"Stealing" Electricity

hyndburner · 14-07-2015, 19:41

Interesting story on the BBC News website-

A man was arrested for charging his phone on a train. Why? - BBC Newsbeat

Set me thinking. How many of us have been faced with a situation where our phone needs charging, and we see a socket in a bar/café/reataurant where we can easily plug in and recharge.

What is the protocol? Do we just do it, or do we go looking for someone to ask permission?

In this case, it seems the "community support officer" was suffering from a slight training deficiency. The correct way to deal with the situation was probably to advise the passenger that the sockets were not there for public use, and not to do it again.

The actual response of shouting down the platform to Transport Pólice that they needed to arrest this man for stealing electricity was not, in retrospect, the right thing to do, and perhaps called into question the wisdom of appointing the said "community support officer" in the first place.
The arrest of the "suspect", his de-arrrest and subsequent re-arrest on public order offences merely adds to the complete hilarity of the situation.

Margaret Pilkington · 14-07-2015, 19:49

I am not a big on mobile phones, but If I was out and about I would go into the vodafone shop and they would charge my phone for me.
Other than that i would ask if I could charge my phone.
Many of the newer trains have places where travellers can charge their phones.
this was definitely a very heavy handed response.

Gremlin · 14-07-2015, 20:20

I think you find that there is no such offence as stealing electricity.
I'm not sure what the offence actually is when you use electricity without paying but it's not stealing.

Accyexplorer · 14-07-2015, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gremlin

I'm not sure what the offence actually is when you use electricity without paying but it's not stealing.

Theft?
Deceptively obtaining something that doesn't belong to oneself.

Gremlin · 14-07-2015, 20:34

Electricity doesn't come under the definition of property and cannot therefore be stole.

Michael1954 · 14-07-2015, 20:36

The offence is actually mentioned in the BBC link above.

The offence of*abstracting of electricity*is part of the Theft Act 1968 in England and Wales, and carries a possible prison sentence.

It says: "A person who dishonestly uses without due authority, or dishonestly causes to be wasted or diverted, any electricity shall on conviction on indictment be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years."

Gremlin · 14-07-2015, 20:49

Thank you Micheal. I was hoping somebody would save me the trouble of having to look up the facts.
It is still not classed as theft.

DaveinGermany · 14-07-2015, 20:59

So where does it stand on bulldog clips & a leccy junction box?

Gremlin · 14-07-2015, 21:03

No problem Dave, as long as you stand on a rubber mat.

Accyexplorer · 14-07-2015, 22:12

Cost to the taxpayer= (Estimated) £500
Cost of 'abstracted' (not stolen) electricity = (Estimated) 1p

Total: BS

Margaret Pilkington · 15-07-2015, 07:06

I read somewhere that the cost of the electricity to recharge a phone is 0.0001p.
So you are right Jason, this is definitely a waste of public money.
I would discipline the goon who arrested this traveller.

AccyMad · 15-07-2015, 08:27

This reminds me of a time my mum was going away for a few days & didn't think she could charge her phone in her room at the hotel cos it 'wouldn't be her electric' - bless her

Barrie Yates · 15-07-2015, 08:58

You don't need to steal it in Accrington - just use the free car charger on Broadway. The only problem with this is that it isn't free to the rest of us as we pay for it out of our Council Tax

Michael1954 · 15-07-2015, 09:35

In the days before computers became commonplace, a friend of mine, who worked on the counter at Blackburn Post Office, took in his electric calculator as an aid to adding up bills etc. He plugged it in the power point under the counter and started to use it. The manager, who was a tartar, told him he couldn't use it because he was using Post Office electricity.

Gremlin · 15-07-2015, 09:50

One of the members of Read Con Club came in on Saturday, got a small lemonade and then plugged his ecigarette into a socket while he had his pop. Once charged he upped and left.
Members regularly charge their phones in the Club but I suppose as we are all share holders it's our electricity.