-New law in response to death of service station attendant in 2005-

OSOYOOS TIMES-January 30, 2008-

By Chad IngramrnOsoyoos Times

Beginning Feb. 1, British Columbians going to gas up their vehicles will have to pay before they pump. A new provincial law will take effect making prepaid gas mandatory at every gas station in the province, 24 hours a day.
The law was developed after a Lower Mainland gas station attendant was killed nearly three years ago while trying to stop someone from stealing gas.
We conducted an extensive investigation after the death of Grant De Patie and looked at the legislation in place to protect the safety of gas station attendants, said Scott McCloy, a spokesman for WorkSafeBC. It was determined that we didn't have sufficient legislation in place.
WorkSafeBC is a provincially funded body responsible for the regulation of workplace safety in the province.
In March 2005, De Patie, 24, was dragged more than seven kilometres to his death while trying to stop a driver from stealing $12.30 worth of gas in Maple Ridge.
A 16-year-old male was charged with second-degree murder and sentenced to nine years in jail for the crime.
We thought these issues were in urban areas late at night, but it turns out that gas-and-go or gas-and-dash crimes occur in large towns and small towns at all times of the day, McCloy said. This is not about punishing the public. We know that 99 per cent of people who go to buy gasoline are innocent, honest people. This is about protecting workers.
Osoyoos gasoline merchants seemed relieved by the establishment of the law.
Personally, as a business-owner, I love it, said Ikay Deol, manager of the Shell service station on Hwy. 97 just north of Osoyoos. On the other hand, it's going to be hard for some customers to adjust to.rnDeol said she has already had complaints from a number of customers in anticipation of the law.
They say, 'There are no gangs here, this is Osoyoos,' she said. I tried to explain that people's lives have been ruined because of this.
Deol has the ability to limit how much gas a particular pump can pump from within the store. While the majority of gas stations are equipped with this technology, those who aren't will have to get new pumps.
Deol said gas thefts have not been a problem at her station, adding she's experienced only a handful of gas-and-go incidents in her three years as manager.
Across the highway at the Husky station, employee Ram Singh's reaction to the new law was similar to Deol's.
It's good for safety, but kind of asinine for the customer, Singh said.
He added, however, that the Husky station experiences a high number of gas-and-gos.
We get maybe one a week, he said, pointing to a number of unpaid gas bills taped to a shelf. Singh said the station is equipped with security cameras and that these thefts are reported to the police.
Customers filling up outside the Husky station had mixed reaction to the impending law.
It's definitely an inconvenience, said Steve Morck of Alberta. And as someone who is not going to be stealing gas, I find it sort of offensive.
British Columbian Frank Kennedy was nonchalant about the new law.
If it happens, it happens, he said.
Both men said they were unaware the law was taking effect until the Osoyoos Times asked them about it.