As the weather starts to get warmer and we gradually see more students enjoying the sun on Race Lawn or Lancaster Walk, I implore all of you to really think about what else we likely will be seeing more of. As a student that lives off campus, I personally enjoy the roughly 15-minute walk to my classes when it is warm enough to actually maintain feeling in my fingertips. I often vary my route to walk along different streets, many of which have narrow roads and double-parked cars.
College campuses are supposed to manufacture an atmosphere of academic excellence, determination and social events. City campuses usually throw in a bit of hustle culture, and sometimes even an ambiance of community, inclusion and a blend of personal backgrounds. Nowhere in that description is the implication that students should have to subject themselves to having to look at large stainless steel trash bins on wheels.
The Tesla Cybertruck, although (somehow) loved by many, presents as a third-grader’s attempt to render a refrigerator in Autodesk Fusion 360. Its militaristic design is an intrusion to any semblance of a city with class, essentially giving the middle finger to anyone with above subpar taste. Weighing roughly 6,900 lbs (more than 2x the weight of a 2024 Honda Civic) and spanning over 19 feet long, this rolling trapezoid of disappointment is an embodiment of “brutalist architecture.” Westphal professors could probably create an entire curriculum talking about the failures in its design and why it is an attack on engineering and architectural principles disguised as technological innovation.
Taste is subjective, yes, but that is no reason to attack the eyes of anyone trying to have a pleasant day. It is much easier to ignore the student blasting their idea of “good music” from a speaker than it is to ignore this monstrosity cruising down our streets, especially if it is driving past parked cars, dangerously close to scraping half of their paint off in the process. Hundreds of students rely on street parking near their off-campus apartments, and it just sets a negative tone for the day to walk outside, with the sun shining on your face, and see that half of your car looks like it has been put through a trash compactor because one random person thought driving a tank around makes them look cool.
Drexel gets a lot of heat from students about not having much of a campus. However, I think we still manage to somewhat preserve some elements of individuality, elegance and a sense of community. A Cybertruck driving around West Philadelphia throws off what little campus atmosphere we have. You would never put a bear into a fishtank, regardless of the size of the tank or how cool or intimidating you think the bear is. The argument of a truly aerodynamic vehicle is hardly something that should be considered – the people of Philadelphia have seen more aerodynamic cheesesteaks.
I have heard that driving a Cybertruck sends a message that the owner is not someone to be messed with, that the owner is someone to be taken seriously. We do not need more evidence to prove Philadelphians are a force all on their own, or that Philadelphia is indestructible. Our city has survived two Super Bowls in the last 10 years. People already know.
The existence of Cybertrucks, in general, serves as a bleak reminder that the future and what lies ahead may not always be pretty (both figuratively and literally). This might just be me, but when I come to campus, I am preparing myself to be bombarded by classes and assignments, not by a literal tank as I am trying to cross Market Street. Driver and pedestrian safety and city planning aside, these props from low-budget sci-fi movies have no business being in the City of Brotherly Love.