Robbing Hood
I have just been refused petrol at my local fuel station. The reason, you might ask? It was a cold day and I had the hood up on my hooded sweatshirt. (I'm too old to call it a hoodie). To set the scene, I'm a forty-seven year old, balding, BMW driver. It was a very cold day (hence the hood). The cashier attempted to call me over the garage's PA system, the words were garbled however and it took me a few moments to realise that the announcement was being directed towards me. As my pump had not been activated I looked up to the booth. To my amazement the attendant was miming for me to put my hood down. I appreciate that my number plate is photographed should I recklessly drive off without paying, but am I now to succumb to facial recognition as well? To swiftly conclude, I mimed my own gesture back at the cashier, put the pump away and drove on to the next station. What is happening to this country? Are we all now guilty until proven innocent?
Asked on 14 March 2009 by
Answered by
Honest John
The franchisees of the fuel station have obviously got fed up with people driving off without paying in cars with cloned plates that cannot be traced. You may pay £1 a litre, but the franchisees only get about 5p of that in profit, often less, so if someone steals 40 litres they lose £38 and then have to sell 760 litres to make that back. As the recession deepens there will be more crime of this type in Britain, and very little chance of those stolen from ever recovering their losses.
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