AIBU about nursery parents Car?

[JakeyRolling]

There is a parent at DD’s (3) nursery who drives a Tesla.
He has set the locking sound of the vehicle to a snarling dog.
DD has always been wary of dogs, mainly because she hasn’t been exposed to them as my dog died before she was born.

Recently, she has been starting to get over this and been willing to look at dogs, and even pat a couple that she knows well.

However this morning this vehicle parked next to us and she heard the snarling and became very upset.
I’ve got to admit, I did a double take (the car was behind me) As I thought it was a real dog going mental inside someone’s car.

Am I being unreasonable to think that you must be absolutely brain-dead to think that is an appropriate sound anywhere, let alone and nursery full of children?

Yes he’s a dick, but all you can do is reassure her it’s the car making the noise.
We were in the US for the summer and there are so many Teslas on the road. More specifically the bloody tank type ones. We parked near one and the car kept farting. My kids thought it was absolutely hilarious. It’s set off by anyone going near the car.

I would assume the owner was a massive wanker

You can tell that by the fact it is a Tesla regardless of the sound it makes. 😜😜

Haven’t people grown up yet beyond the “everyone who drives a BMW/Audi/tesla/whatever is a dick” thing?

I think it’s definitely a weird choice of sound and I don’t know why anyone would choose it unless they just want the attention, because obviously people are going to look round thinking it’s an aggressive dog.
The difference between this and a real dog is that the man has chosen for his car to make an aggressive dog sound, when he could’ve chosen any other sound (or even no sound). You can avoid a dog if you see it, but it’s not unreasonable to expect cars to not make random non-car sounds that might upset babies and small children

I’m not particularly anti-Tesla but a farting car sounds like pointless attention-seeking noise pollution 🙈

That may be the case but not when you’re a 10 year old boy. He was absolutely fascinated by the car that looks like a tank with a wind problem.

If DH drives our Tesla it farts when it locks.
The DC did it and its bloody hilarious
I use mine for work and often have clients in the car so I can't do that or I would
As for a snarling dog -its an unusual choice but its his choice and your child needs to learn a bit of resilience.

OR somebody who wanted electric, needs a big car and bought it via her company so it was very cheap and couldn't give a shit what people who can't afford one think

He sounds like an absolute twat.

Yes, maybe kids and adults are going to encounter dickish behaviour throughout their lives, need to learn to cope, blah blah

But it is absolute bellend behaviour to set one’s car to make a sound that will scare multiple people, especially children. And knowing you’re going to be driving into a nursery car park frequently makes it even worse.

What sort of person thinks this would be fun?

I’m not sure whether the nursery would or could say anything to him if you mentioned it but I can’t think of anything else. He probably wants to be challenged about it so that he can get aggressive with the person who challenges him and will enjoy hearing he’s upset others. Because what other sort of person does this?

The best thing you can do for your child is show her it’s the car and maybe google other things the car does. Like farting sounds, the lights flashing on and off to music & the new roadster that hovers back to ground as a way to get her past this.

however going forward you have to accept that life is going to throw challenges and what you can’t expect is everyone to stop and make allowances for her. You will set her up for massive failures. Demanding (I know you’re only asking advice and may not necessarily going to complain about this man) that people make changes is neither reasonable or even going to have any long term help for your child in how she copes with fear.

Fart is a bit childish but isn’t designed to or going to scare people. So I wouldn’t say it’s the same.

Exactly, people saying it’s aggressive and he’s a dick etc are themselves immature.

Yes they do, but this happens naturally over time - and having a fear of dogs doesn't mean someone isn't resilient.

Resilience and fears/phobias are separate matters.

So many people don't understand resilience at all.

It's nothing to do with maturity, it's observation.Maybe if you drive one of these cars it's you who needs to grow up.

'bloody hilarious' is a bit strong, it's just the equivalent of a novelty ringtone - most people were at those.

Apparently not
My DH is a 50 year old IT professional who is by his own admission a bit dull but he likes electric cars and doesn't want to change the car lock sound that DD set as his lock noise as a joke before she left for Uni
Its a boring and lazy stereotype that people who drive certain cars are a certain type

Oh if only everyones sense of humour was as highbrow as yours
Fortunately different people find different things funny and DH finds the noise his car makes when it locks funny. he is also very no judgemental about other peoples sense of humour

Just teach her it’s the sound of the car…

You could ask if the nursery could contact parents to ask if noises of fighting dogs aren't played in the nursery car park as it scares kids. I expect the guy won't care if he scares kids but worth a try.

The Tesla driver sounds like an absolute idiot who doesn't care what people think so there would be no point in raising it I suspect.

This cements my negative view of Tesla drivers.

Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do about it. It is very annoying when your child has to learn resilience against utter morons aged only 3.

Clearly not. Especially as the drivers are still dicks

How is it immature to point out the bad behaviour of others?

And people are entitled to hold whatever view they like of people who choose to spend their money on big fancy show off cars. Just as people are allowed to drive big fancy show off cars because they hold the view that it makes them look good.

This is the most important point. Yes most older kids should be able to cope with growling car, but younger children can be very literal, and would associate the noise with what it's intent is, a threatening noise from something that wants to kill you. To add blindness to that scenario takes it to a whole new level. All you can do is complain to the nursery, and I suppose all they can do is ask dickhead Tesla man not to drive into their carpark.

Oh bore off. Is it his choice of car that upsets you more. Why?? So what if he has the money to spend on whatever the hell he likes. Stop with the green eyes and grow up. The comment of immaturity stands more now with this juvenile response than it did as I wrote it originally. So thanks for making my point for me