Editorial: Fable no fun for robbery victims

The Z petrol station in Taradale was robbed yesterday. Photo / File

The robbery at a Flaxmere fast food joint this week has a few parallels with the classic folk tale, Cinderella.

The 7 BC still-popular children's fable centres around unjust oppression, class politics, a lost shoe and a triumphant reward.

Sunday's incident at the Flaxmere Fastfoods so far boasts all these - bar the happy finale.

During the takeaway's robbery, three offenders disguised with red bandannas jumped over the shop counter before assaulting workers and taking cash from the till.

Police said one of the thugs was temporarily held down by shop staff and customers as they tried to escape.

A little like Cinderella, one of the trio left in such a hurry he left a shoe behind. One would assume that may prove invaluable to investigators, if not prove to be the definite, albeit unusual, smoking gun.

I overheard someone jest yesterday about the single-shod offender fleeing the scene on a lean. Hopefully someone spotted the strange gait of the offender gapping it after the robbery about 7.15pm.

For those at the centre of the attack on their family business it's been traumatic. As you'd expect.

And as a colleague said yesterday, how hard must it be to keep one eye on your busy work schedule and another wary eye on who's coming through the door.

It's an onerous and no doubt all-consuming work hazard that most of us are lucky enough not to factor into our daily routine.

It's one thing to have your livelihood threatened, but it's another when you're threatened with your life.

The same applies to the Z petrol stations in Napier and Taradale, where certain employees were unlucky enough to be on shift when their respective places of work were raided.

Three robberies have materialised in five days - which doesn't make for good reading.

Here's hoping for some community support for those recovering from the trauma.

For the stoic family at the centre of the Flaxmere robbery, here's also hoping for quick arrests and a Cinderella-like ending.