In a high-profile incident, an elderly man was filmed scratching a car in the parking garage of a Woolworth's in Queanbeyan, near the border of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Tesla scratched a car with a key. The car's owner, David Shannon, has appealed for the public's help in identifying the culprit after the damage was estimated at about $3,000.
Introduction
A recent publicized incident in a parking garage has caught the attention of many Tesla-owners and drivers. David Shannon, the owner of a Tesla, was the victim of an act of vandalism recorded by his vehicle's on-board camera. The perpetrator, an elderly man, was filmed vandalizing the Tesla scratched the car. This act caused outrage on social networks.
The crime in detail
The surveillance camera of the Tesla, the so-called Sentry Mode-system, filmed the incident clearly. The footage shows the elderly man walking past the vehicle and deliberately scratching the car's paintwork with a key. After the act, the man stops briefly and appears to look proudly at his work before leaving the parking garage.
David Shannon shared the video in a local Facebook group in the hope that someone could identify the perpetrator. In his post, he makes it clear that his Tesla was not in a disabled parking space, as a sign next to it might have suggested. "The sign points to the handicapped parking spaces to the right of my vehicle," Shannon explained.
Reactions on the social networks
Many angry reactions followed immediately after the video was published on social media. Comments such as "Absolutely disgusting" or "Unbelievable that someone would do something like that" reflected the incomprehension of many users. Many were shocked that the man even stopped to inspect the damage after scratching it. "He seems really proud of himself," speculated one user.
Several people advised David Shannon to report the incident to the police in order to bring the perpetrator to justice. Some commentators suggested that the man might have something against electric cars, which could have motivated him to commit this act. In fact, this is not the first time such an incident has occurred.
Other incidents with Teslas
Tesla-Tesla vehicles are particularly well protected against vandalism by their integrated camera systems, which has led to several similar incidents in recent years. Back in March this year, an elderly man in Melbourne was filmed scratching another driver's car in a shopping center. Last year in Brisbane, a 70-year-old man was charged after he was allegedly filmed scratching two cars, including a Tesla, in a shopping center. The owners of these vehicles had to pay high repair costs, as scratch damage to cars is often particularly expensive.
Conclusion
This incident in New South Wales is further proof of how effective the Sentry Mode-cameras in Tesla-vehicles to identify vandals. However, such incidents also show that Teslas are still the target of vandalism, possibly due to prejudice against electric vehicles. In any case, if identified, the perpetrator will face legal consequences.
Keywords: Tesla, Tesla Model Y, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Accessories, Tesla Store, Shop4Tesla, Tesla News, Sentry Mode, Vandalism, Electric vehicles
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