03-06-2012, 06:24 PM
0
(02-05-2012, 04:13 PM)Twitchin Kitten Wrote: That and they have cameras EVERYWHERE. They have no choice but to pay or there'll be a knock on the door later for it.
We're trusted to pay here Trudi. NJ has no self service because technically, its' assumed that the station attendant will check your fluids (coolant and wipers and oil) as well as fill up the tank. They don't do that here but I should feel antagonistic one of these days and make one of those guys do it just to see how pissy they get.
The rest of the country offers self serve and you pay up front at the kiosk or via credit card at the pump and that's purely for safety of attendants only. Lots of idiots like to rob gas stations, at least around here and in more congested areas.
Yep! Camera's everywhere, but last night I watched a programme about fuel theft 'Bilking' it's called. City pumps get this happen at least once a week. Although I was talking to my instructor today and he has a friend in security for a petrol company and he said it was nearer daily at some stations.
When we filled up in NC just before handing the hire car back Mark had to hand in his credit card, tell them how much he wanted to fill up by before the pump was released. The only other place we have done that is on borders of countries in Europe, Belgium particularly has a petrol theft problem. The police don't knock on the door of the car that has been bilking because the number plates will be bogus.
Last time we were in Belgium, the car we were using (loaned to us by a friend) had it's front number plate stolen while we just popped into the service station to use the 'facilities'. The back was still there but the bolts were loose. We must have caught the thieves out, thinking we were going to be longer.
We told the police locally and when we got home, so we didn't get done for not showing a plate (in the UK) and the Belgian police knew the plate was stolen.
Petrol has just gone up again and this is before the new government budget due in a couple of weeks.