Man arrested for using plug socket on Overground train

[Flamingo]

That would be a great plan if absolutely nobody wanted to talk to me, or know where I was... :roll:

What makes you think anybody does?

 

[mayerling]

We read today that British Transport Police have arrested someone for stealing electricity, by plugging their mobile charger into a cleaner's socket on a train.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/artic...rrested-for-charging-his-phone-on-a-train-why

Shame on them! The issue is the lack of available charging sockets, which the train companies should address urgently.

Back in February 2015, David Cameron announced that the government would be investing nearly £50m to enable the roll-out of free Wi-fi on trains across the United Kingdom. He said, "It is vital for businesses and for individuals to be able to access wi-fi and do their work and all other contact while they are on trains"

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/11/david-cameron-free-wi-fi-trains-2017

There is little point in spending all this money on enabling wi-fi, if our laptops run out of battery. When I am in the UK, I try to work on my laptop during my daily commute, but often my laptop runs out of battery and switches off. The commuter trains do not have charging points.

I fly frequently to the Middle East and I am able to work continuously on a 6 or 7-hour flight, because Emirates Airlines provide charging points by every seat, whatever the class.

It is time for the train companies to plan sensibly for the introduction of wi-fi on trains in every aspect, rather than sending in the bully-boys to terrorise innocent passengers.

 

[jon0844]

For a phone, that's probably OK. However, some tablets charge through micro-usb and seem incapable of keeping their battery charge, even connected to a battery power pack of the kind you suggested.

Yes, some tablets (certainly some older ones, including the first iPad with retina display which was a bit of a bodge) require some serious power to charge, and keep charged. With some power packs, the output isn't sufficient to charge and can barely keep it level. I've had car chargers like this, where the use of SatNav and Spotify while driving has still resulted in the power going down - albeit slower than it otherwise would.

But you can get chargers with high outputs. There are now some that output 9V to turbo charge compatible devices (like the Nexus 6, Galaxy S6 and others). No doubt Apple will soon introduce support for 9V and 12V charging of the iPhone and iPad, allowing a noticeable boost in battery in as little as 10 minutes, and a significant boost in just 30.

The industry does need to fix this, as people who may have started out not using their smartphone that much will not take long to start using it all the time - and often at the expense of their laptop/PC and even tablet. That means the screen on time (which I think should be a measure that people look at more than talktime or standby times) needs have rocketed, and batteries just aren't keeping up. At least not on most flagship models.

Samsung were idiots to release the Galaxy S6 with such a low capacity battery AND make it fixed - but thought copying Apple would work. All signs suggest it hasn't worked and the S6 has been a bit of a flop. No wonder when so many people I know, and those posting on tech forums, are seriously ****ed off about this and the removal of the memory card slot.

Now the Galaxy S6 Active is much better, but as far as I am aware isn't coming to the UK anytime soon. That's a shame, although if people look around they can find alternatives with good battery life that should reduce the need to desperately seek out power anywhere, and feel that it's some sort of human right to have free power on tap everywhere.

 

[Robert Taggart]

Since 'WE' - the people - own AND subsidize LU = the 'power' be ours for the taking ? - surely ?? !

As for the Kops = stupid Swines - as ever !

 

[Clip]

Since 'WE' - the people - own AND subsidize LU = the 'power' be ours for the taking ? - surely ?? !

As for the Kops = stupid Swines - as ever !

If he was doing it on LU then maybe you would have a point however as has been said a fair few times now the sockets themselves could cause damage to the appliance asa they are not meant for them.

There's always more to it than meets the eye. I'm sure the guy was actually nicked for being abusive, something which is alluded to in the report at the end

However I am amazed that given the amount of beggars and other anti-social behaviour you see on Overground that the plastic copper doesn't have anything better to be doing with their time. Does it really matter if someone is using a plug socket that's marked not for public use? Of course not. All this talk of "stealing" electricity is ridiculous, it's not like he's hooked a George Foreman grill up to it and is flogging bacon butties to commuters. Why not go and catch some proper criminals?

Maybe the 'plastic copper' as you so eloquently call them was on their way to do something else and this escalated because of the passengers actions and what was said in reply caused it to escalate more than it should have. But hey, owt to bash the railway and the PCSO's eh

 

[Wolfie]

If he was doing it on LU then maybe you would have a point however as has been said a fair few times now the sockets themselves could cause damage to the appliance asa they are not meant for them.



Maybe the 'plastic copper' as you so eloquently call them was on their way to do something else and this escalated because of the passengers actions and what was said in reply caused it to escalate more than it should have. But hey, owt to bash the railway and the PCSO's eh

I'll make you a couple of bets:
1 The case against this guy will be dropped;
2 Should that prove not to be the case he will be cleared/receive a metaphorical slapped writ in Court.

"Plastics" are completely useless, the only thing worse is Boris' "Travel Safe " officers.....

 

[90019]

For a phone, that's probably OK. However, some tablets charge through micro-usb and seem incapable of keeping their battery charge, even connected to a battery power pack of the kind you suggested. Also it's rather awkward if you're on a charter airline and need to keep cabin bag weight to 5kg (vs 7 kg on a proper airline) meaning that the charger/battery ends up in a pocket and thus separate from its intended device. I had that hanging over me for an entire holiday recently.

You know you don't have to keep it in your pocket and seperate from the device for the whole holiday, right?


You don't even need to keep it there for the flight*, so you could put it in your pocket then move it into the bag once you're on the plane, meaning you only have to carry it on you for maybe a couple of hours in each direction.



*Unless you're flying with an airline that has people coming round during the flight to weigh your luggage and make sure you've not added anything to it, but I somewhat doubt that.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I think the key word here is "iPhone". If it had been any make of Samsung or even HTC the PCSO would have smiled and bid him a nice day.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Maybe the 'plastic copper' as you so eloquently call them was on their way to do something else and this escalated because of the passengers actions and what was said in reply caused it to escalate more than it should have.

The PCSO caused the situation to escalate by sticking their trotters in where they didn't need to. If they've got enough spare time in their day to start picking fights over plug sockets on trains then they're a waste of £25,000 a year in an age of austerity.

Sounds like yet another plastic copper throwing their weight around to me.

 

[HilversumNS]

Since 'WE' - the people - own AND subsidize LU = the 'power' be ours for the taking ? - surely ?? !

Using the same logic, could I pop into the council house and plug my phone/laptop/kettle in there, as I am a council tax payer?

 

[transmanche]

The PCSO caused the situation to escalate by sticking their trotters in where they didn't need to. If they've got enough spare time in their day to start picking fights over plug sockets on trains then they're a waste of £25,000 a year in an age of austerity.

Sounds like yet another plastic copper throwing their weight around to me.

Could be. But then it could also be that Mr Lee was causing an obstruction or that his charger cable was a trip hazard. (I don't know where the cleaners' socket is on a 378, but on a 172 it's right by the door - see below.)

Obviously this isn't about the use of electricity, but about Mr Lee's attitude. Whatever happened, I'm guessing he was asked to unplug his charger and he decided to be a***hole instead. So the abstracting electricity arrest was just a device to get him off the train. Then it seems he became a bigger a***hole and got himself arrested for unacceptable behaviour.

 

[Geezertronic]

​

The PCSO caused the situation to escalate by sticking their trotters in where they didn't need to. If they've got enough spare time in their day to start picking fights over plug sockets on trains then they're a waste of £25,000 a year in an age of austerity.

Sounds like yet another plastic copper throwing their weight around to me.

I think this is a ridiculous comment and one that is symptomatic of someone who thinks they can do what they want, when they want, and not face any consequences.

From what I have read, the PCSO did not cause this - the self righteous fool in the wrong caused this. If he started gobbing off when the PCSO told him he could not plug his phone in there (which was quite right of the PCSO to tell him so) then he got what he deserved. You wouldn't go into a sweet shop and take a handful of pick 'n' mix without expecting to be pulled up for it, so why is this any different? The self righteous fool was in the wrong and his pride was hurt so by all accounts he kicked off and got what he deserved.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Obviously this isn't about the use of electricity, but about Mr Lee's attitude. Whatever happened, I'm guessing he was asked to unplug his charger and he decided to be a***hole instead.

Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't, but if the PCSO has the time and energy to go around worrying about plug sockets then they're a waste of £25,000 a year. We've a budget deficit to clear, we can start with their wages.

Of course the bloke shouldn't have used a socket marked not for public use. But I'm more concerned that we're paying a fortune to someone who shows such a spectacular lack of professional judgment that she thinks that picking fights over plug sockets is the best use of her time. If I wasted my employer's time like that I'd be getting my P45.

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You wouldn't go into a sweet shop and take a handful of pick 'n' mix without expecting to be pulled up for it, so why is this any different?

Because it isn't walking into a sweet shop and it isn't taking a handful of sweets without paying for them?

You're not seriously trying to claim it is "stealing" electricity are you?

 

[Minilad]

Take the PCSO out of this for a moment and replace with a member of train crew. Would you still be suggesting the man would be in the right then. My guess is he would have been just as mouthy. Got everything he deserved IMO. Not so much about using the socket more about his attitude

 

[Geezertronic]

Because it isn't walking into a sweet shop and it isn't taking a handful of sweets without paying for them?

You're not seriously trying to claim it is "stealing" electricity are you?

You can call it what you want but at the end of the day, the guy was still using something that did not belong to him and he had no permission to use.

I have outside sockets at the front of my house (which I isolate when not being used) but just because they are there, it doesn't mean any Joe Public has the permission to plug a device into them and I'd be pretty annoyed if some self righteous idiot tried to use them. The same applies here - just because the sockets are there, it doesn't give someone the right to use them

 

[Tetchytyke]

Take the PCSO out of this for a moment and replace with a member of train crew. Would you still be suggesting the man would be in the right then.

I'd be just as scathing about a member of train crew who called four BTP officers to a train because someone was using a plug socket they weren't meant to.

Of course the nicked bloke was a jumped-up twerp- it's a shame a surge didn't melt his precious toy- but that isn't really what bothers me about the story.

I'll just say it's a shame the BTP weren't quite so attentive when a mate of mine had her phone nicked on an Overground platform.

 

[jon0844]

I think the key word here is "iPhone". If it had been any make of Samsung or even HTC the PCSO would have smiled and bid him a nice day.

Yes, clear jealousy at play because iPhones are only accessible to a small percentage of the population (or would like to think so, when of course they're as common as muck - especially in London).

 

[BanburyBlue]

I'm am always amazed by some people's attitude that some laws/rules are okay to break and others not.

The person at fault here is the guy who wrongly plugged his charger into the socket and got stroppy when asked to remove it.

 

[Minilad]

I'd be just as scathing about a member of train crew who called four BTP officers to a train because someone was using a plug socket they weren't meant to.

Of course the nicked bloke was a jumped-up twerp- it's a shame a surge didn't melt his precious toy- but that isn't really what bothers me about the story.

No officers were called. They happened to be on the platform at the same time. My guess is if they hadn't been there the story wouldn't have unfolded the way it did. To me this isn't about him using the socket it's about some people having the attitude of "I will do what I want and you can't stop me" Something seen all to often out and about on The Railway today

 

[jon0844]

You're not seriously trying to claim it is "stealing" electricity are you?

But surely it IS still theft? Even if the value of the electricity might be 0.00001p or something ridiculous. I know some people are arguing that these officers should be trying to stop drug dealers, rapists and murderers (not that PCSOs do a lot of that, besides perhaps passing on information they observe of serious crimes) but their purpose is more for anti social behaviour, and this guy seems to have ticked that box perfectly.

Personally, I'd get rid of all PCSOs and hire real police instead, but until that happens, we have to accept they DO have a purpose and value (they are usually very good at liaising with people who have been victims of crime and doing the more menial duties that allows real officers to do other things).

No officers were called. They happened to be on the platform at the same time. My guess is if they hadn't been there the story wouldn't have unfolded the way it did. To me this isn't about him using the socket it's about some people having the attitude of "I will do what I want and you can't stop me" Something seen all to often out and about on The Railway today

Society in general is about testing the boundaries with the 'And what are you going to do about it?' attitude, primarily because for so long we HAVE done very little. When some people do actually do something about it, these people don't like it one bit and they throw all their toys out the pram.

 

[Minilad]

Society in general is about testing the boundaries with the 'And what are you going to do about it?' attitude, primarily because for so long we HAVE done very little. When some people do actually do something about it, these people don't like it one bit and they throw all their toys out the pram.

Yep. Thats why it's nice every once in a while to get a little win like this. Maybe he will think twice in future. Although with the attitude he has displayed thus far I wouldn't hold my breath

 

[Darandio]

Moving away from the original incident, am I reading the other incident correctly?

Someone uses a plug in Plymouth station waiting room some years ago, is rightly pulled up on it and people are saying they should either complain to the station manager or their superiors?

Don't give me guff about 'it wasn't marked not for public use'. Since when was it freely acceptable to go and plug your equipment where you please? There are plugs everywhere when you are out and about, in shops, restaurants, barbers etc etc, when did it become normal to just plug in as you please and take electricity?

 

[trubla]

This is being discussed at the moment on Radio 2

 

[Clip]

I'll make you a couple of bets:
1 The case against this guy will be dropped;
2 Should that prove not to be the case he will be cleared/receive a metaphorical slapped writ in Court.

"Plastics" are completely useless, the only thing worse is Boris' "Travel Safe " officers.....

The case against him is already outlined in the OP - he got arrested for barging past the BTP.

The PCSO caused the situation to escalate by sticking their trotters in where they didn't need to. If they've got enough spare time in their day to start picking fights over plug sockets on trains then they're a waste of £25,000 a year in an age of austerity.

Sounds like yet another plastic copper throwing their weight around to me.

They have every right to ask someone to stop using something they are not allowed to use. Perfect common sense.
And how do you know it was the PCSO that picked the fight? That's right, you don't you're just making assumptions because you appear not to like PCSOs.

Ill let you in on a little secret - theres a reason why the railway tells people not to do things and if people don't like that then I would suggest they don't travel by rail anymore.

 

[HilversumNS]

Someone uses a plug in Plymouth station waiting room some years ago, is rightly pulled up on it and people are saying they should either complain to the station manager or their superiors?

Don't give me guff about 'it wasn't marked not for public use'. Since when was it freely acceptable to go and plug your equipment where you please? There are plugs everywhere when you are out and about, in shops, restaurants, barbers etc etc, when did it become normal to just plug in as you please and take electricity?

Quite.

I have, on a handful of occasions, asked if I can plug my phone or laptop in somewhere and have yet to be refused. One cafe owner even went to fetch an extension cable so I could use the laptop more comfortably at a table.

It's all about the 'attitude test' as can be seen from a number of posts in this thread.

 

[Pinza-C55]

I'm am always amazed by some people's attitude that some laws/rules are okay to break and others not.

The person at fault here is the guy who wrongly plugged his charger into the socket and got stroppy when asked to remove it.

Like cycling on the pavement which carries a fine of £50 and a theoretical maximum of £500.
It would be interesting to see PCSOs taking a firm hand with this.

 

[SWTCommuter]

Article on BBC website with discussion of legal position

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33510792/a-man-was-arrested-for-charging-his-phone-on-a-train-why

 

[Darandio]

I have, on a handful of occasions, asked if I can plug my phone or laptop in somewhere and have yet to be refused. One cafe owner even went to fetch an extension cable so I could use the laptop more comfortably at a table.

Makes a massive difference doesn't it. I'm sure you wouldn't have any quarrel if someone did refuse you as well.

What is noticeable in this thread and in particular the posts I was describing was that it is the self same people who complain over in 'Disputes & Prosecutions' about the 'nasty staff' even when the offender is bang to rights. Defending the indefensible springs to mind.

 

[transmanche]

To me this isn't about him using the socket it's about some people having the attitude of "I will do what I want and you can't stop me" Something seen all to often out and about in Britain today.

Fixed that for you

 

[swt_passenger]

This is being discussed at the moment on Radio 2

... during which, IMHO, he definitely fails the 'attitude test'. I guess it didn't suit the BBC's purpose to ask the TOC (LO) why the sockets should not be used.