# Almost Robbed at a Tesla Charging Station - Tesla Should Show Its Community Some Love and Get Security



## oaklanddriver

Last night, charging in Oakland, I narrowly avoided being robbed.

At charging stations during the night time, Tesla drivers are sitting ducks. If Tesla wants to become a truly global company in the 21st century, it should learn what the realities on the street are right on home turf in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pemex in Mexico is a great example of a company that protects its' customers at night by providing security to those fueling up.


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## GDN

Are you ready for the price of Supercharging to double or triple? You can always carry your own security with you.

I will note I have thought through this - and I wish there were some way around this, but with your car plugged in it will not start/move. If ever in a bad situation you must get out and unplug to be able to escape any danger.


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## JasonF

Interesting that you made the comparison with Mexico. A lot of things there have armed private security because the police are somewhere between corrupt and useless. I hear that the San Francisco are is getting closer to that point as well, where anyone with the means will have to hire private armed security to protect themselves and their neighborhood, and anyone who wants to be safe just won’t go anyplace where armed security doesn’t exist.

And then eventually Telsa might have to hire security to prevent its customers from being afraid to use Superchargers anymore.

But in most of the country, that’s not a big problem yet, so Tesla might be able to absorb the cost for just a few stations in California.

What I’m hoping we don’t get to someday in this country is like South Africa, where nice neighborhoods hire mercenary soldiers with machine guns and explosives to protect them and their homes.


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## Jim H

oaklanddriver said:


> Last night, charging in Oakland, I narrowly avoided being robbed.
> 
> At charging stations during the night time, Tesla drivers are sitting ducks. If Tesla wants to become a truly global company in the 21st century, it should learn what the realities on the street are right on home turf in the San Francisco Bay Area. Pemex in Mexico is a great example of a company that protects its' customers at night by providing security to those fueling up.


People in some parts of the country get shot at gas stations in the US. I have a place in Mexico and I never felt unsafe at a gas station there.
Point is, there are places everywhere that are not safe, no matter what you are driving or where you are refueling. We can't expect Tesla to provide security at their refueling stations, just like we can't expect gas stations to hire security at gas stations, or security at rest stops, fast food stops, bathrooms, etc.
We all need to be aware of our surroundings, and if something looks too sketchy I move on if possible. When I travel to different new places I carry protection, because if you break down, you may have to deal with someone who does not want to help.
Having a cord plugged in is similar to a gas hose filling up at a gas station, we're just there longer. Maybe Tesla should have a power cord ejection option, where we could push a button from a locked car to eject cord, so we can speed off, but then the robber would probably just shoot us. 
Unfortunately this is where we are today.


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## gary in NY

The guys on Now You Know have discussed this issue several times, and proposed some kind of device which would eject the plug in an emergency. This would be an adapter that the driver could use when the conditions are less than ideal. Not sure exactly how it would work, but until it’s built into the car, something like this might be feasible.


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## Derkaderkastanx

GDN said:


> Are you ready for the price of Supercharging to double or triple? You can always carry your own security with you.
> 
> I will note I have thought through this - and I wish there were some way around this, but with your car plugged in it will not start/move. If ever in a bad situation you must get out and unplug to be able to escape any danger.


I second that except in California you almost have no rights to protect yourself in your vehicle. This includes non-firearms. Good luck with that. Shouldn't have let them swish cheese your 2 A rights though.


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## lance.bailey

do supercharger stations have surveillance cameras? I rarely use SC, so I just don't know.

can you turn on your dashcam cameras while charging? While the door is open and you are unplugging?


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## TrevP

I asked Elon that they should add security to Supercharging stations given the recent vandalizing of a location.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1490846317266214913
They did just that yesterday. Not saying they did what I suggested in response, it was mostly likely already in the works but they should do this to all locations getting Starlink dishes


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1491083939209179141


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## Mr. Spacely

Being anywhere in Oakland at night is a mistake...


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## Klaus-rf

Mr. Spacely said:


> Being anywhere in Oakland at night is a mistake...


Oakhurst, CA is not the same city as Oakland, CA.


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## Klaus-rf

TrevP said:


> __ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1491083939209179141


Seems to me that a "shiny new solar-powered mobile security system with cameras" is worth much more than just some copper cabling.


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## FRC

Klaus-rf said:


> Oakhurst, CA is not the same city as Oakland, CA.


OP says he was in Oakland. But anyway, both are in CA, right?


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## Klaus-rf

FRC said:


> But anyway, both are in CA, right?


I suspect so.


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## lance.bailey

TrevP said:


> I asked Elon that they should add security to Supercharging stations given the recent vandalizing of a location.


the brand new SC location in South Surrey/White Rock here in BC was vandalized with cable cuts, cabinet damage and paint just as it was ready to open. Tesla was able to repair and get it open with barely a delay.

yeah, security at SC is likely mandatory with people unable to drive off when tethered and all that good copper cable waiting to be liberated.


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## FRC

lance.bailey said:


> the brand new SC location in South Surrey/White Rock here in BC was vandalized with cable cuts, cabinet damage and paint just as it was ready to open. Tesla was able to repair and get it open with barely a delay.
> 
> yeah, security at SC is likely mandatory with people unable to drive off when tethered and all that good copper cable waiting to be liberated.


Is "911 mode" a possibility? Could a driver plugged in to a supercharger enact such a mode which would simultaneously release the charging wand and alert the authorities?


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## lance.bailey

FRC said:


> Is "911 mode" a possibility? Could a driver plugged in to a supercharger enact such a mode which would simultaneously release the charging wand and alert the authorities?


i like it. aborting the charge and unlocking charge port already exists, but *ejecting* the charger would require hardware. Not complex, you just need to shoot a pin out to dislodge the cable. could certainly be limited to a 911 event (otherwise people would just eject and drive away). The car could even call 911 for you and provide coordinates.


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## garsh

lance.bailey said:


> (otherwise people would just eject and drive away).


That would be a great (non-911) feature when I've finished supercharging on a cold, windy, rainy day.


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## JasonF

This becomes scarier if you really think it through. Cutting cables for copper theft can be done fairly quickly, but stopping to vandalize the cabinets and spray paint everywhere? That’s not theft, it’s a message. What makes it a scary one is when it doesn’t work, Tesla quietly rebuilds the Supercharger, and then these people step up their message by directly assaulting drivers who use it. Eventually we will read about a Tesla driver who gets shot at a Supercharger late at night, and then it will become a rash of shootings.

And a “911 escape mode” won’t work, because the criminals will think of bringing a huge (stolen) pickup truck to block all of the drivers in while robbing and/or shooting them. A security system won’t work if the criminals know very well that the police aren’t going to show up or make an arrest.

So until these areas actually decide to enforce the law, Tesla will either have to invest in armed security, or be able to quickly relocate these superchargers to safer areas, meaning the land or lease cost will be higher. Hopefully before someone gets killed rather than after it already happened.


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## lance.bailey

and it is everywhere. This new charger in south surrey/White Rock is pretty crime free. at least compared to other areas around here. 

i think that charger vandalism is the new ICEing.


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## JasonF

lance.bailey said:


> and it is everywhere. This new charger in south surrey/White Rock is pretty crime free. at least compared to other areas around here.
> 
> i think that charger vandalism is the new ICEing.


Certain areas like to think we're entering an era of communism. For some reason EV's are a symbol of capitalist abuse of the poor, and need to be destroyed.


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