How can people have the gall?

Nicholstones · Guru

How can people have the gall?

jimricho · Guru

Sadly there's more where they come from

briche · Guru

I'm afraid that's only the tip of the iceburg.

pauline · Guru

I'm afraid that is just the way our country is now, our parents, grandparents and the like would roll over in their graves.............

tonyd · Guru

Yep, just saw on TV news that WA has the highest rate of fuel theft (drive-offs from servos) in the nation. Seems it's a civil, rather than a criminal offence, which makes it harder for the plods to investigate. Seems bloody silly to me. Theft is theft and these days a tankful of fuel can easily be $100 or more. Seems likely that pre-payment will become the norm, meaning that the vast honest majority will suffer for the acts of a few idiots.
Cheers, Tony

AmandaJayne · Guru

we got some fuel one day and headed off down the road... about 15minutes later we were pulled over by the police... who told us to turn around to follow them back... hubby asked what for... they said for pulling away without paying for fuel... hubby said.. nope, was not us, we paid.. had to wait for the owners of the station to look at thier video... it was the person infront of us who drove off without paying... they were very quick on the chase tho... I was really impressed.... the police drove off in search of the right car.........

johnq · Guru

AmandaJayne wrote:
we got some fuel one day and headed off down the road... about 15minutes later we were pulled over by the police... who told us to turn around to follow them back... hubby asked what for... they said for pulling away without paying for fuel... hubby said.. nope, was not us, we paid.. had to wait for the owners of the station to look at thier video... it was the person infront of us who drove off without paying... they were very quick on the chase tho... I was really impressed.... the police drove off in search of the right car.........

Sounds as though you took that heavy handed, cowboy behaviour by police very well. WA police I trust? Just that the WA police seem to get a mention or few for alienating tourists from others States with their manner.

Most would have told them politely where to go and demanded to know if they were being arrested - with certain action to follow for wrong arrest. That from a law abiding citizen who has never been in trouble with the police.

I would also have demanded written apologies from the garage and the police stating specifically that I had paid and was completrely innocent. Any problem with that and it would have been a formal approach to the Minister for Police and others for redress. Having seen personal security checks over the years it is nothing short of frightening how such allegations - simple 'mistakes' - can remain on police systems forever notwithstanding lack of evidence or even conviction of another for the alleged crime.

I have reminded myself to make every fuel payment with the plastic and never cash.

Fairy-Nuff · Veteran Member

you're right, Tonyd, The majority get penalised for the actions of the minority. This is happening every where, with bag checks at stores, etc. Even the security cameras are a result of the minority doing the wrong thing.

animalcarer · Senior Member

Yes unfortunately these ratbags make it difficult, for others.

There is one thing I cannot stand, being accused of something, and having nothing to do with it. Agree wholeheartedly with what johnq said.

I would not have been so complacent, and obliging, I would have done my nut, well and truely. Howard and I often have little disagreements about this sort of stuff, hes a quiet guy, but as for me I am the one who will speak up and assert myself, have had to tone it down a bit over the years.

Just because someone is in a uniform, and has ##authority## does not mean that they are God, and can flap their gums and accuse anyone. Dont get me wrong here , there are good, honest, peoples in uniforms, but when the occasion arises, I am not afraid about taking umbrage, when their is blatant unfairness, .

pauline · Guru

I think it is a good idea to have to pay up front and if you are doing the right thing it will not make much of a difference to you, gotta feel sorry for the people that own the servos. I think the sooner it happens the better, I worked once as a cashier in one once, absolutely the most stressful job i have done......

Greenie8 · Newbie

Hope they get caught....they might only think it's a few dollars, but because of these thieves, everyone has to pay more. Good tip, jonhg..to use the plastic.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

How can I prepay when I fill my tank?, I do not know how much it will take until after I have filled my tank, and I do not want to have to go into pay twice just because of the ratbags that do not pay, they should do what they do in the states, install metal spikes at the exit, as soon as a drove off occurs the employee presses a button and the spikes pop up the escaping car is stopped, police are called.

pauline · Guru

You will swipe your card and it will debit the amount that you have put in your car, I would not want to be the one that had to push the button what if you made a mistake as I said before it is a very stressful job working in a servo............the things you have to keep watching for all the time on top of paying customers all in a rush to get somewhere, needless to say I only stayed 6 months and couldn't wait to leave.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

do you mean swipe your card at the pump?

there are some pumps here in WA that do that but you need to have a company card not your normal visa card.

I do agree with you about the stress of that job I can only imagine what they go through, the problem is the owners will not employ enough workers to keep an eye on the ones that drive off, and the person on the till would not have the time to watch during busy times, so an extra worker just to watch for drive off's would go a bit towards solving the problem, me finks.

But then again I'm only a wombat and do not need petrol to keep me going. biggrin

Vic · Guru

There are some WA Service Stations in towns Wombie that will accept Visa/Mastercard, especially at the fuel depot type.

You swipe your card, then punch in the pump number and fill up, then return to the card machine (separate from the pumps and outside the servo) to retrieve your receipt. Just a few towns I can think of, Busselton, Muckinbudin, Goomalling, Wagin and many others. Just follow the instructions on the card machine, I haven't had any trouble with them except the one at Goomalling would only take an eftpos transaction, not credit, but the others did.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

yes Vic, I have seen a few of them, but another problem exisit's, I cannot carry a credit card as I do not have any pocket's, some wombat's are silly

pauline · Guru

Don't know why a wombat would have a credit card anyway, or a car to use petrol, that's why God gave you four legs, use them...........ha ha

cannylass · Senior Member

While we were in Darwin filling up hubby went in to pay and while there someone filled up from the diesal pump and just took off with out paying he got away with $100 worth of fuel. The poor girl was in such a state.

sandsmere · Guru

It seems this type of petty theft is happening a lot these days . Fuel theft , shoplifting , thieving from parked cars etc. .

In the above case though , it was not the coppers fault . They would have been going on what the servo staff told them .

Joe · Senior Member

I filled up the Patrol (175 litres of fuel storage - it wasn't cheap) and while I was in the servo I told them it was pump number 2 and "Oh, I'll take a Refidex too"and handed over my card.

When I got home I dug out the receipt so that I could add the fuel use to my fuel log (I am a bit anal about that sort of thing) and I found that they only took the money for the Refidex.

After a biref discussion with the wife (shall we/shan't we?) I drove back to the servoe to be greeted as a returning hero because I was going to pay the bill. The girl told me that as it was her fault (she just forgot to charge for the fuel) then she would have had to pay the $190 odd cost of the fuel out of her pocket.

She was really happy I came back.

Sometimes it is worth doing the right thing.

Onedodger · Guru

No matter how I pay for fuel I always ask for a receipt showing the liters and keep for entry into our fuel chart.

This way if I am ever pulled up as above I can produce the receipt.

cannylass · Senior Member

Another thing to watch out for, is make sure you get your own credit card back.My hubby went to our local road house as it was the only one open at the time, he bought some cigs and milk, it wast until two days later he went to our corner store to buy things hand it in his card and it did not work, when looked at he was given someone else's card the girl was serving two people at the time and give my husband the wrong card back. lucky for us our card was in the till.Dont know what happen to the other guy and his card

Brian88 · Veteran Member

I tell you it pays to have two sorts of cards, I left mine at a caravan place in Wagga once and was a couple of hundred miles away before I relised , at the next fuel stop west , had to use the dreded credit card , they posted it to me , out in the Opal fields close to Marie.

Brian88 · Veteran Member

P.S. Joe that was terrific!!!

dogbox · Guru

i did a drive off once filled the boat with fuel my mate went in to use the toilet came out an was talking to someone both got in the car drove off thinking the other had paid.
paid the next day but it can happen

johnq · Guru

sandsmere wrote:
It seems this type of petty theft is happening a lot these days . Fuel theft , shoplifting , thieving from parked cars etc. .

In the above case though , it was not the coppers fault . They would have been going on what the servo staff told them .

No the police acted like a wild west possie, charging off down the highway and doubtless at breakneck speed to apprehend the unfortunate, innocent caravanner.

Police did not look at the garage video first and had they done so they wouldn't have acted like complete cowboys and nor might the chase have been necessary because the registration number and description of the vehicle were available from the recording.

By what power was this innocent citizen detained and directed and escorted to the garage? Or did the police simply abuse their powers implying that they did have authority when in fact they did not?

This is the sort of outrageous, unlawful behaviour that gives police a bad name and erodes the confidence and support of the public, both of which are essential for the police to do their work.

03_troopy · Guru

Joe wrote:
I filled up the Patrol (175 litres of fuel storage - it wasn't cheap) and while I was in the servo I told them it was pump number 2 and "Oh, I'll take a Refidex too"and handed over my card.

When I got home I dug out the receipt so that I could add the fuel use to my fuel log (I am a bit anal about that sort of thing) and I found that they only took the money for the Refidex.

After a biref discussion with the wife (shall we/shan't we?) I drove back to the servoe to be greeted as a returning hero because I was going to pay the bill. The girl told me that as it was her fault (she just forgot to charge for the fuel) then she would have had to pay the $190 odd cost of the fuel out of her pocket.

She was really happy I came back.

Sometimes it is worth doing the right thing.

Well done Joe, there are plenty of people who wouldn't have gone back, nor given a second thought to the poor girl having to pay out of here own pocket.

Boroma577 · Guru

johnq wrote:
Sounds as though you took that heavy handed, cowboy behaviour by police very well. WA police I trust? Just that the WA police seem to get a mention or few for alienating tourists from others States with their manner.
Most would have told them politely where to go and demanded to know if they were being arrested - with certain action to follow for wrong arrest. That from a law abiding citizen who has never been in trouble with the police.
I would also have demanded written apologies from the garage and the police stating specifically that I had paid and was completrely innocent. Any problem with that and it would have been a formal approach to the Minister for Police and others for redress.
I have reminded myself to make every fuel payment with the plastic and never cash.

I probably would have reacted in a very similar manner and there is no way I would have been returning to the service station without an apology.

I would have very promptly produced my receipt to the police officer too and I always use a card for fuel purchases.

Boroma577 · Guru

animalcarer wrote:
Yes unfortunately these ratbags make it difficult, for others.
There is one thing I cannot stand, being accused of something, and having nothing to do with it. Agree wholeheartedly with what johnq said.
I would not have been so complacent, and obliging, I would have done my nut, well and truely. Howard and I often have little disagreements about this sort of stuff, hes a quiet guy, but as for me I am the one who will speak up and assert myself, have had to tone it down a bit over the years.
Just because someone is in a uniform, and has ##authority## does not mean that they are God, and can flap their gums and accuse anyone. Dont get me wrong here , there are good, honest, peoples in uniforms, but when the occasion arises, I am not afraid about taking umbrage, when their is blatant unfairness, .

Oh Lynette...how you very much sound like me and I totally agree......I really burr up if I am accused of something I did not do.

Boroma577 · Guru

Joe wrote:

Sometimes it is worth doing the right thing.

IMO....it is ALWAYS worth doing the right thing.