but seriously, I hope the guy makes a speedy recovery and the perp is charged with attempted murder.
Posted on 07/28/2005 8:12:55 AM PDT by Rakkasan1
By all accounts, Randall Yungerberg became a gasoline theft vigilante this week.
But his attempts to exact justice at the St. Paul gas station where he works left him critically injured Wednesday after he tried to stop a customer reportedly leaving without paying.
His head injuries came three days after he was arrested on suspicion of taking a hammer to the car of a customer he suspected of not paying. That customer was arrested after Yungerberg, 49, was punched.
While experts advise against going after thieves, some people say they understand how the frustration of standing by could lead some to act.
"I don't recommend it, but I probably would do something, too," said Lance Klatt, Minnesota Service Station Association executive director. "This should open people's eyes. What's it going to take for people to stop stealing gas? Is it going to take some lives?"
An increased penalty for gas theft takes effect Monday — the state will suspend for 30 days the driver's license of a person convicted of gas theft — and Klatt hopes the measure will cut down on the problem, but he says even more needs to be done.
Minnesota's 3,200 service stations lose about $2.4 million a year to gas "drive-offs," according to the Minnesota Service Station Association. Increases in gas prices to more than $2 a gallon has made the problem worse, Klatt said.
On Wednesday, Yungerberg, a manager at the Mobil station at Grand and Smith avenues, confronted a St. Paul man reportedly driving off without paying about 1:15 a.m. He jumped on the hood of the customer's car, said St. Paul police spokesman Paul Schnell.
The customer drove for about three blocks. .
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
talk about your dedicated employee...
but seriously, I hope the guy makes a speedy recovery and the perp is charged with attempted murder.
Go back to paying up front. Many people pay with credit cards at the pump now. Making the rest of the people who use cash pay early wouldn't be that much of a problem for the station.
I'm sorry for the guy, and hope he recovers. I don't know of any stations in my area that don't require pre-payment.
Just photograph the license plates with a digital camera and report them to the police. It's not like you're anonymous in a car.
Um, how about a "pre-pay" policy? Duh
True story. A relative owns a small chain of convenience stores in Louisiana. One day, at one of his stores, he noted a "drive-off" gasoline thief, so he hopped into his car and followed the perp. As he follows, he is talking to the cops on his car phone (this was before the days of widespread cell phones). Perp pulls off the road and stops, so my cousin also pulls off and continues to observe and report. Perp gets out of his car, pulls a pistol and proceeds to head for my cousin's vehicle. Cousin pulls out his own firearm. Perp misses---cousin doesn't. Perp "terminated with extreme prejudice". Note that he is on the phone to the cops basically the entire time, so no charges were pressed.
Some gas stations are not allowing any pumping before paying at all. If you don't have a credit or debit card, you go inside first. Problem solved.
A happy ending! :)
GOOD!
In his younger days, hubby managed a convenience store.
When ever someone would drive off without paying for gas, he would run outside with an 8oz can of tomato sauce and throw it through the car's window.
Then he'd call the cops and they would arrest the perp for shoplifting....not only the gas, but the tomato sauce too!
The cops started calling him the Tomato Can man.
LOL!
You know, it's quite possible to forget to pay. Especially if you live in an area where you usually pre-pay. You get used to leaving after you pump.
Twice I almost got myself in trouble when I was working late nights, caring for two little ones, and losing sleep:
Once I breezed past a toll booth and didn't realize it until I noticed the toll collector in my rearview chasing my car down the highway. :-0 I backed up, apologized over and over, and paid him.
Another time, I drove past a parking lot attendant without paying. I was around the corner when I saw him standing there in shock. I drove back, apologized and paid.
Sure glad I didn't make those mistakes around someone like the guy in the story above... lol.
While experts advise against going after thieves, some people say they understand how the frustration of standing by could lead some to act.
Now who are these "Experts"?
the "experts" are the people who don't depend on payment
to feed their family and/or have never been in whatever same situation they claim to be an expert about.
I was driving through South Carolina a few weeks ago. I went to get some gas and stopped at a place that had a resturaunt. I decided I'd fill up and then go in and get some lunch. I looked at the pump, and nowhere on there did it say anything about prepay. I put the nozzle in, flipped the switch and waited. Nothing. I pressed the help button, and the attendant clicked it off.
I pressed it again a few more times and in frustration, went in and asked if it was prepay only. She said "Yes, of course it is." I said "Then you should have it listed on your pumps." She said it was. Apparently, someone had come in and ripped the signs off the pumps. Don't know why. I pumped my gas, went back in, told her that due to the fact that she didn't bother to actually answer the page, that she lost any further business. It was less the pre-pay, as the rude behavior.
She was stunned. I then left the store, and got on the road.
Paul
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