Caught dumping illegally? Clean up your mess and more: Roadshow

Q: If I were a judge and dealt with those charged with graffiti and trash crimes, as part of their sentence, I would start by issuing a monetary penalty and 50 hours of community service. The community service would be related to the crime committed, such as requiring them to remove graffiti or to pick up trash. For repeat offenders, community service would be 100 hours.

If the offender is a minor, one of the parents would be required to be with the minor.

Bruce Beyer, Sunnyvale

A: And…

Q: A couple of years ago someone was dumping dirt and rubble on Durham Road in Fremont near the Interstate 680 intersection. This was dumping on an industrial scale. I would estimate it was around a dozen full dump truckloads over a week or two. I immediately reported this to Fremont Code Enforcement and happily, the city and/or landowner cleaned it up and placed some concrete barriers to prevent trucks back up and dumping future loads.

As far as I know, the company responsible for the dumping was never identified or prosecuted. That makes me profoundly sad since the chances are high they are seeking or have found other dumping grounds.

Malcolm Hoar

A: Sad, yes, and maddening to see people dump trash like that. It’s also costly, as millions of tax dollars must be spent each year statewide removing litter and trash.

Q: On our way to Folsom, my husband and I stopped in Lodi to charge our VW eGolf. The charging station was in a scruffy Caltrans park-and-ride lot next to the off-ramp. We put our card in, but the charge was “free.” Since then, there have been many unauthorized purchases charged to that card. Has anyone else had this happen? Any way to guard against it?

Thanks for all you do,

Jill McCoy

A: I have not heard of this with charging stations, though I have heard of card skimming and fraudulent charges afterward with gas pumps and ATMs. Do others have this experience with charging stations? What recommendations do you have for avoiding it?