We need to talk about car park etiquette again.
But this time, it’s EV charging bays.
My husband and I both drive EVs, which means no electricity, no driving. Simple, right?
But Darren gets twitchy when his battery is anywhere near 50 per cent.
I’m the opposite.
I have driven on zero kilometres.
White knuckles. Heart pounding. Absolutely asking myself, “Can I make it?”
Well, let’s find out.
For context, Petrol Jas did the same thing.
But I knew that car. EMPTY was a lie. I knew how far I could push it and how many kilometres were secretly left.
I’ve never actually run out of petrol, which has given me a dangerous amount of confidence in this area.
EVs are different.
When an EV says zero, I don’t know whether it means, “Don’t worry, Jas, I’ve got a few more tucked away,” or, “We’re done here. Call a tow truck.”
And yet, I keep testing it.
Our building has two EV chargers. They’re slow, and Darren hates them. He’ll go down the road, pay for a fast charge and be done in 15 minutes.
Me?
I love a slow charge.
Plug it in. Go upstairs. Live my life.
And yes, we pay to use them.
So when I arrive home with three electrons rattling around the battery and see a ute parked in the EV charging bay, it is e-infuriating.
Like, sir. Why?
Your car does not even have a plug.
My bad planning does not give your ute charging powers.
We have rules everyone understands.
Don’t park in an accessible space.
Don’t take the pram spot if you don’t need it.
Don’t hang out in the loading zone all afternoon.
Same deal here.
If it doesn’t need electricity, don’t park there.
Please.
Because somewhere nearby is an idiot like me, cruising in on zero kilometres and whispering words of encouragement to the car.
And neither of us needs that.
