Citations for charging our car at Yellowstone

[dmsail]

Anywhere and everywhere, always ask first.

I usually ask everywhere. Earlier that morning we were at the Lake Hotel and it was listed on PlugShare as a place that had charging. The man behind the desk drew me a map of where to drive a few hundred yards away where I could plug in. "So I can just plug in?" I asked. He said "Just go ahead and plug in."

At the Old Faithful Visitor's Center we asked the ranger at the counter where we could charge an EV since PlugShare said that there was something nearby. He said there was charging round the Snow Lodge. I must have driven around the Snow Lodge three times and asked two people where I could plug in to charge an EV. No one seemed to know. Internet connectivity is very spotty everywhere in Yellowstone so it's difficult to navigate and to check apps like PlugShare. (I later found out that the outlets that are used for charging are at another outbuilding that's like dorm for employees.) I drove across the way to the Post Office and spotted the receptacle that I ultimately charged at. I thought (wrongly) "Aha, there it is--that must be it." After my experience at the Lake Hotel a few hours earlier, I thought (wrongly) "I'll just plug in just like before." Bad idea!

 

[dmsail]

There’s the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.

I do not feel the public was served.

Model X owners are probably among the lowest tier of trouble makers in society.

I would tell the judge you “stole” $5 worth of electricity and you happy to pay that along with your apologies.

The rest along can frak off.

I agree with asking first but I have a feeling if person 1 said it was ok, officer fraktard would have screwed over OP anyway.

Teslafi said that we charged for 43 minutes before our charging cable was yanked out and 5.6 kWh was added. Accounting for charging inefficiency and say $0.20 /kWh we're only talking about a couple of bucks of electricity. I would have gladly paid much more than that if there was some mechanism to do so. I told that to the officer but he would have none of that. (The previous night I spent over $20 charging at the Buffalo Bill Center in Cody.)

 

[dmsail]

There are tons of legitimate places to charge in Yellowstone. Worst case, he *could* have rented a campsite and plugged in. His fault, no sympathy.

I agree that it was my fault. I disagree that there are tons of places to charge in Yellowstone. If you want to sit around all day charging then okay but if you actually want to drive around and see things then there needs to at least level 3 chargers and a lot more of them.

 

[dmsail]

Man that sucks! I was there last month but with an ICE minivan. I only saw 1 Model S in the week that I was there. I saw some people posted online that the Old Faithful Inn parking lot has a couple of charging stations; is that not true? Was it a ranger or a cop? All the rangers that I met there were very nice and professional. We approached them and chatted just about anything relating to the park. That cop or whoever he is is a prick. If you don't want people using it, then put up a sign. It is a public place after all. And making you appear in court over $5 worth of electricity, knowing full well most folks aren't from Wyoming or Montana. Such a prick.

All the ranger we talked to were very nice. This was a National Park Service police officer. When I said that we asked a ranger where to charge the cop said "Well they didn't ask us."

 

[dmsail]

An expensive electric car with California plates cruising around Wyoming. Sounds like a ticket waiting to happen, and it did happen.

The first thing he said was "This is not a Tesla charging station. You are stealing electricity." So I did get the impression there was some history there.

 

[dmsail]

Very heavy handed. Another option is to post your phone number so people can call if there is a problem. It may have saved some grief.

There is very little cell coverage at Yellowstone, at least with AT&T.

 

[dmsail]

So they damaged your car? or the receptacle attached to the electrical grid? I would be more than pissed... they would be getting a bill. That rent a cop was a prick...did you get it on video?

No I didn’t catch it on video. We have a front dashcam but it wouldn’t see anything in back. I’m only assuming he broke it—it used to lock and now it doesn’t.

 

[JasJ]

Going rate for non-warranty charge port repair is $700-1100.

That is one expensive 'ticket'.

 

[Rusty1]

There are tons of legitimate places to charge in Yellowstone. Worst case, he *could* have rented a campsite and plugged in. His fault, no sympathy.

Only one campground in Yellowstone has power and it is usually full.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Obviously shouldn't have plugged in, sure that's clear now.

To me this is the bigger issue, its one thing for them to unplug the UMC from the 14-50, it's another thing entirely for them to intentionally damage your property in order to "hold it hostage". Unplug the 14-50 and write the tickets, no need to go off the deep end and damage property. I would be in contact with their superiors and if necessary an attorney.

Make sure you document this and file an insurance claim or bring the repair receipt from Tesla for damage to your car - you will need this for court. I would also file a complaint with the Chief of Police, if it is West Yellowstone it is Scott Newell.
Contact info:
Chief of Police, Scott Newell: [email protected]
Chief of Police cell phone: (406) 640-1754

Additionally I would contact the town manager and make him aware of the charging challenges in Yellowstone.
Contact info here:
Town Manager, Dan Sabolsky [email protected]
Operations Manager cell phone: (406) 640-1472
Town Finance Director, Lanie Gospodarek: [email protected]

Also fill out and file this: Citizen Affidavit of Probable Cause and Request for Investigation form as you witnessed damage to your car. email it to Scott Newell and optionally copy the court.

E–mail: [email protected]
City Court Judge Kathleen A. Brandis: [email protected]
Clerk of Court, Kerry Parker: [email protected]

Looks like they are upgrading the electrical infrastructure ---Facebook maybe they are working to upgrade the grid for more charging, its Montana so keep in mind you may have officers who are not familiar with how EV's work or the damage that can happen from Chargus Interruptus.

 

[juliusa]

So beware fellow EV drivers--don't plug in just anywhere at Yellowstone.

Fellow EV drivers - don't plug in just anywhere.

If it is not a public charger, get permission from the owner before charging.

@dmsail is not the first to get cited for stealing electricity, and won't be the last.

Put your tail between yours legs, apologize, and ask if they could drop/reduce the second charge so you don't have to hire a lawyer and/or appear in person.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Fellow EV drivers - don't plug in just anywhere.

If it is not a public charger, get permission from the owner before charging.

@dmsail is not the first to get cited for stealing electricity, and won't be the last.

Put your tail between yours legs, apologize, and ask if they could drop/reduce the second charge so you don't have to hire a lawyer and/or appear in person.

He did ask - but went to the wrong building. I agree you should always ask, the issue is the damage to his vehicle by an overzealous officer.

 

[juliusa]

He did ask - but went to the wrong building. I agree you should always ask, this issue is the damage to his vehicle by an overzealous officer.

Sort of like purchasing the Brooklyn Bridge... Gotta have permission from the RIGHT person.

It is not easy to break the locking mechanism, and he has no witness. The cop is going to simply say he disconnected it.

I’m only assuming he broke it

Assumptions make the case difficult. When did you last test the locking mechanism and know it was working - do you have a contemporaneous record of that? Did you report the damage to the police officer at the time? When did you first notice it was broken? Do you have a comtemporaneous record? How soon after noticing the damage did you notify the assumed responsible party?

He made a mistake - no big deal. He (and others) can learn from it. I still think being contrite and negotiating the appearance/fine is the best course of action.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Sort of like purchasing the Brooklyn Bridge... Gotta have permission from the RIGHT person.

It is not easy to break the locking mechanism, and he has no witness. The cop is going to simply say he disconnected it.


Assumptions make the case difficult. When did you last test the locking mechanism and know it was working - do you have a contemporaneous record of that? Did you report the damage to the police officer at the time? When did you first notice it was broken? Do you have a comtemporaneous record? How soon after noticing the damage did you notify the assumed responsible party?

He made a mistake - no big deal. He (and others) can learn from it. I still think being contrite and negotiating the appearance/fine is the best course of action.

The officers mistake is a felony in Virginia - property damage over $500 (being raised to $1000) is a felony. I really think a call to the Chief can get this resolved, I would fill out the affidavit and just send it to the Chief and request a call back. Also he has the logs on his phone and can screen shot the exact moment of damage, reconcile that with the time on the ticket and you have a case. Make sure you state that the latching mechanism locked when you connected. After the event it no longer latched, make sure the chief knows that the key has to be present for the charging cable to be removed (explain that it is a security device to prevent thief of the cable). Good luck.

 

[VikH]

Make sure you document this and file an insurance claim or bring the repair receipt from Tesla for damage to your car - you will need this for court. I would also file a complaint with the Chief of Police, if it is West Yellowstone it is Scott Newell.
Contact info:
Chief of Police, Scott Newell: [email protected]
Chief of Police cell phone: (406) 640-1754

Additionally I would contact the town manager and make him aware of the charging challenges in Yellowstone.
Contact info here:
Town Manager, Dan Sabolsky [email protected]
Operations Manager cell phone: (406) 640-1472
Town Finance Director, Lanie Gospodarek: [email protected]

Also fill out and file this: Citizen Affidavit of Probable Cause and Request for Investigation form as you witnessed damage to your car. email it to Scott Newell and optionally copy the court.

E–mail: [email protected]
City Court Judge Kathleen A. Brandis: [email protected]
Clerk of Court, Kerry Parker: [email protected]

Looks like they are upgrading the electrical infrastructure ---Facebook maybe they are working to upgrade the grid for more charging, its Montana so keep in mind you may have officers who are not familiar with how EV's work or the damage that can happen from Chargus Interruptus.

I don’t believe this info is correct. West Yellowstone is a city outside the park. National Parks, I assume, have a separate police force.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

I don’t believe this info is correct. West Yellowstone is a city outside the park. National Parks, I assume, have a separate police force.

You are right, I re-read the thread here is the link, it was a National Park Service Police Officer...

Citations for charging our car at Yellowstone

I would still call Scott and ask him who the chief is on the NPS P.O side. I will look that up too and see what I find. Still file with Scott just make sure you i.d. that it was an NPS P.O. You still need to figure out who has jurisdiction, the NPS P.O. or West Yellowstone P.D.

 

[Xenoilphobe]

@dmsail

email the Law Enforcement Office

Superintendent Dan Wenk

Law Enforcement Office
National Park Service
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
fax: 307 344-2131
NPS Park Police Yellowstone Tip Line: 307-344-2132
Non-emergency; 307 344-7381

File a Complaint
*PLEASE NOTE: the process outlined on this page is for filing complaints against members of the United States Park Police only. To file a complaint against other employees of the National Park Service, please contact the local park's Office of the Superintendent.

The United States Park Police Internal Affairs Unit documents and investigates allegations of misconduct against Department personnel that are received both through internal (administrative) and external (citizen generated) means. When filing a complaint, please include as much of the following information as possible to help ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted:

• Describe the incident, to include the date, time and location
• The officer’s name, badge number, and description
• Identification of any witnesses, to include names, addresses, and telephone numbers
• Vehicle description, to include the tag number and the State of registration.

Filing a Complaint

Persons who wish to file a complaint with the United States Park Police have several ways to do so. A complaint may be filed:

• In person at any United States Park Police facility.
• By calling the Internal Affairs Unit at (202) 690-5103, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Afterhours or when personnel are not available, a message may be left on the 24-hour recorded line; someone will return the call within 48 hours.)
• By calling the United States Park Police Communications Center at (202) 610-7500 (24 hours).
• By emailing your complaint. Click here to email your complaint..
• By downloading a USPP 44-06 (Citizen Complaint Report), which should be completed and signed prior to submitting it by traditional mail at the address below, or by facsimile to the Internal Affairs Unit at (202) 690-5143.
• By mailing a letter that describes the complaint or mailing the completed USPP Form 44-02 (Complainant/Witness Statement) to the Internal Affairs Unit at the following address: United States Park Police, Office of Professional Responsibility, Internal Affairs Unit, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW, Washington, DC 20024

The Complaint Process

When a complaint is received, the Internal Affairs Unit sends a letter notifying the complainant that the complaint has been received and assigned for investigation.

The supervisor assigned to the case will conduct a thorough investigation, to include an interview of the involved employee and any witnesses that have been identified. The investigating supervisor may contact the complainant for additional information or to clarify information already provided. The investigating supervisor will make a determination concerning the complaint based upon the proven facts. The decision will be one of the following four findings:

• Unfounded – the allegation is false or not factual.
• Exonerated – the actions were proper.
• Not Sustained – the complaint can be neither proved nor disproved.
• Sustained – the actions were improper.

If an allegation is sustained, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the affected employee.
The complainant will be notified by letter with the results of the investigation. In accordance with law and out of respect for the employee’s privacy, we do not release what specific discipline was imposed on the employee.

Here is the form you need

 

[RAM_Eh]

I agree that it was my fault. I disagree that there are tons of places to charge in Yellowstone. If you want to sit around all day charging then okay but if you actually want to drive around and see things then there needs to at least level 3 chargers and a lot more of them.

I was there last summer and there is a supercharger just outside the gates, marked "Yellowstone supercharger" This was more than enough to see the whole park and come back for an "leaving:" charge.

 

[juliusa]

I would fill out the affidavit and just send it to the Chief

The affidavit that says you agree to be present to testify in court?

can screen shot the exact moment of damage

He does not know the exact moment of damage. He is "assuming" (his word) that this is when it was damaged.

Make sure you state that the latching mechanism locked when you connected.

You mean lie on the affidavit?? I don't know about you, but I don't check to make sure the cable is locked to the car every time I charge.

make sure the chief knows that the key has to be present for the charging cable to be removed

Not true. The car has to be unlocked - key does not have to be present. How does he know the car was locked when he left - did he check? How does he know the car was locked when he returned?

Don't start a fight - the house never loses. Enjoy your $100,000 car and hope you can just pay a fine and not have to appear - it will be the least costly / time consuming approach.

If you want to spend a few thousand dollars and a make a couple of trips to Yellowstone to stick it to the man, good luck to you.

 

[jelloslug]

Sounds like you learned the hard way to ask before you use someone else's electricity.