Drivers of electric vehicles have more juice with the city than homeless people with cell phones, but you probably knew that already

One of the oddities about our local attitude toward electricity is that the city gives a dollar or two of it away free to anyone who wants to charge his or her electric car (though the driver has to pay for a parking space while plugging in), but will prosecute someone who nicks 0.6c worth of the stuff to charge a cell phone.  It might be that the city is willing to subsidize car owners to commute, but not subsidize phone owners to talk.  Or it might be that few who own electric cars are among the homeless who need a phone for safety.