'Gas-and-dash' tragedy leads to calls for better employee safety

Every station in BC is pay before.

Which is great if you use a credit / debit card, and leave an electronic trail everywhere for everyone to see;

If you prefer cash it is a huge pain in the ass.

Not EVERY station

Yah, a bit of a 'pain in the ass'! On my tour thru ring ash last year, since it seemed every station had a different price, I would have to go inside, wait my turn to get up to the till, give the attendant $20-go back out and pump the required fuel- the amount also differed- and then go back in, wait my turn again, and then get my change and receipt.

Also, I find it ridiculous that the cc-company puts a $300 hold (or something) on your account when you get gas. Some cc's are actually debits, and that is just a big pain in the ass.

Worse than hotels.

While it's tragic, cashiers aren't supposed to run after drivers. I wouldn't risk my life for big oil or any retail establishment.

Paying at the pump is fine but forcing people to pay first always isn't the right direction IMO. No need to treat everyone like a potential thieves.

It's not big oil, it's the individual owner of the gas station, a small business person. They make the cashier pay for any gas and dashes - that's what happened with Grant De Patie. The killer, a native kid, got a few years prison, got out early on parole but keeps getting sent back in for parole violations. But, he's native, so he can't help it.

Perhaps in your neck of the woods, but I've never heard of that in Toronto and we have family friends who own a gas station.

The majority of the time you can barely get out from behind the counter to take a good look and when you call the cops it takes them hours to arrive to take down the plate from the video if it's any good.

"Shrink" is a part of doing business in a retail environment.

Andy is right, at least out here in MB a number of "chain" stations were still making employees pay for what they were short. But at least a lifetime ago when I worked at Domo (for all of a week) they would not make you pay for robbery losses, as I was told, they "have insurance for that."

This is a sad ending and this guy did not deserve this. However as OTI mentioned, it is not worth your life, even if it comes out of your pocket. I mean if a guy pulled a shotgun at you from 10 feet away and ordered you to toss your wallet would you really take the chance and try to lunge at him?

I don't see a big deal about pay first systems. Pay first with cash or debit. Takes just as long at the pump paying first or last. I don't buy that it presumes you're guilty. It presumes a certain percentage of people are guilty and aims to catch or deter those ones.

"Shrink" is a part of business but any way you can shrink the shrink is always welcome.

When you can get on the phone and cancel your debit and credit cards in five minutes and only carry $20 bucks of cash in your wallet... no.

They want to prevent careless loss of life at gas stations? Easy. Stop gouging the consumer.

-J.

A year from now you'll be longing for the days when gas was as cheap as it is now. 5 years from now you'll reminisce on the good ole days when gas was only $1.35/l.

Cardlock. Pay at the end of the month.

When you can get on the phone and cancel your debit and credit cards in five minutes and only carry $20 bucks of cash in your wallet... no.

Exactly. Just like when you can get on the phone and call in the license plate and pull the video every gas station has at the pumps these days.