Power hungry iPhone users will do some of the craziest things to keep them charged. I originally thought that the Samsung ad called "Wall Huggers" was the craziest Samsung ad to date. Yet a couple of recent cases I've read about had me laughing and realizing that there may be a little truth to that Samsung ad after all.

A new report from London described a man that has accused the British Transport police of being "overzealous" and "ridiculous" after he was arrested for charging his iPhone using a socket on a London Overground train. Yet the trains clearly mark on the onboard electrical sockets, "cleaners use only and not for public use."

They recommend not charging electronic equipment as there is a risk of power surge: "If something was directly plugged into it (for example a standard computer, or a laptop without a battery in) the equipment would probably be damaged at any section gaps where the power supply changes from one substation to another."

The report notes that Robin Lee, a 45-year-old artist based in Islington, was handcuffed and taken to a British Transport Police station on Caledonian Road after his arrest for "abstracting electricity," which actually could deliver a five year sentence depending on the circumstances.

Lee was then arrested on a second offence of "unacceptable behaviour" after "becoming aggressive" when objecting to his prior arrest. It's hard not to laugh as it sounded like a comedic scene right out of a Monty Python episode of yesteryear. They've since "de-arrested" Lee on the iPhone charging infraction but may still face charges for his aggressive over reaction with the British Transport officer. You could read more about this incident here

In a second crazy iPhone charging incident reported last week, Nick Silvestri, a 19-year-old student from Seaford, New York, angered audience members and actors alike by jumping on to the stage at a performance of the puppet-themed hit Hand to God, only to find out that the charger he tried to use was fake. Silvestri was in town with family, neighbors and cousins and had had a few drinks before the show.

Chris York, who was sitting in the mezzanine section of the Booth Theater, told the Guardian people first thought Silvestri's stunt might be part of the show. Once it became clear it wasn't, they started laughing and heckling him. The pre-show music was stopped and an announcement was made prohibiting audience members from charging their phones on the stage.

Ha, sometimes life is funnier than fiction. It's hard to believe that such antics actually happened. In the end, these incidents were funnier than Samsung's ad. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if Samsung decided to run another round of those ads this fall starring Robin Lee. 

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