Brickbat: Gas n' Go

In England, Lincolnshire Police Superintendent Fran Harrod says officers won't arrest drivers who don't pay for gasoline because they might not be "having a great day." She advised gas station owners to instead pursue civil action against the thieves, which would get them their money back "within a matter of weeks." Harrod was responding to Kavita Pilani, the owner of a station who said she has had 50 drive-off thefts in six months that are killing her business.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

If only Gandhi had known it would be this easy.

[Adans smith]

At the price of 'petrol' in the UK I'd say free gas is a very good day.

[MatthewSlyfield]

Not for the person selling it.

[MWAocdoc]

You know, there’s a solution to this. I wonder if it ever occurred to her to make people pay in advance? Naw, much too complicated! Of course, Fran is an idiot too, but what can you expect from a Lincolnshire police superintendent these days?

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Seems to be a recent change to the regs allowing that in 2022, so maybe they aren't setup yet:

In the past, all pay-at-pump transactions would check that a customer’s bank account had at least £1 available before filling up. This then allowed customers to fill up to £99 , with the final amount charged to their account (normally the day after) and the £1 pre-authorisation fee returned. Under the new rules imposed by Visa and Mastercard last year, the pre-authorisation amount is changing from £1 to £99 [I saw elsewhere it being £120]. Eventually, every pay-at-pump filling station in the UK will adopt the new system where, instead of £1, up to £99 will be temporarily held while you fill up your car. Once you’ve finished refuelling, the remainder of the unused funds will be released back to your account straight away, and you’ll only be charged for the value of the fuel you have taken.

[LIBtranslator]

Observe that these monarchic looter State solutions all occur in the future tense. A more serious approach would be to declare gasjacking an act of lèse majesté and hang a couple hundred as examples. In fact, hanging some of those Bobbies mixed in with the gas thieves might turn out the be the optimum solution. Experimentation is a way to test the hypothesis.

[jimc5499]

Yeah. That sounds OK until you're the guy with only 98 pounds in the bank, the pump takes 99 and you get hit with an overdraft fee.

[Rise of the Impedance]

The US has been 100% prepay for gas for something like 30 years. I don't know how the back-end operates, but apparently it works for all concerned. Why are the Brits making it so difficult?

[MWAocdoc]

Because the Brits make EVERYTHING difficult. Can you imagine ANYONE trying to run a fuel station under government payment regulations that take two hundred words to explain? Her/His Majesty is now the poster child for failed government.

[Chumby]

For every £ of stolen petrol, the station owner should get a pound on the thief.

Fran Harrod should be transferred to cafeteria duty as a sammich maker.

[rbike]

Come on man, they got insurance, you know

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

But a gallon of gas can't be purchased anywhere for any amount of cash.

[LIBtranslator]

Wrong. England is a looter monarchy. Sharknado Warmunism only bans gas in democratic mixed economy States.

[InsaneTrollLogic (Factio Democratica delenda est 5/30/24)]

Is there any way to make that sound even more retarded, Hank?

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

"He's a well respected man about town"... was not written by Ray Davies with Hank in mind. Maybe Lola, though?

[Don't look at me!]

Another reason you can’t have chicks in charge.

[mad.casual]

That said, chicks being in charge is arguably why we aren't talking about people who can't drive their cars at all stealing electricity from each other.

[Jerry B.]

"In an effort to reduce crime rates..."

[LIBtranslator]

Maybe take pictures of the plates and driver and send unemployed jihadists with knives to collect payment on a commission basis. Seriously, a looter State is not what enforces laws against looting or looters. Just look at California.

[Don't look at me!]

Your racist rant is fueling hate.

[5.56]

Are you currently employed as a strategic advisor by the post-trump-landslide democratic meltdown party? If not, you sound really qualified.

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

Thanks for the tip! I was looking for a place to get cheap gas. You can't beat free!

[MWAocdoc]

It's all fun and games until Her Majesty sends the Royal Constabulary to your house to collect their percent.

[markm23]

Let everyone who is "having a bad day" apply to get the cop's paycheck.