Arrest for theft of 5 cents of electricity

Eventually Plug In car owners are going to learn to ask permission. What they want is so cheap everyone will say yes.

 

Lmao! they should fry him and bill him for the electicity, that would be ironic...

 

i don't think arresting him was necessary, there must be a way to fine him or something. 5 cent's or 5 dollars, just plugging in anywhere you want to is not right.

 

I think the arrest was OK. If he'd walked into school head's office, grabbed a pencil and walked out he'd also be arrested. Not because of the value of what he stole, but because of the principal.

 

Actually it would be because of the secretary! They keep track of the pencils....

 

Well played, well played, sir.

 

...if its like Virginia we have a lot of little violations listed as a misdemeanor offenses, so you have to go to criminal court, and plead not guilty otherwise you get a criminal record...this happened to me on a minor parking issue and thankfully the judge threw the case out at my request.

 

Around here, a suspect on something at that level wouldn't be arrested at home 11 days later and held for 15 hours. If anything, it would be a citation in the mail with a court date. Suspects in far more serious offenses are regularly turned around in much less than 15 hours.

 

Self serving arrogance by the Leaf owner, gross over reaction by the police officer. Very few have any sense of what electricity cost in vehicle charging. The five cent estimate is a embarrasment to law enforcement official involved. Regardless, electric vehicle owners need to realize that any exterior electrical outlet isn't available for use without authorization, best in writing.

 

Yes, without asking it is stealing. But the arrest and all it involves will cost the taxpayer much many times more than five cents.

 

True, but the message has been made. Anyone who sees this story is going to be spreading the word that plugging in without permission could get you arrested.


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Would anyone here think of plugging in to a municipal bldg without permission?
I don't even bring my EVSE with me any longer- I only charge at home or at a legit Charge Point (or other brand) public charging station.

Just helping yourself and plugging in without permission anywhere you like is kind of like going to someone's house and siphoning heating oil out of their tank or siphoning gasoline out of their car.... it's just wrong.

FWIW- I've also read embarrassing posts here by PIP owners who ask to plug in when they go to parties at friends and relatives houses. Really? Do you need to save 60 cents that badly? If so, don't go to the party- the food, gift, flowers, etc.. you bring certainly costs more than 60 cents.

I don't even know how I would react if a party guest asked if they could plug in at my house? But it would probably be the last time I invite that cheap SOB to my house...

 

I'd imagine that their objective is more so to avoid (or at least reduce) gas usage than save $.
For some, it turns into a game after all.

 

It's not, surely, the financial saving, but the desire to drive in as non-polluting a way as possible?

 

Wow, you guys are very polite..
Maybe it's the NYer in me but I just think they're just cheap bastards who have no shame and even try to mooch off friends and relatives if they can.
We recently had a "free school lunch" scandal here where teachers and administrators (who make from $50K- $250K year) were caught lying about their salaries to get their kids into the "free school lunch" programs.
Certainly in their case- they could afford to pay for a school lunch- it's just that they thought that they could get something for free!

 

In my mind, it is not about money, it is about permission.

If you don't ask for permission, keep your lawyer on speed dial.

 

No word as to whether it was posted no trespassing. If it was posted then that would make all the difference in the world. But for 20 minutes of juice? Even presuming that was a new Leaf (capable of pulling 6kW's) That'd be 4kW's. That area of georgia probably pays 3¢ per kW. Trebble damages ... a whopping 36¢
The cop's time/income for hauling him in ... the school administrator's time/income who dropped the dime on him ... the jailer's time/income ... the junior deputy DA's time income ... meanwhile, kids in that area are probably tagging the back of the school, or some crack addict is stealing the teacher's car. Never mind corporate stock raiders that we wink at - as they steal millions ... or lobbyist that buy off our legislators . Straining out the gnats while they swallow the horse. So yea, only in america ... where you got crime laden areas like detroit that look like bombed out Foluja and you also get Georgia crime busters .
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Actually, it would be the principle of the act, whether the pencil was taken from the secretary or the principal.

 

So where do we draw a line over what is or isn't theft? 5c, $5, $50?

If you were a shop keeper would you object to someone steeling a mars bar? Sure you would. How'd you like it if I came and stole the dust caps of your wheels? Theft is theft.

I would be very unimpressed if someone plugged a lawn mower, car or even phone charger into my outside electric point without permission. If they asked first I'd happily say yes.

This arrogant clown you got arrested deserved what he got. He could argue that the school should have spoken to him before calling the Police, but then he should have spoken to them first. Serves him right.