To the Editor:
Like so many others, I’m excited to see the day where combustion engines are a thing of the past. I commend all early adopters who, for whatever reason, have made the decision to change from their gasoline-powered vehicle(s) to electric one(s). However, the letter that appeared in the Almanac’s Oct. 22 issue calling for county-funded facilities to establish automotive charging policies is completely off base.
With just a couple of miles of charge remaining, this particular driver pulled into the Potomac Community Center’s parking lot to avoid stalling in the middle of Falls Road. Good idea. However, after allegedly being unable to locate Community Center staff to help, she took it upon herself to pull her car onto the curb and plug her vehicle into one of the center’s outdoor electrical outlets. One can’t help but wonder what she would have done if the Community Center had a gas pump on the premises and she needed a bit of gasoline.
In her letter, this particular reader rather harshly criticizes the Potomac Community Center’s staff for not doing more to help her and makes a public plea for all county-funded facilities to create a policy regarding electric cars. Seriously? Now it’s the county’s responsibility to ensure that your electric car is charged?
Any reasonable, energy-conscious individual would be in favor of increased access to automotive charging stations and would stand behind the county’s efforts to work with Tesla and other manufacturers to do so. However, this particular case is not an issue of publicly accessible electricity. Instead, it’s simply a matter of someone who believes she’s entitled. Regardless of what she may believe, being a taxpaying county resident does not permit anyone to plug in anywhere they please.
Drivers of electric vehicles need to fully understand the compromises that come with being an early adopter and be prepared to deal with the consequences. Running out of battery [energy] is no different than running out of gas. It’s not the county’s concern to ensure that residents’ cars are adequately charged.
Next time call AAA.
Gary Albert
Potomac