I’m angrier than someone who ordered Chinese delivery just found out that they sent the wrong order over this, because I didn’t get to witness it for my own charming, handsome self.
Tesla vehicles are one of the latest trends, aren’t they? Yes, they are. They are so-called “clean air” vehicles with all sorts of fancy bells and whistles. They typically cater to the affluent/ego-driven drivers, and they are automated vehicles. Sometimes, that automation comes back to bite them in the ass. So it is in this story.
Brianna Janel, through her TikTok page, told the world that she was locked in her Tesla as it did a software update. She was waiting for a food order, so she thought that that would be the perfect time to do a software update.
Turns out she wasn’t planning to be locked in her car in the sweltering heat (103 degrees or 115 degrees, depending on whom your ask, inside the car, she claims) of Costa Mesa, California. The heat was stifling and she claims she couldn’t activate the air conditioning. She also claimed that she couldn’t get out.
Here’s some water to throw on her fire. The car has manual releases, so she could have gotten out of the car at any moment. But she didn’t for fear of damaging her car. Let me tell you, reader, that if you’re stuck in a car with temperatures that could kill an unattended baby, the last thing you should be worrying is about your damn car. Health and life are more important and at any time she could have ended her ordeal. But she didn’t, and now she’s playing the victim.
I’m not going to question the wisdom behind doing a software update away from home base as I’ve never even been in a Tesla car, nor will I ever get into one. But I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say she couldn’t possibly have expected to be locked in her car.
But I do question the wisdom of just sitting there, sweltering and crying to TikTok users. I thought she might have a valid claim, but given that she had a way out, she has no case, in my opinion. It’s the poor little rich girl syndrome in action, I say.
In her defense, she did admit in her TikTok post, which has made her famous on X, that she is a “moron.” I won’t disagree with that assessment. She went on to claim that the update had been going on for more than half an hour, which if true seems a little excessive. She claimed that she was, “literally dripping sweat.” That’s not healthy, not without air conditioning. So, again, why did she stay in the car when she had a manual release at her immediate disposal?
She went on to cry that she’s, “stuck in here, roasting.” Again, don’t worry about the damn car. It can be repaired. Passing out with no help around is potentially life-threatening. I have to wonder just how intelligent this woman is. I also have to question whether or not she was told not to sit in the car while doing an update. Again, I’ve never been near a Tesla car, so I don’t know.
If I were a betting man, I’d wager that she’s going to sue Tesla. All Tesla has to do, however, is point out that, as the car’s owner, she knew or should have known that she could make use of the manual release. Clearly, she did not do so.
This was amusing to read about and see, because it shows that some people just aren’t that smart. If you’re going to surrender yourself to automation, you should know how to override that automation in case of an emergency. I would call sitting in a closed-up car in 103 degree heat a valid health emergency, especially if she were in, say, Phoenix, where it would be even hotter.
So, if you decide to get a Tesla, maybe stay out of the car while it’s updating. Just a thought.