With the holiday season in full swing, people are finding new and creative ways to get into the holiday spirit.
One of the ways people are doing this is by covering their cars in Christmas lights.
There are a few problems with this. First, covering a car with lights is illegal in many states, as exterior lights on cars typically have restrictions with regard to what color they can be and what type of light is allowed. However, this is generally not the case if the car has been sanctioned for use during a parade or if the car is remaining stationary on private property.
Second, once one has covered their car in Christmas lights, they can cause a host of issues. For example, one internet user showed how they covered their car in string lights, only to discover that the bulbs were scratching the paint.
Now, another user on the internet is issuing a warning about covering one’s car with Christmas lights after making a shocking discovery while trying to remove them.
What happened to this person’s car after they covered it in Christmas lights?
In a video with over 236,000 views, TikTok user @platinumxcenter shows a Tesla Model X that has been covered in Christmas lights.
“RIP to my $100k car,” they write in the text overlaying the video. “Who let me do this and why did no one tell me this was going to happen?”
As the video progresses, the user shows themselves removing pieces of tape from their car. Every piece of tape leaves a thick, sticky residue on the vehicle.
“I’m going to have fun taking these off for sure,” they add in the text overlay.
What tape should you use on your car?
If one is planning to temporarily attach items to their car with tape, they can avoid leaving residue on their vehicle by using the correct tape.
In a Reddit discussion on the topic, users recommended 3M Painters Tape, Kamoi tape, Carpro tape, and other types of automotive masking tape.
That said, it should be noted that there is always a risk of tape leaving a residue on one’s finish, which has the potential to damage it. If one does get tape residue on their car, there are a variety of methods that can remove it, including using WD-40 and a specialty adhesive removed.
@platinumxcenter Yup I might need a new car tbh #christmaslightsoncar #tesla #modelx #cardetailing #carwashing #fastcars #autodetailing #teslatok ♬ original sound – Miimsy
Commenters share their thoughts
In the comments section, most users simply questioned the alleged $100k price tag for the vehicle, as the base price range for the car tends to go from $79,990 to $94,990, per Edmunds.
Others simply told the TikToker not to worry about the tape residue.
“Uh it ain’t that big a deal. they make things that remove sticky residue without ruining paint,” said a user.
“Just hire a detailer who does paint correction. They can get it out or use goo gone, I’m just not sure if it’s safe for paint,” added another.
“Tape will come off. The scratches from the lights banging off the paint at speed will need to be buffed out,” advised a third. “I’d say 500-1k depending on the place and level of paint correction needed.”
The Daily Dot reached out to @platinumxcenter via TikTok comment and to Tesla via email.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
