Desperate people are driven to taking desperate measures to survive, and tough times in Australia have seen a sharp increase in " drive off " theft from petrol stations. The figures are alarming. People who drive away and fail to pay for the petrol they put in their vehicles tank average forty-seven incidents a day. The monthly tally reached 1462 a month - and over a year this reached a total of 15,000 " drive offs ".
Usually, a degree of " deception " is involved and the favourite ruse is to cover the vehicles number plates with plates stolen from another vehicle. People who park in railway station car parks or on club premises often return to find number plates missing from their car. Tamper resistant screws have been developed to provide plate security but this has a long way to go to be effective.
This is fast developing into major crime. Car fuel prices and the size of the tanks of many big vehicles deliver significant loss to petrol traders. If left unchecked, it is capable of driving the smaller operators out of business. It seems inevitable that this age of technology will respond to the problem by making petrol sales a " pre-pay " way of doing business.
It will probably see the end of the " fill her up " philosophy that has applied to petrol. In the past, we insert the hose, fill the tank and then go to the cashier and pay what is owing. We are heading into an age when we will need to approach the cashier, select the amount of petrol we wish to purchase and pay for it - and have the operator authorise the pump to deliver precisely the amount of that sale.
Computer technology can make this possible, but it will require a change of thinking on the part of car owners. Those about to undertake a long trip and who are unsure how much their vehicle will hold - but desire a full tank will probably have to leave a substantial deposit with the cashier. The limit will then be removed from the pumps memory instruction, but the customer will have to return to the cashier to collect the overpayment between deposit and what the pump delivered.
Pre-Pay is really the term of trade that applies in the entire retail industry. When we visit the supermarket, chemist shop or a clothing store we select the goods we require - and pay for them before walking out the door. The only difference with petrol is that it is in our possession on the other side of that door before we have paid the bill. Pre-Pay takes us into the realm of shops which deliver our purchases rather than the " self serve " method of sales. We pay for the fuel - and the seller then " delivers " it to our vehicle.
Perhaps the past was a " more honest " age. Certainly petrol was cheap by today's standards and the " drive off " phenomenon illustrates how much we rely on the vehicle in our present way of life. In many families it is the only way to get to work and earn a paycheck - and the only way that the kids get to school.
Sadly, desperation causes otherwise honest people to risk a criminal record and perhaps a stint in prison by committing what is a serious crime. The increasing losses will make it imperative for the petrol industry to move to new marketing methods and soon the " drive off " will be an impossibility.
When that happens, expect that desperate need for fuel to head in a new direction. We will probably see an increase in the prevalence of milking fuel from the tanks of parked cars. Instead of stealing number plates, a drum and a piece of plastic tubing will be the new method of convenience to solve the problem for those lacking the ability to pay.
Solving one problem will merely create another !
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