Don't Give Tesla a Black Eye by Stealing Electricity

[brianman]

One other thing, I couldn't find a way to edit my post after I left it to take some of the edge off it.

Yah, we used to have that feature but it was either abused or caused unintended site software problems (or both, I forget). For a few minutes (seconds?) you can do edits these days (really only useful to correct a typo very quickly).

Off-topic:
I'm trying to figure out if your handle is intended to be politically humorous as well. If so, nicely done.

 

[brianman]

Good point.

Even if it was, the risk/reward ratio of being so blaten't doesnt make any sense. A single tow, fine, ticket, etc would outstrip any energy gains.

I wasn't making a judgement based on that, just a physical observation.

That said, if I were to make a judgement I would maybe argue that a 14-50 makes more sense for an "emergency" charge and could have been legit if permission was obtained. Not sure if such permission would come with a piece of paper that could be put on the windshield or not. Regardless, we can't see the windshield in the OP image.

 

[PhatCat]

"...it's immoral and sinful"

Now I will have nightmares for all those times i searched for the maintenance outlets in airports and sat on the floor charging my phone. I had hoped my good works might give me a chance to get into heaven, only to be undone by a life of petty theft. And to think I disgraced every clothing maker whose products I wore while committing my heinous crimes. Oh, the misery!

 

[SpudLime]

You mention bias. Your initial post was biased itself. My reply simply stated why assume the negative without knowing anything about the person. You then couldn’t handle the opposite view.

I’ll gice you a simple and relatable example.

I used to get bent when I see one of those landscape vehicles hooked up to a public fire hydrant. They would fill their large tanks and then use it to water various plants for their company. I was like WTF. These guys are using water on a taxpayers dime to make money.

One day I came across a water authority guy and asked about this issue. He explained that they were allowed to use the hydrants that have the white tops. The white type hydrants were metered and could be used by any company that was partnered with the government.

I paused and said. Oh. So after that I started checking. Whenever I saw a tank truck hooked up, sure enough it was to a white topped hydrant.

Since then I take a moment in situations like this and wonder what might be the other side of my issue.

My suggestion was to do the same. Maybe present your issue as a question instead of making accusations.

 

[eSpiritIV]

Maybe the city installed it for the Public to use? You can plug your ICE cars charger in if your 12V battery dies. Soon all power poles will have chargers for all public use. The infrastructure is already there.

 

[BioSehnsucht]

You're probably right! Sorry, violations of the law should not be reported. So I guess I'll come to your house and steal $20 a week from your piggy bank and you will smile and say, ah, it's not worth reporting. I think I'll just leave my piggy bank on the front curb to make it easier.

$20 a week? How much are you planning to drive? Around here it would be $6-10 for 72 kWh (an estimate of a near but not quite 0 to 90% charge, including some charging overhead), depending on your power company. And if you had free nights and weekends ... well!

 

[wbhokie]

You mention bias. Your initial post was biased itself. My reply simply stated why assume the negative without knowing anything about the person. You then couldn’t handle the opposite view.

To be honest, that was my initial impression as well. A normal person who is concerned about such things stops at the part where you said "I contacted the city". But then you searched online, created a new account on a forum, just to tell people that you did it and voice your opinion about it. If anyone questioned you, they were immediately "pretentious, selfish, close-minded people" who also "don't care about the law". All of that raises red flags for attitude, bias, and attention grabbing... not "helping out". That's probably why you got so much kickback.

It would have read completely different if someone just posted a poll or a question asking
"Do you plug into public outlets?" with answers like ("Yes", "No", "Only in an emergency", "Only if no charging stations available") etc. Or even the exact same post without the part about calling the county or wasting taxpayer's money. (I'm willing to bet every single person wastes Taxpayer's money one way or another as well. It's only what rules they choose morally acceptable to bend that they choose to ignore) It's obviously not going to give Tesla a "Black Eye" as a company. Remember, it's an internet forum. People act differently than they do in reality. Act a bit snarky and you tend to get snarky responses

 

[E-Lect-Trick]

You mention bias. Your initial post was biased itself. My reply simply stated why assume the negative without knowing anything about the person. You then couldn’t handle the opposite view.

I’ll gice you a simple and relatable example.

I used to get bent when I see one of those landscape vehicles hooked up to a public fire hydrant. They would fill their large tanks and then use it to water various plants for their company. I was like WTF. These guys are using water on a taxpayers dime to make money.

One day I came across a water authority guy and asked about this issue. He explained that they were allowed to use the hydrants that have the white tops. The white type hydrants were metered and could be used by any company that was partnered with the government.

I paused and said. Oh. So after that I started checking. Whenever I saw a tank truck hooked up, sure enough it was to a white topped hydrant.

Since then I take a moment in situations like this and wonder what might be the other side of my issue.

My suggestion was to do the same. Maybe present your issue as a question instead of making accusations.

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. The city should lock the covers. But if they don't, it doesn't make it right to take what isn't yours.

 

[Eclectic]

Wrong, It reflects badly on electric cars, and Tesla is synonymous with electric cars. It did when I saw it and it will with others.

I think most non-EV owners would never have even noticed the Model 3 plugged in. So I doubt that there would be a real risk to Tesla's reputation, even if we make the logical leap that somehow what a Tesla owner does reflects on Tesla the company.

That said, you are 100% right that the owner was wrong to have plugged in if he or she didn't have approval from the city. It would be no different from an ICE driver filling up at a city owned gas station if the pumps were left unlocked. Exigency doesn't make it any less of a theft.

So you actually have made a pretty good point about one thing...there are an awful lot of Tesla forum members who seem to think stealing is ok if you're an EV owner. That's not a reflection on Tesla, though.

 

[E-Lect-Trick]

You mention bias. Your initial post was biased itself. My reply simply stated why assume the negative without knowing anything about the person. You then couldn’t handle the opposite view.

I’ll gice you a simple and relatable example.

I used to get bent when I see one of those landscape vehicles hooked up to a public fire hydrant. They would fill their large tanks and then use it to water various plants for their company. I was like WTF. These guys are using water on a taxpayers dime to make money.

One day I came across a water authority guy and asked about this issue. He explained that they were allowed to use the hydrants that have the white tops. The white type hydrants were metered and could be used by any company that was partnered with the government.

I paused and said. Oh. So after that I started checking. Whenever I saw a tank truck hooked up, sure enough it was to a white topped hydrant.

Since then I take a moment in situations like this and wonder what might be the other side of my issue.

My suggestion was to do the same. Maybe present your issue as a question instead of making accusations.

I appreciate your suggestion, and yes, I have been caught in the same judgemental place where I was dead wrong. My post here though wasn't based on any assumption. As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. We're all far from perfect, some more than others, but lack of moral fiber and integrity is what is destroying us as a society. The issue in question is one of theft. I find it hard to accept that so many here on this site see nothing wrong with that. Oh well, I do, and for that I hope the world is better. OK, time to put the soapbox back in the frunk. Cheers!

 

[wbhokie]

OK, time to put the soapbox back in the frunk. Cheers!

Hah I see what you did there.

 

[GregRF]

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power.

This is the most amazing part of your story, calling the city government and actually being able to talk to the person who knows this information.

 

[paladinfello]

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. The city should lock the covers. But if they don't, it doesn't make it right to take what isn't yours.

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. The city should lock the covers. But if they don't, it doesn't make it right to take what isn't yours.

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. The city should lock the covers. But if they don't, it doesn't make it right to take what isn't yours.

If you say something enough times then it must be true...

My question is did you contact the person in the city that the Model 3 driver asked permission from?

 

[Ruffles]

It's possible the person had permission to charge. Just because you call city hall and ask doesn't mean you'll get to speak to someone "in the know". If I didn't have permission to charge, I wouldn't do it.

When I had my i3, I asked the landlord of my office building if I could plug in during the winter to the 120v outlet on the side of the building and they gave approval but they got complaints from others in the office park that I was "stealing" electricity. I had to put a sign on my car that said I had permission to charge but even then, a group of lawyers that had an office near the plug complained that my cord (which was wedged into the sidewalk crack) created a tripping hazard and threatened to sue. When combined with all the theft complaints, the landlord finally asked that I stop charging which of course I did.

 

[E-Lect-Trick]

This is the most amazing part of your story, calling the city government and actually being able to talk to the person who knows this information.

Small town. Less than 7K people. They actually answer their own phones.

 

[E-Lect-Trick]

If you say something enough times then it must be true...

My question is did you contact the person in the city that the Model 3 driver asked permission from?

Yes, it was an Altoona park. I contacted Erin in the Parks and Recreation Department. Nobody had requested authorization and the outlets are designated for other purposes. That's when she told me about the food trucks. I don't live there. But I have a Tesla and I don't like it when others do things like this because I want to represent Tesla the way Elon would want Tesla represented. He's very proud, we're very proud to have Teslas, and we should promote a positive impact (zero emissions), not a negative one (stealing electricity).

 

[Kermee]

... I had to put a sign on my car that said I had permission to charge but even then, a group of lawyers that had an office near the plug complained that my cord (which was wedged into the sidewalk crack) created a tripping hazard and threatened to sue.

Sounds about par for the course for a group of lawyers, though I'd probably do the same and would have stopped too and not deal with the hassle of calling their bluff. Was it a firm that specializes in personal injury?

 

[paladinfello]

Yes, it was an Altoona park. I contacted Erin in the Parks and Recreation Department. Nobody had requested authorization and the outlets are designated for other purposes. That's when she told me about the food trucks. I don't live there. But I have a Tesla and I don't like it when others do things like this because I want to represent Tesla the way Elon would want Tesla represented. He's very proud, we're very proud to have Teslas, and we should promote a positive impact (zero emissions), not a negative one (stealing electricity).

That wasn't the question I asked. I asked if you talked to the person that the owner of the Model 3 talked to. Unless you talked to every person at City Hall (or the Park and Rec Dept., et all) then there is still a chance that he did receive permission from someone to charge there. Case and point, innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Zythryn]

As I stated, I called the city and was told that the car was not authorized to use the power. The city should lock the covers. But if they don't, it doesn't make it right to take what isn't yours.

Hmmm, I thought the city told you that using them without authorization was illegal.
Did they also tell you that particular car had not received authorization?
If so, I agree they should pay for the electricity and be fined.
I also agree they shouldn’t do that without authorization.

I would be curious why they were charging there, since the SC is so close.

 

[TEG]

For what it is worth, I think OP took the picture at the new "River Prairie Park" which happens to be across the street from the new Altoona parks and rec department that he called.

Altoona celebrates new River Prairie Park Development