displays of hate and anger from other drivers. So much so that his wife vows that she will never drive in the vehicle again.

The displays of aggression began soon after Dr. Jaroje began driving his Tesla Cybertruck. One example that is easy to literally point to is a sticker that someone affixed to the tailgate of the Cybertruck with profane insults. He is not alone. Torque News reporte Denis Flierl recently reported that one Cybertruck owner had his pickup vandalized three times in one day. 

Dr. Jaroje says that the behavior of other drivers toward her while she was in the vehicle has shaken her to her core. "She was horrified. She was, like, crying, screaming out of her throat, "I will never drive that Cybertruck anymore," Jaroje said.

According to Dr. Jaroje, this is not a single case of a typical road rage, but a reaction to his truck because it is made by Elon Musk, the now very politically connected leader of Tesla, Inc. who is also the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He feels that people are taking their anger out at Mr. Musk on drivers and occupants of Tesla vehicles like his Cybertruck Foundation Series pickup.  When the doctor posted an account of his scary experience on social media, even more hate flooded his account.  

Doctor Jaroje’s and his wife’s fears may be well-founded. In a story published just this week, our own Tinsay Aregay explained how one Cybrtruck owner, Robert Oneal, was physically assaulted. “I Got Punched for Driving a Cybertruck.” 

Dr. Jaroje is a Syrian immigrant who started his own practice in Worcester, a city considered by some to be underserved by medical providers. You can hear his account first-hand in the following video.

There is a growing consensus that Elon Musk has done serious harm to Tesla by being politically active. We recently did a deep dive on this subject and explored how both buyers and even the automotive media are being pushed away by Elon Musk’s political work. One of America’s leading electric vehicle content creators, Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield offered this summary of how she feels about the subject:

Tesla isn’t the only option anymore. A wider range of vehicle types and price points mean customers can opt for competitors that are just as clean, green, smart, and practical, without the stigma of destructive authoritarianism, so-called “Roman salutes”, or political ideologies. Those who choose Tesla today are sending a clear message to all Americans. They are tacitly agreeing with a majority of shareholders to condone Tesla and the recent administration’s, of which Elon Musk is an active participant, behavior. From white supremacy to the potentially illegal use of American’s private information, our choices as consumers have consequences.

Dr. Jaroje is ready to walk away from owning his Cybertruck and turn it in for a more mundane and discrete Tesla Model such as a Model Y. However, he told CBS News that his local retailer will not accept the truck back as a trade-in. 

Cybertucks not being accepted back by Tesla as trades is a topic that has been widely discussed at Tesla forums. In late December, one Tesla owner posted:

In an attempt to capitalize on Free Supercharging, I reached out to see if Tesla would accept my Foundation Series Cybertruck as a trade in on a new Cybertruck. I was planning on leasing and then buying out the lease to take advantage of the 2k off MSRP, my referral credits, and the 7500 tax credit incentive. It would be a lot of leg work, but net me an even trade plus free supercharging. Well Tesla is not accepting CT trades, so the plan is out the window. Do you think it’s because they don’t want to show how much value they actually place on foundation series over non-foundation series?

One commenter under this post said, “That’s absolutely hilarious. Even Tesla won’t touch these things.”

By all accounts, the anti-Musk sentiment is now reaching a fever pitch. The Cybertruck is itself seems to be a lightning rod for all sorts of angst and negativity from the general public. 

Do you think that the terrible experience Dr. Jaroje and his family have experienced is isolated or more commonplace than is being reported?

Would you think twice about buying a Cybertruck, knowing that it causes such a strong reaction in public?
 

John Goreham is a credentialed New England Motor Press Association member and expert vehicle tester. John completed an engineering program with a focus on electric vehicles, followed by two decades of work in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive supply chain before becoming a news contributor. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). In addition to his eleven years of work at Torque News, John has published thousands of articles and reviews at American news outlets. He is known for offering unfiltered opinions on vehicle topics. You can connect with John on Linkedin and follow his work on his personal X channel or on our X channel. Please note that stories carrying John's by-line are never AI-generated, but he does employ grammar and punctuation software when proofreading and he also uses image generation tools. 

Image of woman crying standing next to Cybertruck created using Grok.