The Tesla Cybertruck is supposed to project an aura of wealth and a sci-fi level of technical superiority.
After all, it starts at an MSRP of $79,000 making these trucks barriers to entry more challenging for the everyday driver. The assumption can be made that Cybertruck drivers have money to play with.
In a TikTok, with over 1.4M views, this parking garage security camera footage from @hecastro27 captures how a Cybertruck driver avoided paying his parking fee.
Why is the Cybertruck owner doing this?
The footage showcases a Tesla Cybertruck driver making the passenger lift up the security barrier arm gate to avoid paying for parking. The video begins with the woman passenger struggling to fully lift up her arm.
The driver of the Cybertruck does nothing to help the woman who is struggling. According to American Access Company, standard security arm barriers can weigh up to 25 lbs.
The woman partially lifted the arm but not enough for the Tesla Cybertruck driver to clear without hitting the truck. The woman goes back to the Cybertruck as the driver insists the bar must be lifted higher.
Theoretically, the Tesla Cybertruck driver could easily go beast mode and drive through the security barrier arm with minimal damage. As KKB reports, the windows are bulletproof and the body is supposed to handle external damage well.
The woman goes back to the security barrier arm and completes a full shoulder press lift. While having the bar elevated above her head, the driver zooms past the barrier arm without paying the parking fee. Luckily for the woman, the driver does wait for her to return to the car before driving away.
Now paying over $40 to park for a day isn’t ideal. However, if you are seen driving around town in a Tesla Cybertruck, you should be able to afford paying for that parking spot.
Why have parking garages become so expensive?
In recent years, parking garage pricing has skyrocketed in major cities.
The parking garage featured in the TikTok is located in San Francisco. According to Investopedia, San Francisco is the fourth most expensive place to live in the United States. With being an expensive city, you already know parking prices will be jacked up.
According to City Observatory, the monthly average cost for parking garages in San Francisco is $320. The video features the daily prices sign in the background and the rates aren’t friendly to say the least. To park at the parking garage is $41 for 10 hours and $51 for the day.
Parking garages prices have jumped drastically for a reason. First, more cities are prioritizing making streets more walkable, bikeable, and bus friendly. By shifting in this direction, side street parking spaces decrease while making the supply for garage parking to go up. With a higher demand for parking space, naturally the price can rise because options are limited.
Second, most of these garages are privately owned. By not having any restrictions, the private business can charge whatever they please. Private companies can use inflation as the reasoning for charging customers more to park. They do this by justifying that inflation has caused a rise in real estate value and higher maintenance to operate.
With less street parking being available, parking garages are well-positioned to maximize profit.
So what did the viewers think about this?
“The fact that they don’t realize places like this have cameras,” one user commented.
“$41?!? I would do the same,” one shared.
“I might not have a $100k truck, but at least I can pay my parking fee,” one added.
“Mind you, the man is still sitting in the car,” one commenter noticed.
“People who stunt half the time have $0 in their bank account,” someone else stated.
@hecastro27 You have money for a cybertruck and not to pay for parking… #sanfrancisco #cybertruck ♬ Cyber Truck – Kodak Black
The Daily Dot has contacted @hecastro27 over Instagram messenger and TikTok messenger. This TikTok has more than 1.4M views with over 64.3K likes.
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