An oil and gas field services truck that parked in an electric vehicle charging spot earned the fury of Reddit as well as a number of puzzled responses.
A witness said a hotel parking lot was almost full and that the EV chargers were near the entrance to the building, sharing a maddening photo.
"You know he parked in the EV charging spot as a 'f*** you,'" they wrote.
The truck, with Pacific Petroleum California branding on the passenger door, was a nuisance at best — no matter the intent.
Electric vehicles prevent planet-heating pollution from entering the atmosphere and contributing to more frequent and severe weather events such as droughts and floods. They produce zero tailpipe pollution while on the road and can approach being carbon neutral if they're powered with electricity from renewable sources such as solar and wind energy.
EVs also save their drivers money since they don't require expensive fuel or nearly as much maintenance as vehicles with internal combustion engines. Tax credits and other incentives are also available for buyers.
But if you have an EV, you may need to charge it on the road. So the intentional or accidental use of a valuable charging station can put a stop to your plans. If an EV were parked in front of a gas pump, no doubt ICE vehicle drivers would be up in arms.
While some Redditors proposed taking tire-damaging action, a better solution with no driver in sight might be to call a tow truck. If the driver of the vehicle were present, though, trying to start a respectful conversation could be worth the effort to make sure they see the problem isn't wanting the parking space but just wanting access to the charger — and that blocking it is like parking in front of a pump at a gas station.
If we're going to transition away from the dirty energy sources that harm Earth and even children's health, we have to work together to educate and steer individuals toward meaningful action. An employee of an oil company may not give you the time of day, but modeling respect and environmental stewardship can have a snowball effect, helping us reach a cleaner, safer future.
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"I don't get this at all," one commenter wrote. "I also have a truck, and I cannot get my mind around why it should upset anyone if someone else owns an EV. I think EVs are very cool technology. Do these idiots who are 'offended' by EVs even realize that many early automobiles — around 120 years ago — were all-electric?"
"It's just a different technology," they continued, "with different benefits and drawbacks compared to internal combustion engines, and it's awesome that we have reached a point where electric vehicles are making a comeback."
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