plugging-in without permission

[DrTaras]

My friend owns a business that has an outlet on the back side of the building. He noticed his electric usage increase and suspected that someone was plugging in.
I've inquired if it was an EV or some other electric user, but he's still trying to snoop it out.
In the mean time, he put a lock over the outlet.
The other day he found this note:

He wants to know if he's a bad guy?
I told him, one day there will be wireless charging so he'll have to probably investigate getting a WiFi-like pass code for his electricity then!

[doug]

He wants to know if he's a bad guy?

Nope, though I might have put a cheap camera in place first if I were really curious. The note writer goes to the same church as your friend?? No guaranty he was using the outlet to charge a car. Instead of being indignant, the note writer could have simply have asked for permission.

Btw, this has little to do with wireless charging so it's getting moved.

[Mycroft]

I don't see how protecting property from theft would be considered "petty". But then, I believe in the rule of law and property rights. I doubt the letter writer goes to church - they're more likely trying to be sarcastic.

The electricity vampire was more likely an RV than an EV.

[Doug_G]

If they managed to draw enough power to raise suspicions, then they were doing it a lot. No way your friend is the bad guy here - they clearly should have asked for permission. And offered to pay.

If the guy did it once, was desperate for power because he was stranded, and couldn't find the owner... then I'd have a lot more sympathy.

[efusco]

I can think of few ways that EV drivers could stir anger than by stealing electricity without permission and without reimbursement. EVs are new, poorly understood by many and if we go around stealing electricity without permission it will result in a lot of negative press. I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up with someone arrested and making the press for that even. We need to be upstanding citizens, paying a bit more than the owner's cost for any electricity used. Going out of our way to explain our vehicles and what we're doing. How long do you think people would put up with folks driving up and stealing gasoliine if we all kept a storage tank at our home or business?

[vfx]

Decades ago my father's business had found that the faucet in the planter on the front of his building was being used at night by the local cardboard collector. He would soak the truckload of cardboard to increase the weight on the drive up scale.

Dad put a lock on the faucet.

[AnOutsider]

Your friend is not at all in the wrong IMO. Where's everyone getting something about church though?

[Lloyd]

One if the businesses close to me has a homeless person that sleeps next to an outside power outlet at his business as they plug in an electric heater and run it all night long. They are gone before the business opens in the morning. Perhaps you were dealing with a similiar situation. Sounds like it from the tone of the note.

[doug]

Where's everyone getting something about church though?

The line about "tithing".

[TEG]

I think a lot of people have this (mis) conception that electricity is basically free. They leave lights turned on when leaving their house, and they don't worry about how much it might cost someone (including themselves) to leave running for hours or days. The fact that most electricity is billed monthly, not "as you go" sort-of disconnects people from the thought that "one little use" actually amounts to something.

I suppose you could compare this to the idea of going into a place of business and using the restroom without buying something, or even using a drinking fountain at a public park. Someone is paying for it. The question is: do you assume an unlocked outlet or faucet is left for public use?
Regardless if the cost of the power provided was of concern, there is also the issue that someone was trespassing on private property, right?