There's Nothing We Can Do About Getting ICE'D

[billh13850]

This is perhaps a touch overly passive-aggressive, but I have given serious consideration to buying some of these and keeping them in the trunk:

See an ICE-er, just lock one on their tire and leave, throw away the key. Almost seems worth the risk....

(Seriously, for entertainment value only, please don't try this on my account, probably very illegal.)

 

[jerry33]

Regardless of whether or not it's legal to park in those spaces, the mall needs to improve signage. An email with suggestions should be sent to Travis as well as others on his management team (sales manager, property manager). Suggestions could include:

• adding signage stating that vehicles must be charging to use the spaces
• adding signage stating that there is at time limit, perhaps 4 hours to prevent workers from hogging chargers all day
• painting the spaces green or some other color that stands out
• adding road cones to the ends of the parking spaces to make it more obvious that they're intended for a special purpose
• mall security can put notes on cars that are in violation of any signage the mall adds, even if a fine can't be levied

All of these things will greatly improve the situation. I can't stress how far assertive communication on behalf of EV drivers can go. I recommend copying the sales manager of the mall since EV charging is a guest amenity that attracts customers to the mall's vendors.

There are quite a few places that put cones in the EV charging spaces. EV drivers know to remove the cones, the people who ICE spots are too lazy to do so. It appears to work quite well. Cheap and no hurt feelings.

 

[adaptabl]

They have to move the charging spots to the most inconvenient locations for any change to happen. Just as many EV owners think it is a private privileged parking spot charging or not. ICE drivers see a prime spot for EV's and see no reason not to park there. Private property owners do not want to upset customers so they do not enforce EV parking spaces. If there is enough problems from these spots, the easiest thing to do will be to remove them and solve the problem. Our local mall has 6 charging spots that are almost always filled by large trucks lately.

 

[YusufT]

I presume you mean a parking enforcement officer from your municipality? If so they have zero jurisdiction over private property like a mall.

Yeah that’s exactly what I thought. Saw one at a public plaza ticketing someone in the disability parking spot and I just rolled down my window and asked.

They have to move the charging spots to the most inconvenient locations for any change to happen. Just as many EV owners think it is a private privileged parking spot charging or not. ICE drivers see a prime spot for EV's and see no reason not to park there. Private property owners do not want to upset customers so they do not enforce EV parking spaces. If there is enough problems from these spots, the easiest thing to do will be to remove them and solve the problem. Our local mall has 6 charging spots that are almost always filled by large trucks lately.

From what I heard, Tesla doesn’t exactly get a say where these chargers go in terms of a busy and congested area. The charging stations are close to the doors because they didn’t want to spend a lot of money wiring it far away from the main grid.

 

[billh13850]

Yeah that’s exactly what I thought. Saw one at a public plaza ticketing someone in the disability parking spot and I just rolled down my window and asked.

From what I heard, Tesla doesn’t exactly get a say where these chargers go in terms of a busy and congested area. The charging stations are close to the doors because they didn’t want to spend a lot of money wiring it far away from the main grid.

They've started to do that in some places at least. Most of the mall-based superchargers I've seen have been at the very fringes of the lot, out near where the main lines come in to the mall.

 

[YusufT]

They've started to do that in some places at least. Most of the mall-based superchargers I've seen have been at the very fringes of the lot, out near where the main lines come in to the mall.

But these aren’t superchargers they’re public level 2 chargepoint chargers in an underground parking lot.

 

[billh13850]

But these aren’t superchargers they’re public level 2 chargepoint chargers in an underground parking lot.

Ahh ok yeah those do tend to be right by the doors where ICEers want to steal them.

 

[YusufT]

Ahh ok yeah those do tend to be right by the doors where ICEers want to steal them.

No it’s my fault I should’ve been more clear. I hope most of us can take some sort of an action like emailing higher ups in hopes of a change. It’s not like these chargers are free we’re still paying to use them it confused me that they don’t care.

 

[Darthbenji]

I presume you mean a parking enforcement officer from your municipality? If so they have zero jurisdiction over private property like a mall.

Handicap spots exist in the places you claim they have no jurisdiction over. So do fire routes. Think you’re wrong on this.

 

[Buggle]

Handicap spots exist in the places you claim they have no jurisdiction over. So do fire routes. Think you’re wrong on this.

That is correct. My place of business (which isn't even open to the public) got visited by some gov't guy making sure our building had a wheelchair ramp, the right number of handicapped spots, and that the preceding were all to spec.

 

[TiggerTime]

Have the same issue at local University as well. They have signs stating 4 hour limit 7:30a-5:30p and often there are EVs parked plugged in either more than the 4 hour limit or sometimes not even plugged in or ICEd. Very annoying. Very surprised that the campus transportation and parking department haven't ticketed more cars since they are ticket happy and will ticket you if your tires are not within the lines of a parking space among other reasons that are less critical.

 

[SMSMD]

Hoping this would come handy. I leave them on the windshield of the ICE car when ICED.

Courtesy blink.

 

[StealthP3D]

A private business can make and enforce any parking rules they want to. If it's posted, they can have violators towed.

Gas pumps are not posted "No Parking" or "No Parking except for fueling". So, by this logic, I can park my car in front of a gas pump and leave it there all day and there is nothing they can do.

 

[Evbwcaer]

Instead of those wheel boots, how about you buy a cheap keyed padlock and some chain? Run the chain through their wheel, lock it, put a note on the door that says where the key is. Put the key somewhere far away and/or disgusting. Make them walk a f'in mile to get the key out of a portable-poty...who cares. You could buy the whole set-up way cheaper than those boots and are less likely to draw too much attention.

You're not behaving any worse than them, and they will be too embarrassed to call the cops. I think a property owner would quickly enforce the rules...not wanting these shenanigans going on on their property.

 

[Darthbenji]

Gas pumps are not posted "No Parking" or "No Parking except for fueling". So, by this logic, I can park my car in front of a gas pump and leave it there all day and there is nothing they can do.

And don’t forget, cause they’re on private property, there’s nothing to enforce!!!

Think you’d get towed??? Of course you would. Just proves that these malls and other places that don’t enforce the EV spots,
could if they wanted to, but choose not to.

 

[RiverBrick]

There's a photo on Plugshare showing enough of a sign to know that no parking is allowed unless charging and the appropriate Toronto municipal code chapter 915 is cited.



I am not a lawyer, but the legalese in Chapter 915 seems to indicate that Police may ticket violators, but might need an invitation from the shopping centre to do so. They can even have offending cars towed after 30 minutes.

 

[YusufT]

Can someone make a decent layout that would be used on an email explaining what we’re upset about and how it effects us and therefore their business? Something along those lines so we can use it to start emailing our concerns to the right people