Tesla’s growing Supercharger network of exclusive electric vehicle charging stations are a new enough thing that most of those who drive or walk by them probably aren’t even aware of what they are.

An interesting story relating this matter was recently discussed on the Tesla Motors Club forum by “ericwol” — who revealed in a post that, while charging at a Supercharger station in Buffalo at 1:00 am, he was surrounded by 2 police cars and accused of “suspicious activity.”

Is charging your Tesla Model S at a Tesla Supercharger on the side of a highway on the way home truly “suspicious?” I have to wonder about that….

Here’s the full comment: “I was at the Buffalo, NY supercharge last night at 1 am when 2 police cars surrounded my car and accused me of ‘suspicious activity’. Has this happened to anyone else? How did you handle this?”

And a follow-up comment that elaborated: “They kept asking what brought me to ‘this area’ I told them that I need to charge my car at part of travelling I-90. They could not understand why I had to do it now. I asked them if I was at a gas station, if there would be a difference? They said if it was closed. I then asked him that are the supercharges closed, because they are currently lit and working correctly, with no posed hours of use. When I got there, there was another car charging, but left 5 mins later, so I was alone. I was there less then 10 mins when all this happened. I have used this charger before, so it was not like I was hunting around for it. I tried to explain about electric cars, but they felt that ‘they did not need to be educated’. I did notice later, that there was a mall security truck in the parking lot behind me (the supercharger is not in the mall, but the parking lots are next to each other separated by a grass strip) so I suspect that he called to cops.”

Interesting story, even if not surprising. I’ve had quite a lot of similar experiences in recent times (and some that considerably eclipse this one…) — things do seem to be heating up in the US, with many police officers becoming seeming more and more belligerent each year.

I’ll invite criticism here by noting that this harassment has come despite being white, and also that I’ve known a notable number of (mostly poor) whites who have been shot or abused by cops in recent years….