Have aggressive beggars or scammers targeted EV stations?

[JetFalcon]

This is one of the main reasons I am glad I don't drive a gas car anymore. Especially when travelling or going to bad areas. Gas stations are a place where desperate people will commit crimes or scams. And when I drove the Lexus GS it seemed at some point someone is going to ask me for money. Or teenagers begging you to buy alcohol / cigarettes. And I just hated the idea of having to stop at a sketchy gas station in the middle of the night. Feel like I always have to be careful not to have any valuables in my passenger seat or worry if I use the gas station while pumping maybe someone would try steal gas from me. Also back then I got my first EV / Tesla in 2018 so I think 2017 was the last time I ever had to deal with gas on a daily basis.

One time some girl asked for money for the train at the gas station, pretty sure she didn't use it for the train, there was no train station nearby, still gave her few bucks. Some homeless at a cheap Las Vegas gas station came up to me ask for money, I only gave him two Dr Peppers instead of cash he took it. Some family also begged for money at the gas station too in Irvine which is a nice area but it's still not immune to aggressive beggar situations. Thankfully I never experienced something really bad like a credit card skimmer, having my wallet stolen from passenger seat, someone stealing my gas (taking the pump under my credit card). It was mostly just people aggressively begging for money and I reluctantly gave them money, but eventually stopped and only give them food or Dr. Peppers, especially since I did drive an Orange BMW M3 and he wanted to obligate to help him out. Some guy next to me said that it was good I didn't give him money and only Dr. Pepper to discourage them.

But so far since 2018 I never had any encounter of an aggressive beggar, it's always been at gas stations. I wonder why there hasn't been any news of crime happening at EV charging stations, which is good for EV customers. I think if anyone is considering buying an EV but is still unsure, not having to deal with aggressive beggars or crime is a huge plus. I kind of like how Tesla superchargers payment info is accessed through the car and not an external credit card. No one could ever beg you to give them money for charging like someone at the gas station trying to say they are stranded and need money for gas.

 

[RayK]

One drawback of EV charging is that while one is hooked up to the charger, the vehicle is essentially an immovable object. At least with an ICE you can start the car and drive off, paying for the broken pump handle and hopefully not causing any major (fire) damage. You can be relatively safe sitting in your locked EV but a crazy / deranged person will have you as a capture audience.

A minor problem is that not all EV chargers are located in what would be considered a well-lit, well-traveled area. At least with most gas stations, there's probably an attendant in a kiosk or inside the mini-mart (and it's a whole 'nother story if they would get involved in any altercation), a roof over your head, with more than adequate lighting, and usually some security cameras watching the pump areas. Not sure you'll get most of those at a Supercharger or other stations. Yes, there are exceptions; Kettleman City, for example, comes to mind. But lots of Superchargers located in parking lots are usually on the periphery, far away from the buildings (stores) where you would see the most foot traffic. I can understand that a lone woman would not like the idea of having to drive to a far corner of a parking lot late at night, with barely any lights in the area, and sitting there for any length of time. Unless she was packing (that's totally a different subject that I'm not getting into).

The many decades I drove an ICE, I can probably count on one hand, the number of times when someone came up to me at a gas station looking for a handout. I don't see that happening too much with EV chargers for now since I can't think of any which accept cash as payment. While San Jose has its fair share of homeless, most of them keep to the left turn islands at major intersections to advertise for donations. I don't get up to San Francisco that much (once a decade, maybe) so I don't have any experience with what happens there, or the LA area any more for that matter. My older daughter lived in West Hollywood for several years and the dozen or so times I went down to LA I don't think that I ever got stopped and asked for money. I take some of that back - there was a guy who camped out on the sidewalk near Canters Deli on Fairfax. Each time we went to LA, we would usually hit Canters for a meal. We would give that guy a few dollars each time we saw him.

 

[ucmndd]

This is one of the main reasons I am glad I don't drive a gas car anymore.

This is not an EV vs gas problem in any way, shape, or form.

 

[LoudMusic]

This is not an EV vs gas problem in any way, shape, or form.

As yet I have not been hit up for money by strangers in my garage while charging my vehicle. I drove nine months without having to take my vehicle anywhere for "fuel". When I borrowed a truck from a family member and refueled it before returning I was asked for money while pumping gas. Seems to me "not going to gas stations" is a pretty distinct EV vs gas problem.

 

[ucmndd]

As yet I have not been hit up for money by strangers in my garage while charging my vehicle.

Correct. This is a location problem. It has nothing to do with fuel type, but where you need to fuel.

Seems to me "not going to gas stations" is a pretty distinct EV vs gas problem.

“Not going to sketchy fuel stations” is something many of us can avoid most of the time, but not always. I also fill up in my garage 95% of the time, but the only time I’ve had an experience like what OP is describing in the past 7 years, EV or otherwise, was at a supercharger in Mojave, CA.

Again - location is the issue. Not fuel.

 

[MY1stEV]

One drawback of EV charging is that while one is hooked up to the charger, the vehicle is essentially an immovable object.

There is a company selling a breakaway adapter for Teslas that allow you to drive away while charging if you feel threatened. It is not cheap and single use.

EVject - Breakaway EV Charging Adapter

 

[father_of_6]

There is a company selling a breakaway adapter for Tesla's that allow you to drive away while charging if you feel threatened. It is not cheap and single use.

EVject - Breakaway EV Charging Adapter

Interesting idea. It needs to be like $40 though. I've been to a good number of superchargers in my state, even the ones at the far side of a parking lot with nothing around. I tend to agree with the OP, it feels much safer visiting a supercharger than a gas station, and at least at this time beggars don't tend to frequent the chargers.

 

[zoomer0056]

I kind of like how Tesla superchargers payment info is accessed through the car and not an external credit card.

Yes, that's good, no need ever to touch the credit card. That the difference and benefit that ICE age cars will never have.

 

[Olle]

I was in Detroit last week Ubering and Lyfting around between airport, hotel and meetings for a few days. Disappointed / shocked to see that none of my rides were an EV. Stark contrast to Austin TX and here in Orlando where I usually get the "comfort electric" choice in the Uber app. It's always been a Tesla and the cars are obviously nicer than others and usually the driver too. I can't imagine why anyone would click the non electric button, but I digress.

Back to Detroit. One of my drivers told me that he had a Tesla for a week during a trial program. He loved the car itself but got robbed at the centrally located Superchargers where most of his business is. Then tried to charge at safer Superchargers further away and concluded that he lost too much time driving out and back, so he gave the car back at the end of the trial. So it appears that OP's question can be a serious consideration.

Side note as armchair quarterback: One could argue that charging should be safer than gassing up though because you could plug in in a few seconds, leave and then observe the car and the surroundings from a distance before returning.

 

[Olle]

Correct. This is a location problem. It has nothing to do with fuel type, but where you need to fuel.


“Not going to sketchy fuel stations” is something many of us can avoid most of the time, but not always.

Reminds me of the gas station skit by Sebastian Maniscalco. "Be on high alert, get a couple squirts in and get this thing goin'".

I also fill up in my garage 95% of the time, but the only time I’ve had an experience like what OP is describing in the past 7 years, EV or otherwise, was at a supercharger in Mojave, CA.

Again - location is the issue. Not fuel.

 

[Earl]

still gave her few bucks. Some homeless at a cheap Las Vegas gas station came up to me ask for money, I only gave him two Dr Peppers instead of cash he took it

Guess we now know why the problem will increase. Thanks for screwing things up for the rest of us and making me be the bad guy.

 

[RTPEV]

Yes, that's good, no need ever to touch the credit card. That the difference and benefit that ICE age cars will never have.

Not quite true. Mobil used to have a system called Speedpass (apparently it was only discontinued a year ago) that allowed you to simply hold a key fob up to the pump and it would automatically charge your account. I loved that feature and I went out of my way to patronize Mobil because of it. And this was as far back as 1997!

 

[TypeX]

They darn sure do lol
Driving back from disney we stopped in sketchy mall in maryland and upon getting out car was basically going back n forth asking for gas money. I told my wife this is. gold mine for him along 95 in summer getting tourists feeling guilty coming home or heading out.

on the flipside of safety not being able to pull away when connected is definitely an issue i think they will have to address at some point. Those new break away adaptors will be the norm at some point.

 

[zoomer0056]

simply hold a key fob

Not the same as Tesla, at home or Super Charging. You don't have to pull anything out. No ICE ages vehicle has this because no ICE ages gas station can do this.

 

[RTPEV]

Not the same as Tesla, at home or Super Charging. You don't have to pull anything out. No ICE ages vehicle has this because no ICE ages gas station can do this.

Well, all you said in your first comment was no need to touch a credit card. But even with your revised statement, what's the big deal about waving a key fob at the reader? Even with an EV you have to get out of the car to plug it in, so it's not like the additional 2 seconds it took to wave the fob at the pump is a huge deal.

 

[brkaus]

Not quite true. Mobil used to have a system called Speedpass (apparently it was only discontinued a year ago) that allowed you to simply hold a key fob up to the pump and it would automatically charge your account. I loved that feature and I went out of my way to patronize Mobil because of it. And this was as far back as 1997!

Replaced with an app. Park. Open app. Select pump number (gps finds station). Click “go”. Pump activates remotely. No risk of skimming, etc.

 

[zoomer0056]

Replaced with an app. Park. Open app. Select pump number (gps finds station). Click “go”. Pump activates remotely. No risk of skimming, etc.

Quite awhile back I saw a very early prototype on YouTube. It was a robot that would move to your car and attach the super charger plug. Good idea but it had a long way to go before it could really work.

 

[zoomer0056]

Well, all you said in your first comment was no need to touch a credit card. But even with your revised statement, what's the big deal about waving a key fob at the reader? Even with an EV you have to get out of the car to plug it in, so it's not like the additional 2 seconds it took to wave the fob at the pump is a huge deal.

I think you can get that functionality if you like it by going to a non-Tesla charger.

 

[Unclepaul]

While it is always possible to point to isolated instances, overall the charging experiences of Tesla owners is far better than pumping gas.

Most all charging, for many, is in their own garages, overnight. Superchargers tend to be safer, smell better, are cleaner with less traffic that filthy gas stations.

 

[fholbert]

As yet I have not been hit up for money by strangers in my garage while charging my vehicle.

What's your address? I need some spare change.