"But, I couldn't get it to charge"

[Jimrpa]

If I pull up to a charger out of pure necessity and it's the only unit with someone blocking it, not charging, I'm calling a tow truck. If you make it back before the tow gets there then great, otherwise you'll have a lot more time invested than I will. Almost all the charge stations I've used are in shopping centers, so therefore I disagree with the intention of locating them there. Twice I've seen someone charging at the EA in Los Banos, CA (at Target) where they got picked up by a friend/family and left. Last time I saw this they were already at 116 minutes plugged in and nowhere to be found. Not everyone is there for a "quick fill-up".

While I agree this can be nit-picking to an extent, it's about being courteous to other EV owners and I don't understand why some people have issue with that. The problem is that people only seem to think about themselves. Also (while not saying this was the case here), I'm sure people lie about charging so that they can park closer and in those cases it's just flat out being rude.

I agree with the concept of common courtesy. I think that locating the chargers less conveniently will help solve the problem?
By the way, are you legally allowed to have a vehicle you don’t own towed from property you don’t own? That sounds … odd.

 

[Jimrpa]

First of all you can't have an EV charging parking spot without an EV charger. That doesn't make any sense. I realize that you said it that way because it would sound like we're entitled snobs otherwise, and that goes against your argument. Your parking garage example is only giving people preferential treatment because they could afford an expensive vehicle and it's not incentivizing anything other than laziness.

HOV lane access is a good example of how it didn't work as intended. I've never met a single person who decided to buy an EV solely for the purpose of HOV lane access. It's preferential treatment to those who can afford an EV. There's many environmental groups in California who are against EVs in HOV lanes because it incentivizes people NOT to carpool, which in turn increases vehicles on the road/traffic. Carbon emissions go up due to increased stop and go traffic which is far worse than traveling between 35-65mph. Thankfully, California is phasing out that program in 2025.

This is why I like “Lexus lanes” most rich people are self-absorbed (pick your favorite body orifice) anyway, so why not soak them every chance I can?

 

[AllenXS]

Threatening to tow and actually getting someone towed are two separate things.

Even in the situation above, I highly doubt you’d wait around for the tow truck just to get a charge.

In my experience tow trucks aren’t exactly….. quick. Takes hours for them to show up. You’d be long gone by then. Towing them would just be out of spite. Would they deserve it? Maybe, depends on the situation of course.

Towing a broken car vs wrongly parked, they seem to go at different speeds

 

[AllenXS]

Circling the island with my sister today. We were driving through the southernmost village on the island, a Cadillac Lyriq came roaring up behind me in the middle of town, then made an illegal pass (2 lane road in a business district with a 25 mph limit) to get in front of me. I arrived at our apparently mutual destination less than 20 seconds after he did. He pulls into the Shell Recharge charging spot. Quickly gets out of his car and goes inside. All without even attempting to charge the car. He passed up almost 20 prime parking spots to park there. A Tesla squeezed into a non spot on the other side of DCFC unit but couldn’t quite get the CHADEMO cable to reach.

So I’m limping to the bakery while explaining all this to my sister (absolutely clueless about BEVs), thinking about this thread. The Tesla guy goes inside and tells the manager. The manager makes a PA telling the owner of a Cadillac Lyriq to move their car or they’d have it towed. The owner left and never came back.

This shouldn’t be that hard. I observed it and found it annoying. I had plenty of charge to get home and then some. But i suspect the M3 owner didn’t. Do your virtue signaling where and when appropriate. This was neither. Just park somewhere else.

edit: I was parked in a sub prime, but very wide (and hence door ding resistant) handicapped parking space that didn’t require we play dodge tourist after getting our malasadas and coffee . i had a great view of the abomination of a DCFC there. (Very old 50 kW EFACEC unit).

have you found the handicapped parks less blocked now that people can use the ev charging spots?

 

[AllenXS]

Around here, you don’t see the issue the OP brought up too often. I speculate that’s because most chargers around here are far away from the buildings of interest. For example, the local DCFC is in the farthest corner of the defunct anchor store at the local mall. No way is anyone voluntarily parking there unless they’re actively charging. Similarly, I’ve noticed our local Wawas are installing the DCFC/Superchargers in the corners of their parking lots as far away from the store as possible.
Just make them unattractive to park at and the problem is solved.

It is good. Park further from the front on a long charge while travelling. Walk further to get some exercise and stretch the legs, use the amenities, buy some crap I don’t need, find a coffee shop, walk back, finish coffee, use amenities again then leave. Works out well.

 

[AllenXS]

At my daughter’s skating arena, the spots were being used all the time as parking, usually by teslas. I would make a point of stopping and charging and then reminding people to charge while there. They would then charge or move. Its better now.

Some would pretend to charge and then go to walk off, oh I can’t get it to work. Often they would then walk past available parks. It seems there is a sense that an ev spot is their entitlement.

 

[AllenXS]

One other situation, only car waiting and it’s a 350kvh charging spot, I need it to get home. Do I wait 30 mins to use the 150kvh assuming the people shopping have finished by then.

Or do I take it, charge, quick shop, and go home 90mins away and listen to the owners who feel entitled to the 350 or the people on this forum saying we must leave those spots.

 

[AKgrampy]

Allow me to introduce you to my neighborhood Starbucks. You wouldn’t believe the number of entitled, lulumon-clad … creatures … who can’t be bothered to park their G-wagons, Land Rovers, and for the poor ones, their Q7s in a huge empty parking lot right across the fire lane and, instead park in front of the no parking sign in the fire lane while they go in to grab their trenta, skinny, no foam, 3 extra pumps, latte

I know this is fake news because they would never walk in - they would only use the drive in window!

 

[DevSecOps]

Allow me to introduce you to my neighborhood Starbucks. You wouldn’t believe the number of entitled, lulumon-clad … creatures … who can’t be bothered to park their G-wagons, Land Rovers, and for the poor ones, their Q7s in a huge empty parking lot right across the fire lane and, instead park in front of the no parking sign in the fire lane while they go in to grab their trenta, skinny, no foam, 3 extra pumps, latte

If that's your neighborhood what are you doing with a MachE? You non-conformist!

 

[alangant]

... Twice I've seen someone charging at the EA in Los Banos, CA (at Target) where they got picked up by a friend/family and left. Last time I saw this they were already at 116 minutes plugged in and nowhere to be found. Not everyone is there for a "quick fill-up".

In general, I agree with the situation where you noticed someone plugging in and catching a ride somewhere else. Usually. In one case, I did just this. I plugged in to get to 90% or higher the night before leaving on my return leg of a long trip. I was picked up so we could eat dinner a few blocks away. When we got back, I think it was about 93%. So appearance can be deceiving.

 

[Jimrpa]

I know this is fake news because they would never walk in - they would only use the drive in window!

Ah! I got you on that one! “My” Starbucks is a middle store in a strip mall. No drive-through

 

[Jimrpa]

If that's your neighborhood what are you doing with a MachE? You non-conformist!

I’m “poor”. My joke (in very poor taste) is that I live in “section 8 housing” in the area. Actually, when my development was initially proposed, it was staunchly opposed by all of the ancient money that owned adjoining farms and estates.

 

[Mach1E]

Towing a broken car vs wrongly parked, they seem to go at different speeds

Sure, but even at “tow truck fast speed,” I wouldn’t be waiting that long for a charge.

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