No one likes the feeling of pulling up to a gas pump that reads "Out of Order," but imagine how distressing it would be to see the fueling station destroyed and completely unusable.
This seemed to be the reality for one Reddit user whose post in r/Baltimore showed an unfortunate case of vandalism of electric vehicle chargers.
The original poster wrote that it looked as though someone had "snipped the cables" on the new chargers — either to sell the copper wiring or to express an anti-EV stance.
Damage to public resources is never good news, but vandalism to chargers can have more consequences than just a few disgruntled EV drivers.
These chargers are essential for supporting electric vehicles, which are a cleaner, more sustainable alternative to dirty energy–powered cars.
After seeing chargers get damaged or put out of service, people may feel discouraged from using EVs, with the anticipated difficulty in finding charging options creating "range anxiety."
This could slow down the amount of people who are switching to EVs and, in turn, delay the progress we're making in reducing harmful pollution from gas-powered vehicles.
Intentional damage to EV chargers leads to additional (and possibly expensive) repairs and downtime for the charging stations, which not only negatively affects the station owners but also could increase charging costs for users.
Ensuring safe and easy access to chargers is crucial for promoting the eco-friendly benefits of EVs. Consider too that there are tax breaks that come with EV ownership, as well as plenty of affordable EV options entering the market.
Many commenters were angered by the sight of the EV charger being tampered with.
"This is why we can't have nice things," one commenter wrote.
"Hard to keep anything good in this city that isn't behind lock and key," another Redditor expressed.
"People asking why... look no further than people who litter. It's the same broken mentality that is purely selfish," a third Redditor added. "They are the same people who don't understand and care that their actions could negatively impact others."
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