Man arrested for charging phone on train

According to wired.co.uk a 45-year old man was recently arrested for charging his phone on a London train.

The offence described as “abstracting electricity” in section 13 of the 1968 Theft Act¹ carries a maximum sentence of 5 years. Furthermore, text next to the train plug states that it is to be used only by cleaners.

The arrested man was incredulous, however shortly after tweeting a snapshot of his arrest document he was “de-arrested”. Wired estimates that the cost of charging an iPhone for a year at less than CHF 2, so the cost of the electricity consumed on this occasion was probably only a few cents.

In Switzerland charging phones and computers on trains is encouraged. In 2011 Swiss Rail started the process of upgrading trains and plans to have a charging point for every seat on all intercity trains within 10 years. Swiss Rail also started an initiative called Work Smart, which promotes flexible and mobile working.

¹Applicable in the UK except Scotland.

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