Cybertruck Owners Organize Meetups To Trade Tales Of Unhinged Reactions By Strangers

There’s probably no more polarizing and outright catchy vehicle on the road than the Tesla Cybertruck. Depending on who you ask, the Tesla Cybertruck is either the future of American engineering or a stainless-steel political statement.

But to some at a Cybertruck meetup in Palm Springs, it’s simpler than that, according to a new profile by Wired. “To me, it’s just a vehicle that I love,” says Andrew Castillo, a stock trader from Los Angeles. “It has no political affiliations at all to me.”

The event was organized by Michael Goldman, who runs the 53,000-member Facebook group Cybertruck Owners Only. Goldman, who nicknamed his truck “Beastie,” says reactions are often strong — both positive and negative. “When I first got it, my wife really made fun of me for it,” he says. “She actually made a T-shirt. It says ‘It looks like a brick and moves like a beast.’” Her opinion changed after seeing it in action towing dump trailers and hauling equipment. “Now she says it’s actually pretty cool.”

Goldman recalls one of his more extreme encounters in a Whole Foods parking lot, when a woman driving an electric Mustang left a note on his truck that read, “This is an extension of your small dick.” When he confronted her, he says, “She called me a Nazi.” After he pointed out his last name — Goldman — and that he’s Jewish, the conversation shifted. “She broke down in tears and apologized,” he says. “It just blew my mind that people will judge someone based on the vehicle they drive.”

Russ Taylor, who runs an off-road rally business called Smugglers Runs, added: “I loved just the style, the look—it’s totally unique.” Taylor says the reactions he gets are mostly limited to stares or hand gestures. “It’s kind of dumb that it’s become a political statement,” he adds. “It’s just a vehicle.”

Castillo says that compared to his past luxury cars, Cybertruck owners are unusually open and friendly. “With Bentleys or Rolls-Royces, people were standoffish,” he says. “With Cybertruck owners, it’s, ‘Hey, you want to see it? Come on. You want to test drive it? Come on.’ They’re more inclusive.”

For Frank and Diane Brabec of Indio, California, the truck has been a surprisingly practical addition. “It took me about three days to get used to it because it’s so different to drive,” says Frank, a consultant. “It’s the only vehicle [in the U.S.] with steer-by-wire—no physical connection between the wheel and tires.”

“We’ve only been flipped off like three times,” she adds, laughing. “Maybe four.”

Reactions from strangers are part of the package. At the same Palm Springs meetup, a driver in a sedan slowed down just long enough to shout, “Your cars are fucking ugly!” before speeding off. Castillo only smiled. “Some people just aren’t playing with a full deck of cards,” he said.

Wired writes that Jose Reynoso, a small-business owner who uses his Cybertruck for advertising, says Musk’s public controversies made things complicated. “For the CEO of a company that makes a product a lot of Americans buy to put us in the middle of everything because of his controversies — it was sad to see that,” he says. “We saw wives and kids being harassed just because we were driving a Tesla.” For that reason, he doesn’t take the truck to client sites anymore.

Others, like Roger Davis from San Diego, embrace the attention. “What I love about the truck is just how it’s so polarizing,” he says. Davis says he’s taken his truck through the Rubicon Trail, spending about $50,000 to outfit it for off-road travel. The experience was grueling but, according to him, transformative. “I just felt the presence of God and a deep peace and love,” he says. “It really reset my life.”

Shawn Hyman and Nannette Vaglica, a couple from Palm Desert, appreciate the quieter side of the Cybertruck experience. “It’s a different feeling than a gas car,” says Nannette. “There’s no shifting — it’s supersmooth.” Shawn adds, “Instant power. Instant torque.” They admire Elon Musk, too. “He’s a brilliant mind,” says Nannette. “I didn’t care about his politics,” Shawn adds. “He’s building some really neat stuff.”

Meanwhile, Alex Ferguson, a Cybertruck wrapper from Austin, Texas, has built a business around the vehicle’s notoriety. “When Tesla announced it, I bought all the domain variations of ‘wrapping Cybertrucks,’” he says. Since then, he’s wrapped more than 400 of them, many in cosmic or “space” designs. “It’s usually Tesla fans or space fans or engineering people,” he says.

Despite the controversies, quirks, and insults shouted from passing cars, Cybertruck owners say the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. “Kids love it,” says Castillo. “People cheer. I’ve had some nice cars, but never one that made people cheer.”