Man arrested for 5 cents

[preacher4truth]

With an electric plug-in cars, I see this as tantamount to pulling up to the school district's gas pump (remembering back to the days when school districts had bus fleets).

Yup.

:thumbs: :laugh:

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

I can't see it as being that serious. Maybe I'm being blind, but I don't think so. Someone asked earlier if it is also stealing to charge your cell phone or tablet at an office or the public library, for example. Everyone does that and neither asks nor does anyone say anything -- most don't anyway.

So, if you can charge your phone without a second thought, why not your car, which isn't taking any more electricity than the smart phone is?

Your kidding right!?! Go take a look at all the batteries in a hybred car then look at a single cell phone battery.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Your kidding right!?! Go take a look at all the batteries in a hybred car then look at a single cell phone battery.

Takes $2-$4 to fully charge an electric car.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?​

The iPhone5, for example, requires a quarter -- 25₵ -- to work for a year.

Forbes: How much does it really cost to run your gadgets?​

So it's more. In perspective, quite a bit more. But it costs much less to charge up an electric car than it does to drive it from the Missouri state line to the Oklahoma state line on the Kansas Turnpike, for example.

 

[Aaron]

..............................

 

[Aaron]

Takes $2-$4 to fully charge an electric car.

How much does it cost to charge an electric car?​

The iPhone5, for example, requires a quarter -- 25₵ -- to work for a year.

Forbes: How much does it really cost to run your gadgets?​

So it's more. In perspective, quite a bit more. But it costs much less to charge up an electric car than it does to drive it from the Missouri state line to the Oklahoma state line on the Kansas Turnpike, for example.

Did the man take what was not his? Yes or no?

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Finally, something upon which we can agree. :thumbs:

God bless you too, brother.

..............................

I see you edited this. Too late, though. Ah, well.

 

[Aaron]

Ah well. Answer the question.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

Ah well. Answer the question.

Oh, you finally asked one. Third edit, right? (I posted the other two, in case you forgot.)

For the record, the question was ...

Did the man take what was not his? Yes or no?

From the technical aspect -- that is, does the power belong to him -- yes he "stole." Again, we're talking five cents, and yes, taking five cents is still stealing. There is no reasonable way to justify this, particularly if there was any past history of him being asked not to plug in at the school, or if the cop told him he was stealing and he chose to stay plugged in. But that isn't the case. The police officer told him he was stealing, he unplugged, and then two weeks later is served at his front door with an arrest warrant. This, Aaron, is the height of ridiculousness.

Is it now theft to use a readily available power outlet at a public school that your child attends and for which you pay taxes that pay for that power? Again, technically, yes. But I'm doubting Georgia law specifically addresses this event. I checked. There is a "theft of electricity" law on Georgia's state statutes, but it deals with reconnecting after the power company has disconnected a customer for non-payment.

The problem is very simply resolved, and it doesn't require a two-week "investigation" -- Really? Two weeks? Obviously the courts were reluctant to issue a warrant, or it wouldn't have taken five minutes. If they don't want people using power outlets at public facilities all they need to do is cover them. Locking covers are available at most hardware stores and are easy to install. Or they need to remove them.

Do we really want to tie up a court room for $0.05 worth of electricity? I seriously doubt the court system wants to open itself up to nit-picky theft cases like this. Everyone will be getting tickets or spending 15 hours in jail for plugging in their electronic devices. You can't arrest one man for theft of services and not arrest everyone who does the same, particularly if you're going to be this asinine and petty about it.

Since the practice is so common, I would love to see the prosecutor find a jury of the man's peers who will convict him. You can be a hard-A if you want about this. I don't think the court or the community has the time or tolerance for it. And if you want to know why it took me so long to respond to you, it is because I couldn't believe you wanted to be so legalistic about this whole thing.

 

[padredurand]

With an electric plug-in cars, I see this as tantamount to pulling up to the school district's gas pump (remembering back to the days when school districts had bus fleets).

You are obviously an earth hater. Don't you understand that hybrid and electric cars are good for the planet unlike toxic fume spewing buses. The man with the Leaf is helping the planet! The school district should embrace him for his thrift and environmental consciousness. :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Gina B]

Does anybody here live/has lived where everyone plugs their cars in?

There are actually signs in places where you aren't supposed to, and ones in places that are not for hybrids. (the other ones take more and have ones built and labeled for them and get priority) Or in cold places, where just everyone plugs in and they have signs for staff use, or that it's not for that and direct them to the ones that are.

And yes, if you're visiting at someone's home, it's common courtesy to let them plug their car in.

How on earth is it on entitlement mentality?

I'm guessing there are a lot of places around the country still playing catch up or getting used to cars that plug in and while that's happening, there is going to be an issue with this and everybody getting on the same page.

I doubt that calling out armed police with guns to hunt down, arrest, and charge those who are causing others to question proper protocol may not be the greatest solution in the meantime. A bit of an over-reaction, don't you think?