Charging Station etiquette? Volt owners hogging the juice!!

GIBBER said:

I was raised to consider how my actions might effect others. You appear to be one who does not care how your actions might effect others until there is posted signage instructing you to do so.

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Quite the opposite. You're the one claiming that YOU have the right to set the rules. You don't even know if the owner of the site objects to the way it was being used. You just assume that that since a Volt is in your way, the owner is doing something wrong.

EVDRIVER said:

... I suppose if 10 people all pay to park every day then they have exclusive use of the charge stations all year 5 days a week. I see PIPs do the same thing, nothing like taking a spot all day for a 30 min charge.

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I share your frustration as this location makes it really difficult to share, even if other drivers were willing. I guess my point was that in highly utilized EV spaces, also paying to charge (or actually connect) starts to make sense, separating real need from opportunism. An AB 475 type rule (pay while connected/connect to park) starts to make sense here. I credit the city for providing free charging, but I'm suggesting that the site either needs more L1/L2, or financial incentive to move off when charged.

I will admit even after almost 1 year of starting this thread, that dick is still parking his Volt day in and day out at the Northridge mall. Even though there is PLENTY of 120v outlets, I even started a war on Plugshare about this asshole. He seems to have some sense of entitlement that it's his.

I've even run across Volt's at Metrolink's that have had it in LOCK mode... Ohhh that **** don't fly with with me.

You will learn once.. I promise you that.

I had a guy pull up to me last week in a Volt while I was in the Rav charging and asked "YOU GONNA BE LONG?"

I said "yeah, there's a gas station on the corner" :roll:

Geht outta here!

Yep, I've seen that ahole there too when I've gone there! I've left a number of notes to no avail... It may be time to escalate...

JasonA said:

I will admit even after almost 1 year of starting this thread, that dick is still parking his Volt day in and day out at the Northridge mall. Even though there is PLENTY of 120v outlets, I even started a war on Plugshare about this asshole. He seems to have some sense of entitlement that it's his.

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TomT said:

Yep, I've seen that ahole there too when I've gone there! I've left a number of notes to no avail... It may be time to escalate...

JasonA said:

I will admit even after almost 1 year of starting this thread, that dick is still parking his Volt day in and day out at the Northridge mall. Even though there is PLENTY of 120v outlets, I even started a war on Plugshare about this asshole. He seems to have some sense of entitlement that it's his.

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Time to post a Photo with License Plate number so we can all see who it is, and make sure all of you are talking about the same person. Just a thought.

The LIC# and guy is listed on Plugshare. He works and is the co-owner of Michael's inside the mall. I've have talk to management countless times and while they say "OHHH, we don't want our patrons to be unhappy and we'll talk to him" and "we know its going on"... they just let it happen...

So I just take my business elsewhere.. but the email to mall management is..

[email protected]

if you want to complain...

davewill said:

GIBBER said:

I was raised to consider how my actions might effect others. You appear to be one who does not care how your actions might effect others until there is posted signage instructing you to do so.

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Quite the opposite. You're the one claiming that YOU have the right to set the rules. You don't even know if the owner of the site objects to the way it was being used. You just assume that that since a Volt is in your way, the owner is doing something wrong.

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Wrong again Dave. I never stated I make the rules, I only follow established and ever evolving protocol; You stop at a dealer for a quick (free) top up to make it to your destination, while there common courtesy to the EV community dictates you stay with or within sight of your car so you may allow the next person to plug in as soon as you have sufficient charge. If your at a pay to charge site then by all means feel free to stay plugged in as long as you may need to fully charge.

GIBBER said:

Wrong again Dave. I never stated I make the rules, I only follow established and ever evolving protocol; You stop at a dealer for a quick (free) top up to make it to your destination, while there common courtesy to the EV community dictates you stay with or within sight of your car so you may allow the next person to plug in as soon as you have sufficient charge. If your at a pay to charge site then by all means feel free to stay plugged in as long as you may need to fully charge.

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Re: the bolded part, as I posted at http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?p=356517#p356517" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, that hasn't been followed 3/3 times I've tried to use a DC FC. In all 3 cases, they were the same free dealer DC FC.

TomT said:

Yep, I've seen that ahole there too when I've gone there! I've left a number of notes to no avail... It may be time to escalate...

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:lol:

GIBBER said:

... while there common courtesy to the EV community dictates ...

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One man's "common courtesy" is another man's "setting the rules".

I'm having trouble understanding the one example. A volt driver charged at a Nissan dealership (L2, correct?), while shopping at Costco, and took so long that the car sat fully-charged for an extended period? Seems unlikely unless they'd only driven a few miles before stopping for the charge, and spent over an hour in Costco. I don't think I could emotionally handle being in Costco for over an hour. :lol:

Lets just face the reality of life. Something I learned a long time ago... there are two basic types of people, Givers and Takers.

Givers are those who think of how their actions effect others and give consideration to others.

Takers are those who look at any situation and first think of how it effects themselves. "What is in it for me" thinking.

What we think of as common courtesy for the Givers is an accepted practice. For a Taker, thinking about and wanting to help others is not even a consideration. Telling a Taker to be nice to someone else is seen as a "rule" or "law" they are made to follow. Unless they can see a way it will benefit them they will not be happy having to sacrifice themselves for others.

Sorry for the sermon, but thought it would be helpful to understand why some people wish to help others and others that do not. Unless you can convience them that they also will benefit you can never win this issue.

Graffi said:

Lets just face the reality of life. Something I learned a long time ago... there are two basic types of people, Givers and Takers. ...

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Nice try. Let's face it, people are complaining about others' conduct, not making suggestions for EV harmony. There's little attempt to understand, just a big headline and complaints about other people "hogging the juice!!".

... Sorry for the sermon ...

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Call names as you like, but I don't buy the goody-goody routine.

The way I see it, we can bellyache about people not following "etiquette", or we can work with site owners to set up rules that work better.

davewill said:

or we can work with site owners to set up rules that work better.

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Spare me this :roll: If you would have read the thread properly, many complaints on here and at other sites basically do no good what so ever.

Site owners will NOT ENFORCE rules and regulations what so ever. Go to a Costco and look at what types of vehicles are parked in the "FOR FUEL EFFICIENT ONLY" spots.

Yet they tell their RENT A COPS to do nothing... same for places that have "FOR HYBRID VEHICLES ONLY"

The Northridge mall shows a 2hr limit on the EV spots (THIS SIGN IS FAIRLY NEW)..

yet they let this emp park his VOLT all the time... :twisted:

so... waiting for witty response now :roll:

JasonA said:

... Site owners will NOT ENFORCE rules and regulations what so ever. ...

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Then in my mind that's the end of it. We certainly can't enforce them ourselves. Oh, we can complain here, and yell about how all the PHEV owners should move out of the way just in case a BEV owner needs some juice, but it's a bunch of entitled hogwash.

I love these threads

I'm not sure who first said it, but I like the phrase "Free charging brings out the freeloaders"....

I saw a good example for a solution while browsing on the ChargePoint website recently. The first 3 hours at a site here were priced at 75 cents per hour, and then the price went up to $3 per hour after that. You can stay, but we're gonna charge you!!!

Sounds like a great solution to this problem...

Maybe we need V2G to solve this. Charge up to 100%, then a grace period, then after that the unit starts draining your battery to return to the grid.

Randy said:

I love these threads

I'm not sure who first said it, but I like the phrase "Free charging brings out the freeloaders"....

I saw a good example for a solution while browsing on the ChargePoint website recently. The first 3 hours at a site here were priced at 75 cents per hour, and then the price went up to $3 per hour after that. You can stay, but we're gonna charge you!!!

Sounds like a great solution to this problem...

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+1!
If you really need a charge, better to avoid the free chargers.

JasonA said:

Go to a Costco and look at what types of vehicles are parked in the "FOR FUEL EFFICIENT ONLY" spots.

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A bit off topic, but the problem with this sign (I take it you visit the Pacoima one, because I haven't seen similar signage at the Costcos in Burbank, LA/Atwater, or Azusa) is fuel efficient as compared to what?

The sign is simply too vague. The owner of a 2014 Chevy Suburban can argue that his 15 MPG City/21 Highway vehicle is "fuel efficient" as compared to its early 1970's, 454 cubic inch powered predecessor that probably got single-digit MPG in the City.

I will agree with you that property owners are reluctant to enforce rules in their parking lots, as long as it does not affect their business.

Charging to use them will fix all of this,
I am sure that ,most charging is oportunitic at this point from most drivers.
If you are a plug in and want to maximize your electric miles and are willing to pay for the oportunity
I think that is great.