What traffic cone?

[edible_hat]

To stop drive-offs we block certain pumps in the evening. This usually involves some combination of out of order signs, traffic cones, and employee's cars parked in front of the pumps. My car's quite small so it can only block one pump, so I had traffic cones in front of the others.

SC comes along and parks behind the traffic cone. Then gets out of his car and moves the cone. Then moves his car forward. I turn the pump off. After a few minutes of waving and shouting, SC enters the store.

SC: Is that pump broken?
Me: Yes, that's why there's a traffic cone there. (I know a lie, but it's better than telling him that we turned it off because people like to steal from those pumps and have him yell at me about accusing him of being a thief)
SC: What traffic cone?
Me: You must have seen it (they're 4 feet tall)
SC: Hang on. (goes outside, moves his car to another pump, moves the cone back, gets a grand total of $6 of fuel, comes back and pays)

Personally I think he was a would-be drive-off guy. $6 in the car he was driving is enough to get you to the next petrol station.

[Aethian]

Sounds like it to me too. Can't you just not turn on the pumps unless they have already paid for it?

[edible_hat]

Most of our pumps automatically switch on when you pick up the handle (which itself causes problems with idiots who start pulling the trigger before they've got the nozzle in the tank).

[Aethian]

Well ick. Thats just not cool...

[blas]

For those whose stations still aren't pre-pay, they gotta do what they gotta do. Preventing people from using pumps that are hard to see out the window is a very good idea. And we all know those who plan to drive off will usually go for those kinds of pumps.

[Difdi]

You know those wrong-way spike barriers some parking lots have? I bet setting up the pumps in individual bays (rather than the open plan most gas stations use) and putting in a spike barrier that only lowers when the customer pays, would end a lot of drive-off attempts. Those barriers are nastier than police spike strips, after all.

Nothing quite like losing all four tires and possible parts of your muffler, to deter a thief...

[fish3k1]

You know those wrong-way spike barriers some parking lots have? I bet setting up the pumps in individual bays (rather than the open plan most gas stations use) and putting in a spike barrier that only lowers when the customer pays, would end a lot of drive-off attempts. Those barriers are nastier than police spike strips, after all.

Nothing quite like losing all four tires and possible parts of your muffler, to deter a thief...

Dang, that's a hell of a good idea you oughtta try and patent it (you can patent just about anything it seems) and sell that one to the petrol stations

[ebonyknight]

Dang, that's a hell of a good idea you oughtta try and patent it (you can patent just about anything it seems) and sell that one to the petrol stations

It's only a good idea if it never fails. And machines have a tendency to fail. What do you tell the guy when he pays and BOOM!! Tires shredded? Sorry, the cost of doing business?

It wouldn't be worth the cost if it happens a few times a year.

[Becks]

SC: What traffic cone?

You should've said, "The one that you MOVED".

[fish3k1]

It's only a good idea if it never fails. And machines have a tendency to fail. What do you tell the guy when he pays and BOOM!! Tires shredded? Sorry, the cost of doing business?

It wouldn't be worth the cost if it happens a few times a year.

Eh, easy to fix - just have a sign saying "Please do not drive away until barriers are completely retracted" - in HUGE, red writing in front of all the pumps. Yes, I know people will claim they never saw them, but then that's their problem, not yours.

In the case that the machinery does fail, I guess you'd need some way to manually drop them. But I still think it's a good idea

[Geek King]

In the case that the machinery does fail, I guess you'd need some way to manually drop them. But I still think it's a good idea

A manual crank or pressure release (depending on how the system works) would be easy enough to design and install with a lock so only station staff could access it. You would likely have to put something in place for maintenance anyway. The big sticking point for systems like that would be getting the stations to keep up the regular checks on it so it doesn't break down. That's where I see the real issues with break down, people who wouldn't want to pay until it actually broke.

[Dreamstalker]

Dang, that's a hell of a good idea you oughtta try and patent it (you can patent just about anything it seems) and sell that one to the petrol stations

I've been pondering something similar to "assist" in enforcing the one-way streets* and pedestrian crossings (which seem to be simply a suggestion) around here. Not full-on spike strips, but something that would cause slow leaks/other damage (so as to avoid massive accidents).

*One such street has been one-way from the main drag for over a year now, and still people will go the wrong way. The street I live on has always been one-way westbound to the main drag, and people will be going eastbound against oncoming traffic...and honking at the w/b drivers for going the wrong way.

[Kyree]

I've been pondering something similar to "assist" in enforcing the one-way streets* and pedestrian crossings (which seem to be simply a suggestion) around here. Not full-on spike strips, but something that would cause slow leaks/other damage (so as to avoid massive accidents).

*One such street has been one-way from the main drag for over a year now, and still people will go the wrong way. The street I live on has always been one-way westbound to the main drag, and people will be going eastbound against oncoming traffic...and honking at the w/b drivers for going the wrong way.

We have the same pedestrian crossing problem here, too. Cars constantly pull OVER the cross walk so they can get all the way up to the end of the street. Very annoying, because it makes you have to walk out in the street.

When I was younger I used to kick people's cars that were in the cross walk as I walked by. Now that I'm older, I walk up to their window, knock on it, and when they roll the window down I tell them that the shiny big white lines aren't just there for decoration, and that if they don't back up, I'm writing their plate number down and reporting them. (Not sure if it's even a crime, but just saying that makes them back up usually.)

[Andara Bledin]

When I was younger I used to kick people's cars that were in the cross walk as I walked by. Now that I'm older, I walk up to their window, knock on it, and when they roll the window down I tell them that the shiny big white lines aren't just there for decoration, and that if they don't back up, I'm writing their plate number down and reporting them. (Not sure if it's even a crime, but just saying that makes them back up usually.)

First, yes, it is a crime (at least in California). It's usually considered the same as pulling into the intersection which is classed as running the light.

Second, confronting a person about it is a very bad idea. You can't tell if the person is rational or not or if they have a weapon.

^-.-^

[crazylegs]

Not full-on spike strips, but something that would cause slow leaks/other damage (so as to avoid massive accidents).

Stingers have hollow tubes that allow a slow release of pressure, when applied correctly they should have a very low accident rate if the driver is goingat low speeds. You normally get crashes when

a) the PIT manouver is used
b) the driver of a 'sting' vehicle drives in a manner best described as 'suicidal' or 'darwin proving'
c) the car is poorly maintained.