Sometimes I’m at the doctor’s office, at the library, or even at the grocery store and see an unused power outlet. My phone is dying. I feel weird plugging in, but I feel even weirder asking for permission.
You could probably just skip the whole anxiety issue by buying a portable battery and using that whenever you’re low. If your phone is fully charged at the start of the day and you burn through the whole battery and a mid range portable battery you’re using your phone quite excessively and may need to figure something more reliable out.
Phones charging use such little power I’d really be surprised if anyone cared. It really depends on the place. A library I would have no issue plugging in anything without asking. I can’t say I’ve ever been at the doctors and considered charging my phone though I may ask out of courtesy if I did simply because I like my doctor. Overall I’d say it wouldn’t be a big deal either way.
They use a few cents (in US dollars) a year.
A 2000 mAh battery that is charging at 3.7V for one hour per day uses 2.5kWh of energy per year. About $.50 at ~$.20/kWh. That’s pretty remarkable!
If it’s a public place and you have legitimate business starting there for a while, I don’t see any issue with it. Eg. Doctors waiting room and you have an appointment, restaurant and you’re dining there, etc.
If it’s someone’s private home I’d ask first.
A business’s insurance might require all electronic devices to be tested before being plugged in though.
Then those outlets shouldn’t be unlocked
Something small like that, you’re fine. They wouldn’t really care, or even notice the bill.
The problem comes if you either start unplugging devices to plug in your phone, or you plug in such a ridiculously large load that you start tripping breakers, but that comes more with space heater, or car charging territory.
Phones are perfectly fine, and in some places, like the library, that is what they’re meant for, to let people charge their phones or laptops while they work.
I don’t think it matters with a phone/laptop or other small device.
If you plugged in a Tessy that might make some people unhappy.
Flashback to when my sister in law had an electric car and felt compelled to plug it in at my place everytime she visited.
Bold.
Naw, it was a Bolt.
~sorry. I’l leave now~
Imho, it’s a bit like a water fountain. You wouldn’t ask before filling up your bottle. In both cases you as an individual are costing the business pennys.
The only place you mentioned that I personally wouldn’t do it is a store, but that’s mostly because to charge your phone you kinda have to sit by the outlet and I personally see stores as places of movement where hanging out is discouraged. You are supposed to buy something and leave.
But for doctors offices, you’re probably fine, and libraries you 100% all g.
Dr office, no in the waiting room, yes in the exam room. Library, no. Grocery store, yes. Any more?
I’ve definitely plugged in the exam room, they leave you to wait for 10-15 minutes I can get 30-50% charge while waiting.
Airport? Shopping mall? Restaurant? Parking lot? Stadium? Your friend’s house? The office? Classroom? Museum? Cinema?
No, maybe, yes, no, no, yes unless you know better, no, depends how old you are, maybe, no so long as its off/silent.
Also, I’ll note in case anyone forgot, the original question was not “can you?”, but “is it rude?” Which are two different things.
Lmao
BDSM parlor.
I think it’d have to be no for all them, no? Besides maybe museum or cinema, but I guess it depends on where the outlet is.
Not rude at all. I wouldn’t even ask for a phone charge.
Just don’t plug your giant bitcoin miner in.
From a (US) financial perspective, a phone charger takes about 5 watts of electricity. At $0.010/kWh that’s $0.0005/hr (or ¢0.05/hr) of charging. This is utterly negligible.
For reference, a worker at the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hr would be paid that much after 0.25 seconds of working. It’s not even worth paying an employee to tell you to not plug in, which would probably take at least 15 seconds.
Naturally, some businesses may want to discourage people from loitering, but more often than not, they probably want your business (library, grocery store, coffee shop &c) or understand that reality happens.
In really high traffic places like poorly supported airports, it does tend to wear out the outlets which is a bit more money over time.
Realistically, most places can afford to provide charging facilities. I’m still carrying a battery pack with me though.
It depends on the charger. Fast charging can pull around 20W (1 second of minimum wage worker time, so maybe worth it if they ask very quickly), and PD allows for wattages over 100W, which would cost 1 cent per hour or more, though you’d still leave on your own long before then because your device will be charged.
Libraries welcome you to do it! So definitely don’t feel weird there.
Will you drink a can of Coke™ lying around a stranger’s house without asking? No? Then, ask for permission as a matter of etiquette unless there are signs specifically saying it is ok to use them.
Yep, super easy to ask. “Hey, is it cool if I charge my phone here while I wait?” I’ve never had anybody tell me “no”. Assuming you’re not also asking for a cable or something, I don’t think most people mind at all.
Well if they had some on tap piped into each wall of their house I would be pretty comfortable with filling up a bottle.
Aka a water fountain lmao.
Would you fill up your bottle at the fountain, then you should be able to juice up your phone.
Ye
Big difference to a random coke and a flow of constant power that literally costs less than a cent to charge a phone.
I wouldn’t bother asking if it’s a 15 min charge for your phone. If you are there for 3 hours, then maybe consider asking.
My preference would be to ask for permission.
I don’t think it’s that big of a deal specially if you are just charging your phone.
If you don’t have to reach or lean over someone, sure. Obviously if you do that would require saying ‘excuse me…’ or asking them to plug it in for you. An open outlet, anyway, is always fair game. If someone needs to use it after you start… they can say something.
