Editorial: Actions of a few idiots affecting many more

Petrol thefts are on the increase, and it's getting to a point people are getting hurt.

The Rotorua Daily Post reported yesterday that a local petrol station manager was knocked down by a driver stealing gas.
It came as the number of thefts had increased exponentially at that station, with up to five drive-offs happening a week.

One owner told us he'd never had this many drive-offs. As a result, all customers now have to pre-pay for their petrol, and some are abusing staff as a result.
Once again, selfish idiots are ruining things for the rest of us.

We can't blame petrol station staff for making us go through the rigmarole of lining up twice to buy petrol.

So many people are stealing the stuff it's costing the business as much as an employee's week's wages.

But it would be nice if thieves hadn't forced things to this point.

It reminds me of the problems with cold and flu medicines a while back.

A good dose of pseudoephedrine would do wonders for those struck down, but it was banned - first locally, then nationally - because (and I want to use a much stronger word here) criminals were using the drug to manufacture methamphetamine.

It's almost like the old school days, where even though only one child misbehaved, the whole class was kept in after the bell.

It was bad enough as a younger man feeling like a naughty schoolboy when buying cold and flu drugs at the chemist.

Again, selfish idiots ruining things for the rest of us.

And it doesn't stop at petrol drive-offs. Police warn they're linked to other crimes - with presumably other victims.

Keep that in mind next time you're ready to vent at the people behind the petrol station counter.