Petrol theft prevention idea from US visit shared in letter
5 reported
A letter writer to The Guardian shared an anecdote about visiting Massachusetts in the US and forgetting to take his card into a gas station before filling up. After loudspeaker remonstration, he apologized to the owner, explaining that UK drivers do not pre-pay. The owner laughed and asked how the UK stops people stealing gas, to which the writer replied that they do not. The writer suggested it is time to start not releasing pumps until cash or a card deposit is on hand. The letter was published in response to a 21 July article about petrol theft.
What’s reported
The writer visited Massachusetts in the US and forgot to take his card into the gas station before filling up.
After loudspeaker remonstration, the writer took his card in and apologized, saying UK drivers do not pre-pay.
The gas station owner laughed and asked how the UK stops people stealing gas; the writer replied that they do not.
The writer suggests it is time to start not releasing pumps until cash or a card deposit is on hand.
The letter references a 21 July article titled ‘A guy did a runner in a Jaguar’: the petrol theft scandal – and the garage owner struggling to stop it.
Key figures
Paul Taroni (letter writer, Alton, Hampshire)
Bridget Patterson (letter writer, Woodbridge, Suffolk)
Mike Storey (letter writer, Peterborough)
Pat Begg (letter writer, Stockport, Greater Manchester)
Sources: The Guardian
