Dear Elon, 

I've been an avid supporter of yours and your colleagues at Tesla for some time. I attempt to educate people on Teslas and the importance of sustainable transportation in general, whenever possible.  Up until recently, I've felt that what you and the Tesla team have been/are doing is vital to the health of the planet at large.  Until recently. 

On October 6th you announced an upcoming over the air software update for Tesla vehicles: the option for Tesla owners to use a fart or goat scream sound as their horn or pedestrian alert, and the possible future option of Tesla owners to customize the sound of their horn and pedestrian alert to be whatever they choose.  If carried out, I believe this will result in several negative societal effects. 

The narcissistic elements of urban and suburban populations already contribute excess noise to the environment under the cry of, “It’s my right!”  Given all the blaring music, deafening motorcycles, and now noisy race-car like exhausts installed on average vehicles, it is impossible to imagine these people will not abuse every opportunity to make their attention seeking efforts as obnoxious and ubiquitous as technology allows. 

Noise pollution is more than an assault on aesthetics.  People living with constant irritation suffer psychological stress that leads to hostility, health issues, lower work productivity, and a host of other problems.  Noise reduction should be a significant added benefit to a world switching to electric vehicles — negating this benefit is a giant step backward. 

Furthermore, one need only look at how divisive our world has become since the advent of social media; since people of all depths have been allowed to "express themselves" and to network with their ilk.  The original intent of the horn is to alert people to danger, but even now we see it more often used to express anger or to attract attention.  Imagine allowing every subset of humanity to express itself aurally, and forcing all of society to bear it. 

If you do allow this, below is a small preview of what's to come from a few of the more extreme elements within our society: 

1. The Misogynistic and Hyper Sexualized: porn star orgasm sound triggered whenever a "hot chick" is seen 

2. The Racist: overt, or code sound known among racists, triggered whenever a minority is seen 

3. The Homophobe: overt, or code sound known among homophobes, triggered whenever a suspected homosexual is seen 

4. The Political Zealot: overt, or code sound known among a political group, triggered whenever a suspected political opponent is seen 

5. The Religious Zealot: overt, or code sound known among a religious group, triggered whenever a person of another faith is seen 

6. The Corporation: employees and customers of companies using their company’s theme song to advertise a product or service (imagine “McDonalds; I’m loving it!”, broadcast every time someone hits their horn) 

7. The Anything Sound: overt, or code sound know among Any Group Or Individual, triggered when anyone anywhere wants to "express themselves" out of insecurity, bravado, pride, rage, etc. 

Please do not make this an option for Teslas.  I know you think farts are funny, or you wouldn't have added "fart mode" for Tesla owners to play inside of their vehicles.  I'm all for whoever playing whatever sound inside of their vehicle. However, if you allow anyone to play any sound other than the traditional "You're in danger, pay attention!" horn sound outside of their vehicle, we are doomed.  You will — single handedly — have pushed society a very large step toward Idiocracy. 

In a world that has grown increasingly tribalized and more and more prone to engage in combative and insulting behavior, we should not be weaponizing what should be safety devices.  People commonly adopt their worst personas when driving — especially when someone or something angers them.  Blaring horns are bad enough for escalating road rage.  Any sound other than the traditional horn will bring this to another level entirely. 

The aspect of electric transportation that I and many others have been most looking forward to, is not what it adds to society, but what it subtracts — noise.  I dream of a day in which society is free of obnoxious sound.  A day when one can sit in their back yard, or on a patio downtown, and hear a bird, or the wind through a tree (or simply hear the person across from them).  This is the hope you and your team have been offering to many through Tesla, whether you know it or not. 

Please, do not launch this software update.