An elderly man was filmed repeatedly keying a California resident’s Tesla while it was parked next to his vehicle.
The Tesla owner shared a TikTok video showing the elderly man vandalizing his car, with the footage captured by the Tesla’s camera. Over the video, the owner wrote, “Who grandpa [key emoji]’d my car in Pasadena?? (For no reason at all btw).”
As the video began, the elderly man was seen keying the Tesla repeatedly from the beginning of the car until nearly the end. He then opened the door of his car, which was parked next to the Tesla. Instead of getting inside, he keyed the Tesla once more. Another camera angle showed him going back and forth while continuing to scratch the car.
The end of the video showed the man getting back into his car after allegedly vandalizing the Tesla. The owner also included a clear shot of the man’s license plate in the clip. In the caption, he wrote, “He blew me when he triple back for a finishing touch. Shoutout to Elon for the HD.”
The owner also replied to a comment, claiming that he believed the incident was racially motivated. “Definitely racially motivated, I got out my car as he was loading his groceries he ain’t like what he seen I guess,” he wrote. However, the video did not provide evidence supporting his claim about the man’s motive.
In another video, the owner showed what happened before the elderly man keyed his car. He explained that he noticed he was parked somewhat close to the man’s car while the elderly man was walking toward his vehicle with a grocery cart. The owner then “move[d] up” to create more space between the two cars. He pointed out that there was plenty of room between the vehicles afterward. “Unprovoked fr,” he wrote in the caption. It remains unclear why the man allegedly keyed the Tesla or whether the owner plans to involve police.
Viewers Left Divided After Elderly California Man Keys Tesla
Viewers had different reactions after seeing the elderly California man allegedly key the Tesla. Some sided with him because of their feelings about the car, while others defended the Tesla owner. “So he need to be dealt with charges and pay for the damages,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Some people just don’t like to see other people have nice things…..or he just hates Teslas. Regardless, I hope he’s found and charged.”
Others did not feel bad for the owner, with some believing the fact that he owned a Tesla made the incident less sympathetic. “I felt bad till I realized it was a cyber truck,” one person wrote. Another person said, “It’s a Tesla garbage truck. Gramps is valid as [expletive]!” Someone else added, “It’s a Tesla.. that’s the reason.”
The video highlighted how car cameras can help document incidents of alleged vandalism. It also divided viewers over whether the owner’s choice of vehicle should have any bearing on how people reacted to the incident.
