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Elon Musk’s new Tesla Diner & Drive-In in Los Angeles is facing all sorts of controversy, including a woman being hit by falling patio furniture while eating there and several complaints from neighbors. Since it opened last week, the restaurant has also been the site of multiple protests and been blamed for numerous traffic issues in the area.
What happened?
The 21-year-old woman who was injured by falling patio furniture was dining on the rooftop patio at the Tesla Diner. TMZ reports that she and her family had just received their food when an outdoor patio covering came loose and “brutally” struck her in the head, causing her to briefly lose consciousness. Her husband also said that the patio covering missed their baby’s “head by inches.”
The Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that they responded to the scene of the accident. Photos and surveillance footage also backed up the couple’s claim. The woman’s husband said they plan to file a lawsuit against Tesla over the incident.
Neighbors have their own set of complaints
One person who lives next door complained to 404 Media that the Tesla Diner & Drive-In operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and “the sound goes on pretty much all night.” She added that “there’s always a line, there’s always crowds around. The traffic is horrendous.”
Another resident in the same building called living there “absolute hell,” while a third complained, “You just try to even go to the gym in the morning and you can’t get out of the driveway. I don’t think Tesla people are great drivers to begin with. Now there’s just a bunch of them blocking the street on both sides.”
Yet another neighbor complained about the noise, citing the giant video screens which have fans on the back of them that operate all day and only turn off at 11 p.m. She said that if the noise and people “honking their horn all the time” continues they “are going to eventually move out because it’s not livable anymore.”
Speaking to Fox 11 News, a man who lives directly across from the diner said, “There are things that my wife and are excited to about the place, but I think if we had our choice, we’d rather not be here just because it’s kind of a noise problem, a parking problem, you know, just like a traffic congestion problem. It’s been a little bit of a hassle. … it’s just been a total nuisance.”
Another area resident told ABC 7 News, “To me it just seems like a safety hazard, and all throughout the night you’re just hearing beeping.”
Someone else complained, “The gridlock is insane. I can imagine that if there’s an emergency or something, an ambulance would literally not be able to get to us and that’s extremely concerning for me because my parents are elderly.”
Reviews of the diner
Those who actually have visited the Tesla Diner & Drive-In have yet another set of complaints. One “native Angelino” tried it out three days after the opening and said they “didn’t get the chance to try the food, as it would’ve taken too long” and referred to the experience as “a total s— show.”