“The tragedy of the commons” has remained a relevant concept long after people stopped bringing their livestock to graze in town for one simple reason – entitlement. Unfortunately, a small group of annoying people can and will ruin things for everyone else, be it peace and quiet or even electricity bills.
A woman got tired of entitled Tesla drivers hogging the charging ports in her building, so she complained enough to make them pay for it. We reached out to the netizen who shared the story via private message and will update the article when she gets back to us.
Common amenities are all fun and games until someone ruins them
Image credits: Getty Images (not the actual photo)
So one woman decided that she was done with entitled Tesla drivers taking all the charging stations
Image credits: RB Photo (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Image source: darling_darcy
People will overuse and damage things they don’t own
There’s a certain type of person who sees shared resources, like a public EV charging station, a library, or even a park bench as if it was purposefully made just for them to use. In a sense, this is true, they are among the target audience for a public amenity. However, unlike most rational or mature folks, they often feel that this thing can be overused until it’s basically useless. Unfortunately, this is not a modern phenomenon in any way. As Aristotle wrote, “That which is common to the greatest number gets the least amount of care. Men pay most attention to what is their own: they care less for what is common.”
At first, it’s subtle. Maybe they leave their car at the charger long after it’s fully charged. Maybe they monopolize a picnic table for an entire day, spreading out like they’re setting up a permanent residence. Or maybe they just take all the free napkins from a café, because “Hey, they’re there, right?” If you take the time to look around you in public, it won’t be long before you spot someone doing exactly this.
The core issue, as with so many other, similar stories online, is entitlement. Some people operate under the belief that their personal convenience outweighs the collective good. If a public charger is free, then why shouldn’t they treat it like their private power station? If a workspace is available, why not spread out and claim it indefinitely?
There are no simple ways to “prevent” entitlement
This mindset ignores the basic rule of shared spaces, that they only work when people use them responsibly. When a handful of people overstay, overuse, or take more than their fair share, it creates frustration, inefficiency, and sometimes even conflict. But the worst part? Entitlement is contagious. The more people see others abusing common goods, the more they think “Well, if they’re doing it, why shouldn’t I?”—leading to a cycle where everyone loses.
Would be basic decency and civic mindedness. Treat public resources like you would if you knew the next person in line was your grandmother. And if all else fails, just remember, nobody likes the person who parks at a charging station for six hours “just because they can.” However, there are all too many cases where the entitled person simply won’t learn. Not to mention, random private citizens are supposed to be immature people’s morality coaches.
This is perhaps why stories like this, of rude and entitled people getting punished for their transgressions, often end up going viral. Most of us have been in this woman’s shoes at some point or another, but it’s more rare to actually have a good opportunity to get “revenge” no matter how small and petty.
A few people wanted more details
Others thought the story was hilarious
The post Tesla Drivers Think They Deserve Special Treatment At Charging Stations, Get A Reality Check first appeared on Bored Panda.
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