The death of gas station attendant Jayesh Prajapati Saturday night is a very unfortunate event. The well-intentioned man was run down while trying to stop a gasoline thief from leaving without paying. But the furious outburst from MPP Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence) to create new legislation should be handled cautiously by the government. Happily, Labour Minister Linda Jeffrey seems inclined to do just that. This sad case involves three issues. First, the government has got to get to the bottom of whether petroleum companies are routinely deducting the losses from theft from the pay of their employees. A new law making the public pay for gasoline in advance won’t help these workers if their employers are so mean and dishonest that they steal from their employees This is already illegal and the ministry must make it clear to oil firms they must comply. Second, employees must be trained to understand that a life is more important than a tank of gas. The banks have succeeded in this regard. No amount of money is worth the life of a teller. Finally, making people pay for gasoline in advance is not popular with the oil companies nor much of the public. People like the flexibility of paying after making their choice. These days that might include groceries. Mr. Colle should cool off and slow down.
