Police surround car while supercharging

[kort677]

I was going to pen a snark that said something like " did YOU look like someone who needed profiling?" The action of charging the car, sleeping at 1:00 am don't seem suspicious, but if you looked the part...then some neighborhood watch guy could pull another trevon martin.
But this is a very serious conversation, and snark profiling could be insulting to many.

As to drunk driving....I heard of a fellow that crashed his car, then proceeded to drink heavily while waiting for police to arrive. They could prove he was drunk, but not while driving, only after. I think this tactic held up. {the driver WAS a LEO and knew the cracks in the system.}

he was careless with his drinking not grossly negligent

 

[DFibRL8R]

As to drunk driving....I heard of a fellow that crashed his car, then proceeded to drink heavily while waiting for police to arrive. They could prove he was drunk, but not while driving, only after. I think this tactic held up. {the driver WAS a LEO and knew the cracks in the system.}

They could still arrest you for public drunkeness

 

[Electric700]

They kept asking what brought me to "this area" I told them that I need to charge my car at part of travelling I-90. They could not understand why I had to do it now. I asked them if I was at a gas station, if there would be a difference? They said if it was closed. I then asked him that are the supercharges closed, because they are currently lit and working correctly, with no posed hours of use. When I got there, there was another car charging, but left 5 mins later, so I was alone. I was there less then 10 mins when all this happened. I have used this charger before, so it was not like I was hunting around for it. I tried to explain about electric cars, but they felt that "they did not need to be educated". I did noticed later, that there was a mall security truck in the parking lot behind me (the supercharge is no in the mall, but the parking lots are next to each other separated by a grass strip) so I suspect that he called to cops.

May be there was someone acting suspiciously in the area before you got there, and the police found you there instead. It's best to just be as courteous as you can in these situations (not that you weren't).

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

They could still arrest you for public drunkeness

In the quiet peacefulness near his crashed car- a long way from the general public.

Not saying one should try this, but idiot proof has often not been that - clever lawyers can get dead-to-right folks off.

 

[ericwol]

May be there was someone acting suspiciously in the area before you got there, and the police found you there instead. It's best to just be as courteous as you can in these situations (not that you weren't).

Being suspicious is not the same as committing a crime. You should not be stopped and harassed by police if you are doing nothing wrong, which was clearly the case here. I'm now personally afraid to use the super charge now after 10 pm, not because of being robbed, but getting harassed by the police, and possibly thrown in jail.

 

[ericwol]

I was going to pen a snark that said something like " did YOU look like someone who needed profiling?" The action of charging the car, sleeping at 1:00 am don't seem suspicious, but if you looked the part...then some neighborhood watch guy could pull another trevon martin.
But this is a very serious conversation, and snark profiling could be insulting to many.

As to drunk driving....I heard of a fellow that crashed his car, then proceeded to drink heavily while waiting for police to arrive. They could prove he was drunk, but not while driving, only after. I think this tactic held up. {the driver WAS a LEO and knew the cracks in the system.}

Professional white male in his early fifties.

 

[AWDtsla]

Professional white male in his early fifties.

Probably would have been tazed and shot otherwise.

Anyway. I would let Tesla know, maybe they can have a word with the local PD.

 

[David99]

Never had a single bad experience in that way at any Supercharger. Neither sketchy people not over zealous security or cops.
Most cops I encountered were cordial. Some were jerks. I have never been able to turn a jerk to be nice by being a jerk back to them. I have had some success explaining things calmly, though.

 

[littlecloudy]

I would ask with genuine alarm if there's something I should be worried about. Helps being female, I suppose.

 

[RDoc]

At least in Massachusetts, if you are drunk, asleep in your car, but it's not on a public way, you can't be arrested. I was a witness to a drunk driving hit and run where the guy was found asleep in his car in a park and the arrest was thrown out. It was at night, and while I could identify the plate, I couldn't see the driver's face. The owner claimed he wasn't driving that night and didn't know who was.

Incidentally, while awaiting for the trial, two other guys' case was thrown out. In that case the driver was off with one officer, and while he was waiting, with another officer in the cruiser behind, the passenger decided to roll and smoke a joint. The second officer came up, saw a coffee can full of weed on the front seat and told him to open the trunk where they found about 100kg more. No search warrant, no case.

 

[Dithermaster]

In my 20's I found out the hard way that it is in fact possible to get a ticket for going through a yellow light. I most likely would have received a nice verbal warning had I not gotten out of the car, sat on the trunk, and glared at the officer. I'm not sure if I knew what I was doing then, but I certainly don't recall now (many years later). People with positions of authority don't like being challenged, so if you must, be as polite as possible (and not condescending).

 

[CuriousG]

I, too, would wonder what a guy from Seattle is doing in Buffalo. Highly unusual.

Perhaps he's the infamous Model X with the bike rack taking up 3 chargers? Only way to get any peace now is to do the Supercharge of shame in the middle of the night.

 

[CuriousG]

Again, dunno. Maybe it's the tattoos, long hair. and pro-anarchy bumper stickers.

You lost all credibility when you voluntarily put a bumper sticker on your Tesla.

 

[TaoJones]

You lost all credibility when you voluntarily put a bumper sticker on your Tesla.

*chuckle* I won't even put the HOV stickers on the black plastic, let alone the paint.

Here's a sticker I saw earlier today (zoom in, presuming the file attaches to this post).

 

[SSD420]

I thought you had to have your keys in the ignition to count as DUI. (Even if it was just in ACC to listen to the radio.)

I'm not sure how that works with modern "keyless" cars.

in Ontario, Canada if you are in the driver's seat, even asleep, without the keysm you can and will be charged with a DUI if you are drunk.

Weird story - 10 years ago, I lived on a street that was very secluded, except for a train station and a construction company. One day we took our dog out in the front yard and found this car parked, partially blocking our driveway. I walked up to the car and I swear it looked like the guy died. It was very sketchy. Had he driven less than 300 metres over the train tracks, he could have parked in one of 150 empty parking spaces at the train station. I ended up calling the cops as I couldn't get my own car out and my gf didn't feel safe about it. It was just really odd. The police came, and we watched. Turned out that the driver was indeed over the limit as well as very tired. They charged him with a DUI even though he thought he was being "safe," buy pulling over and sleeping. He was wrong. The police explained that he should have slept in the back (as well as not block my driveway!)

 

[AZ Desert Driver]

I am constantly amazed at the range of personal values. Nobody is wrong, if its their car and life structure, OK. But I would not let anyone smoke in a car. I would not have dogs or other animals roaming. I would not let fast food be eaten inside. I would not put bumper stickers/political opinions or signage of any type. And there is no stinking way I'd let a kid, child or teenager any where near my $100,000 , MY toy.
And there were times when my other cars violated every one of these --which is why they are now my oaths.
And yet, folks buy car seats and dog restraints and put signs on the back glass that brag about whats under the hood. ah, the range of personal values.

 

[gotz2ride]

I'm sorry, expecting officers of the law to respect the law and respect my rights is not too much for anyone to ask for.

And what rights were disrespected?

 

[gotz2ride]

Please, my father did not fight in Europe just to have this country turn into Nazi Germany. Every officer knows the risk of their job. If they don't like it, they can go and find another job and stop whining. Every occupation has risk to fatality, it's not an excuse for them to bully and harass people who are obliviously not doing anything wrong.

Occupational fatality - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I respect what your father did. However I completely disagree that every job has a risk of fatality. Also cops aren't whining they are dieing. From your responses I would gather your the same guy who would call on the police to come save you from you neighbors loud music but complain when they are responding to a call of suspicious behavior in a parking lot.

 

[kort677]

And what rights were disrespected?

wow, you're ok with "papers please"? SMH

 

[kort677]

I am constantly amazed at the range of personal values. Nobody is wrong, if its their car and life structure, OK. But I would not let anyone smoke in a car. I would not have dogs or other animals roaming. I would not let fast food be eaten inside. I would not put bumper stickers/political opinions or signage of any type. And there is no stinking way I'd let a kid, child or teenager any where near my $100,000 , MY toy.
And there were times when my other cars violated every one of these --which is why they are now my oaths.
And yet, folks buy car seats and dog restraints and put signs on the back glass that brag about whats under the hood. ah, the range of personal values.

how people treat their property should really no concern of yours. you are free to be as anal as you want to be with your car and others are free to transport their children, their pets, put stickers on their cars and so on.
I suppose that american flag decal on my tesla offends you as well. SMH