Nissan Leaf driver goes to jail for 'stealing' 5 cents worth of electricity

[robertlane]

 Nissan Leaf driver goes to jail for 'stealing' 5 cents worth of electricity

 

Quote from the article - "But 'free' public charging like this is an interesting question. It may not be legal, but is it really wrong? No one seems to have problems with people plugging their gadgets, so why is it wrong to plug in a car?"

 

More Here

 

Thoughts on this?

[Russael]

This was also a headline on Yahoo news.  The article listed doesn't indicate if he was plugged in to a 120v outlet that was just on the outside of the school, or if he jacked in to an existing charging station.  If he was plugged in to a charging station, was it labeled as private, or was it just there?  Is it on a website such as plugshare?

 

Now, if he was simply plugging in to an outlet at the school (120v with his own charger), then frankly, without permission, he had no business doing that.  That's something I'd never consider doing.  If it doesn't belong to me, I don't mess with it.  I probably wouldn't even bother asking the school if I could plug in especially if I had the range to get back home.  An inflated sense of entitlement is what gets people in to a lot of trouble.  Heck, when I visit friends, I ask permission to plug in... I just don't go ahead and do it and assume it would be OK.  Bleah.

[SteveEnergi]

He should have gotten arrested for the fact that he owns a Leaf!  Maybe not?

 

Gadgets don't usually trip circuit breakers.

 

He plugged in to a 120v outlet that wasn't dedicated for charging, just outside.  He should have asked permission prior to assuming everything belongs to the "his world" because he could have tripped breakers at the school.  That said, if anything he should just get a fine or something minor; maybe remit payment.  I seriously doubt a court will even entertain this case.

[jeff_h]

 

That said, if anything he should just get a fine or something minor; maybe remit payment.  I seriously doubt a court will even entertain this case.

 

People can debate whether it is proper and right since some items are ubiquitous enough that nobody blinks an eye when someone plugs in (like power outlet at an airport for your laptop years ago, before designated charging outlets were installed)... but seems like the situation should have never progressed that far as someone from the school (or the cop if whoever called the cops didn't want to do the dirty work) could have simply told the guy that it was not allowed and the guy says sorry and that's the end of it -- and if the guy does it again after being notified then go ahead with a citation, but many people don't try to settle things simply anymore, everything has to be made into a big deal.

[frbill]

It is my understanding that this fellow had been told that he was not to be on School property at all. He was using the School's Tennis Courts without permission and charging his car at the same time. I suspect that the failure to leave after being informed that he was trespassing has as much, or more, to do with the arrest as the using of an outlet.

[jeff_h]

It is my understanding that this fellow had been told that he was not to be on School property at all. He was using the School's Tennis Courts without permission and charging his car at the same time. I suspect that the failure to leave after being informed that he was trespassing has as much, or more, to do with the arrest as the using of an outlet.

Well if that's the case, then it makes much more sense - but I have not heard those details about this issue.  Always good to have Paul Harvey's 'rest of the story'

[shaggy314]

And he'd been caught charging before and told no. He was stealing, he had been let go before. I think arrest was a bit much, but ALWAYS ask, especially if you are already trespassing.  :-)