Electric Car Owner Arrested For Stealing 5 Cents Of Power

WTF reason did they need to file a warrant? Send the guy a "ticket" in the mail. Hell, that's an infraction at worst.
 
Tytalus said:
That isn't how public funds work.

You can't walk in to a police station and steal a taser just because it's "taxpayer funded".
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Poor analogies, always poor analogies. It's MUCH more like he got himself a cup of water without asking.
 
But I'm still falling back on something else I said earlier. Electric cars are rated for quite a lot of travel between charges. Why couldn't he just wait until he got home?

This is something that drove me nuts with my 14 year old daughter. She uses her iPhone 4 while plugged in ALL THE TIME. I told her to knock it off and unplug the damn thing. If it dies in a few hours, then plug it in. She kept bending the end of the cables breaking them all the goddamn time.

Let the battery drain a little. It's not going to kill anyone, geez.
 
Neb said:
It looks like he was warned by the same cop a few days back not to do that without permission:
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Well, that pretty much seals the deal for me. He was warned, yet he did it anyway. He didn't ask permission even after being told that he needed to. That's his bad. Over a nickle. The electric car owner is wasting people's time, not the cop.

You throw a banana peel on the ground and a cop says it's littering and you can't do that. You do it again, and say that since the banana is biodegradable, it's not really littering.... Then, the cop gives you a ticket and you get mad? Cop told you what the law was. You disagree and do it anyway? I hope the cop does something. Otherwise, what good is the law if it's not enforced?

Car owner was a douche.
 
Azhar said:
But I'm still falling back on something else I said earlier. Electric cars are rated for quite a lot of travel between charges. Why couldn't he just wait until he got home?
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Because the guy clearly had bad manners.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Well, that pretty much seals the deal for me. He was warned, yet he did it anyway. He didn't ask permission even after being told that he needed to. That's his bad. Over a nickle. The electric car owner is wasting people's time, not the cop.

You throw a banana peel on the ground and a cop says it's littering and you can't do that. You do it again, and say that since the banana is biodegradable, it's not really littering.... Then, the cop gives you a ticket and you get mad? Cop told you what the law was. You disagree and do it anyway? I hope the cop does something. Otherwise, what good is the law if it's not enforced?

Car owner was a douche.
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He didn't do it twice. Read the article.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
Poor analogies, always poor analogies. It's MUCH more like he got himself a cup of water without asking.
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not quite as the water is understand as public due to drinking fountains. Maybe it would be closer to him filling up a gallon or two of water. Basically looking for something outside the accepted norm.
 
Semantics said:
not quite as the water is understand as public due to drinking fountains. Maybe it would be closer to him filling up a gallon or two of water. Basically looking for something outside the accepted norm.
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I didn't say anything about a drinking fountain.
 
Let’s just wait for the Department of Homeland Fascism to turn it into terrorist charges.
 
He should of told the cop he was putting energy back into the school grid not taking it. Reminds me of when I was young I had stole some gas and police stopped me. I told the police officer why would I want to steal gas when I have a full tank ? Lol believe it or not the old jedi mind trick worked and he let me go.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
I didn't say anything about a drinking fountain.
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look man, posts like yours are why we can't have nice things like combine police oppression, an eventual uprising, and a creepy briefcase-toting man's plans upset by rude alien life making strange guttural noises.

think about that.
 
OregonLAN said:
Lack of common sense at it's finest. I guess anyone with 1/2 a brain, a heart beat can become a school or local police officer...

If it even makes it before a judge, I bet the charges will be dropped and the arresting officer will receive a stern warning for clogging up the legal system with petty charges. That's what happened to a local officer who issued over 30 speeding citations in a single day for <5 MPH over the posted speed limit in a highway zone. The judge literally dismissed each and every case and thoroughly embarrassed the officer in front of a crowd of defendants.
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I really, really hope someone got this on video and posted it on youtube...
 
Steve said:
I was wondering why the cop didn't just give him a warning. This explains a lot. :)
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Why perpetuate this myth? If you actually read the other article, that's not what happened. The cop warned him at the one and only time he was caught using school power, then later arrested him for that very same incident.

He used the school's outlet on November 2nd, cop took down his name and address from mail he found in the unlocked car, and was arrested for it on the 13th.

This right here is from the article you yourself newsposted -

Sgt. Ford says the officer should have arrested Kamooneh on the spot. But he didn't. Instead, the officer filed a police report. Then 11 days passed, and two deputies showed up at his house in Decatur.
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rflcptr said:
look man, posts like yours are why we can't have nice things like combine police oppression, an eventual uprising, and a creepy briefcase-toting man's plans upset by rude alien life making strange guttural noises.

think about that.
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I think you just confirmed Half Life 3.
 
The cop was a bonehead for arresting him. But the officer was correct.


Imagine 20 years into the future where everyone just plugs in on some government property. That's a hell of a tax on the system.

But the real problem here is if everyone assumes that a free electric outlet, implies free electricity.

Would you start bitching if you neighbor plugged into your outlet to power your home? Damn right you would. And if you didn't bitch, then all your neighbors might hop on too.

Don't laugh or roll your eyes, I've seen power chaining like this happen in remote areas like the Appalachians.
 
Gotta keep that prison industrial complex machine running, no crime to small they'll take them all!
 
LeninGHOLA said:
Bored cop wastes everyone's time, news at 11.
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I doubt the cop did it on his own accord. Most likely someone at the school saw this and called the police. Teacher, staff, or maybe principal?

BigJayDogg3 said:
Walk into a park and walk out with a bench. You'll be arrested for theft.
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Not really the same thing. It would be like walking into the park and walking out with a cup of water from the water fountain.
 
Azhar said:
As someone else in this thread said, try using water as an example. Drink out of the fountain and see if you get arrested. It's there for our convenience, not for decoration. If the outlets were open, the guy probably had some right to use it, although charging cars are a little ostentatious. I'm sure it was meant for smaller things like charging phones or plugging in stereos for picnics in the park or an electric stove or something.
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The assumption that just because an outlet isn't locked means that it is intended for public use, is a little bit of a leap don't you think? Especially since he had been warned not to.

The only reason you install a fountain, is so the public can drink from it. That is not the case for an electric outlet.

I have electric outlets on the front of my house. Should people be able to assume that they are for public use as well?
 
This is a grey area since it's new unexplored territory. Law should be written to define what's legal and what's not. Once that is established then...

First offense should be a warning.

Subsequent offense a fine with possible arrest for intentional repeat offenses.
 
The idiots complaining about people recharging their electronics in a public school are blowing my mind with their lack of common sense.
 
Zarathustra[H];1040437581 said:
The assumption that just because an outlet isn't locked means that it is intended for public use, is a little bit of a leap don't you think? Especially since he had been warned not to.

The only reason you install a fountain, is so the public can drink from it. That is not the case for an electric outlet.

I have electric outlets on the front of my house. Should people be able to assume that they are for public use as well?
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He hadn't been warned not to.


*sigh, this is how "facts" get changed all the time. Someone misreads a poorly written article, inserts a bias, runs with a completely new story. In a week, this story will be about racial tensions and hatecrimes.
 
If indeed the guy was warned and then repeated the offense he brought it upon himself. If so, he should stfu and be grateful that he got a courtesy warning in the first place.
 
Lith1um said:
If indeed the guy was warned and then repeated the offense he brought it upon himself. If so, he should stfu and be grateful that he got a courtesy warning in the first place.
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Would you guys just read the articles so I can stop being so bitter about this?
 
LeninGHOLA said:
He hadn't been warned not to.


*sigh, this is how "facts" get changed all the time. Someone misreads a poorly written article, inserts a bias, runs with a completely new story. In a week, this story will be about racial tensions and hatecrimes.
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Reread the article, and fair enough, he wasnt warned in advance.

Even so, it seems a stretch to me to assume that just because there is an electric outlet on a wall somewhere that it is intended for public use.
 
Ur_Mom said:
Well, that pretty much seals the deal for me. He was warned, yet he did it anyway. He didn't ask permission even after being told that he needed to. That's his bad. Over a nickle. The electric car owner is wasting people's time, not the cop.

You throw a banana peel on the ground and a cop says it's littering and you can't do that. You do it again, and say that since the banana is biodegradable, it's not really littering.... Then, the cop gives you a ticket and you get mad? Cop told you what the law was. You disagree and do it anyway? I hope the cop does something. Otherwise, what good is the law if it's not enforced?

Car owner was a douche.
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I've yet to meet an electric or hybrid driver that isn't a douche. Seems to be a prerequisite to owning one.
 
HEEEYYY GUYS, I'm here at a public park and I see some children playing on the playground equipment causing wear and tear...

I also seen this guy drive up used the restroom and drove back out....

Oh dear, someone in now using a water fountain... THIEVES, TERRORIST!!!!

Can you all please call the cops to end this!

Posted by me sitting at a bench in the park with a laptop plugged in.
 
Zarathustra[H];1040437581 said:
The assumption that just because an outlet isn't locked means that it is intended for public use, is a little bit of a leap don't you think? Especially since he had been warned not to.

The only reason you install a fountain, is so the public can drink from it. That is not the case for an electric outlet.

I have electric outlets on the front of my house. Should people be able to assume that they are for public use as well?
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Yeah but in the same vein I wouldn't use your garden hose to get a drink too. There's a difference between having utilities that are "open" on your private property vs. having utilities on public land (although it's unsure how public this outlet was, was it in the schools parking lot next to a parking space? or was it on the side of a building where he pulled 50 feet of extension cord to jack into).

While I get that the idea that a water fountain is specifically made for drinking, if there is an electrical outlet that is open, then it needs to have some locking mechanism/cover if it is not to be used by the public otherwise there's a potential hazard of injury that's there, what if a little kid stick a coin in the slot or something? (and yeah I realize this is stretching a bit).

LeninGHOLA said:
He used the school's outlet on November 2nd, cop took down his name and address from mail he found in the unlocked car, and was arrested for it on the 13th.
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So they opened his car door, and looked inside to find out who the car was owned to? Are cops allowed to even do that? I guess if the cop wanted to argue he could probably say that he was investigating the area in where a crime was being committed ... *shrug*

I remember here when cops were opening doors in the park and leaving notices inside of cars that leaving your car unlocked is something you shouldn't do they tried to justify their actions by saying that crime rates are up in the area because people left their doors unlocked. That didn't fly to well with the public.
 
While he was arresting this guy for stealing a nickel, a guy blew through a school crossing stop sign 20 mph over the school speed limit zone WHILE USING A CELL PHONE. LOL. :D
 
Dekoth-E- said:
I've yet to meet an electric or hybrid driver that isn't a douche. Seems to be a prerequisite to owning one.
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I have yet to meet someone who drives a muscle car who isn't a douche (sorry Steve... we haven't met yet ;)) ... or a rice rocket... or luxury car or... yeah it's easy.
 
Zarathustra[H];1040437642 said:
Reread the article, and fair enough, he wasnt warned in advance.

Even so, it seems a stretch to me to assume that just because there is an electric outlet on a wall somewhere that it is intended for public use.
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It is a stretch, but it's also much ado about nothing.
 
OregonLAN said:
Lack of common sense at it's finest. I guess anyone with 1/2 a brain, a heart beat can become a school or local police officer...

If it even makes it before a judge, I bet the charges will be dropped and the arresting officer will receive a stern warning for clogging up the legal system with petty charges. That's what happened to a local officer who issued over 30 speeding citations in a single day for <5 MPH over the posted speed limit in a highway zone. The judge literally dismissed each and every case and thoroughly embarrassed the officer in front of a crowd of defendants.
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whoa can I see a link on this? That is a freaking awesome story!
 
Either way, it wastes more taxpayer money to pursue the issue via an arrest than it would just to tell the guy to knock it off and/or lock up the outlet.
Reply With Quote
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LeninGHOLA, So can I come take your mail box and sell it? I mean it's not worth prosecuting right, it'll cost more then the 15$ to just replace it. Maybe we can spread out the damage so it doesn't hurt just you and we will tax everyone for your mail box replacements.
 
You do have Home Owner's Insurance right?

I promise if you buy really expensive mail boxes so that your deductible makes it worthwhile to file, then I'll take Stiletto's instead of yours ;)
 
Wow that's pretty sad. Probably a cop with an agenda for the oil industry so he's against electric cars. Too bad this guy's life is pretty much ruined now over something stupid like this. Knowing how the US looks at "theft" of non physical objects, he'll probably get like 10 years or something ridiculous like that. What would you call this, electron piracy? :D
 
Red Squirrel said:
Wow that's pretty sad. Probably a cop with an agenda for the oil industry so he's against electric cars. Too bad this guy's life is pretty much ruined now over something stupid like this. Knowing how the US looks at "theft" of non physical objects, he'll probably get like 10 years or something ridiculous like that. What would you call this, electron piracy? :D
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Electric cars are GREAT for the oil industry. The US has a tremendous amount of cheap natural gas, which fires a great many power plants.
 
lcpiper said:
LeninGHOLA, So can I come take your mail box and sell it? I mean it's not worth prosecuting right, it'll cost more then the 15$ to just replace it. Maybe we can spread out the damage so it doesn't hurt just you and we will tax everyone for your mail box replacements.
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He didn't steal $15 worth of physical product, he used five cents of an available utility. This is more akin to someone going to public property and washing dog poop off their shoes with a hose that was sitting outside.

No, its not your water and you didn't have permission, but to arrest someone for a petty thing like that wastes everyone's time and money. Just say "its not your water, you don't have permission to use it" and if he goes away then just leave it at that.
 
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