Arrested for Stealing Electricity

[kidicarus13]

I'm going to go to DIA tonight after work and turn myself in to the police. I have to admit I plugged my laptop into a wall outlet earlier this year for about 45 minutes without without permission.

[StagLefty]

I'm going to go to DIA tonight after work and turn myself in to the police. I have to admit I plugged my laptop into a wall outlet earlier this year for about 45 minutes without without permission.

Thank goodness this crime spree is over.

[RMAC757]

I'm trying to think of all the times I've caught passengers at the airport plugging their phones in at our gate podiums. As annoying as it was, I never felt the need to call the authorities. Or even worse the ones who find the vacuum outlets on the jet and plug their stuff in....a definite no no. We just tell them to unplug it.

[brutal]

Dude is a complete tool and deserved what he got. They should have also charged him with criminal trespass.

[Irving]

Seems to me that the difference between charging your phone at a wall outlet that is accessible to the public, and charging your car at a similar outlet, is comparable to the difference between filling your water bottle up at the school drinking fountain, and wheeling in a 55 gallon drum to fill at the same fountain.

The comparisons to gum, or gasoline, or whatever are not really comparable as those are retail items, marked for sale.

[electronman1729]

a lesson can be learned, dont buy an electric car

[brianakell]

a lesson can be learned, dont buy an electric car

ding ding ding winner winner chicken dinner

The electric cars are marketed as "just plug in anywhere" Nope, that's someone else's tab your pulling off. I see it fine they charged him immediately. Made an example of it, and now the school, and many other places, dont have to worry because the electric car owners get a warning as a whole. "plug in anywhere, go to jail"

[kawiracer14]

Completely off topic - but I found it hilarious when I was in Hawaii that one of the hotels offered a charging station for electric cars. Guess where 90% of electricity comes from in Hawaii folks? DING DING DING Diesel fuel!

As an aside - plugging your phone in at the airport and plugging your phone in at a school where you have been repeatedly told not to do so are not even close to the same. When there is a pole with 4+ outlets on it that is labeled "Charging Station", it's expected to plug your phone, iPad, laptop in to charge.

That's like saying taking candy from a store without paying is the same as taking candy from someone that leaves a bowl out on Halloween that says please take one.

[RblDiver]

Assuming that post about him having an attitude, yeah I think he needed some sort of wake-up call (perhaps arrest for theft was much, but trespass would've been more appropriate, I don't know).

Attitude is key. My dad was called for jury duty (not selected, but went to the case anyway) a few years back. A woman had left her door unlocked while she was in the shower, and her toddler had wandered out of the house and practically onto a major highway. A good samaritan found the kid and called the police, who found his house and returned him to the mother. But rather than being grateful and whatnot for them saving the kid from possible death, she essentially acted as though the policewoman was being a burden to her, and it wasn't her fault, etc. So she was cited for negligence (or something). Had she been cooperative/appreciative/willing to learn, I'm sure nothing further would have come from it.

If you're willing to learn and are penitent for your mistakes, that's one thing. But if that doesn't happen, then sometimes punishment is the only way to learn.

[ruthabagah]

sometimes punishment is the only way to learn.

Sad but true.