I didn't know that Bangalore is notorious for petrol thieves. Almost everyone in the petrol bunk is a trained professional thief and they act in a good team work. One day I went to the petrol bunk and asked the attender to fill petrol for Rs. 200. The innocent looking guy filled petrol for Rs. 50. I said, "I said Rs. 200". He apologized me and started to fill the petrol. Immediately another guy just came and asked me, "Sir, card or cash". I said, "Cash". He asked, "You don't have card, Sir?". I said no.
I was a little shocked to see the petrol was filled for Rs. 150. I had a small doubt whether the innocent guy had started from 0 or from the 50 itself. Wondering about this, I left the bunk. Later, when I told my friends about this, they said, it is the custom of almost every attender in Bangalore to divert attention and fill only for less money. I felt like I was a jackass and was very angry on those bastards.
Then, later on, I used to be very alert when I go to petrol bunk. I had seen many times, attempt being made to fill for only Rs. 50 even if I had said Rs. 200. I used to say aloud, "I said Rs. 200" even before they start filling it avoid becoming a jackass. I used to think that I had become a brilliant guy after one experience.
It is always true that thieves are a step ahead than the police in techniques. Recently, it got proved. I went to a petrol bunk, asked the bastard to fill for Rs. 200. I carefully watched him entering 200 and starting from 0. When he was filling my bike's petrol tank, another guy came and asked "Sir, cash or card", even though I was having Rs. 200 in my hands (after the first incidence, I used to take out the cash and show them and say aloud, "Fill for Rs. X"). I said, "Cash".
Something inside my mind told that, I am being made a bloody fool. When I turned and saw the filling bastard from the speaking bastard, in a split second, my subconscious mind had seen the filling bastard entering 200 in the machine. I could not ask whether he had really filled for Rs. 200, or simply, in the middle, typed 200 in the machine. But I knew, I was fooled and later proved due to the reduced mileage.
No matter how much we are aware, those sons of bitches know how to fool us. I had decided to first pay the money and then NEVER to look aside when the petrol is being filled, no matter how gorgeous a girl comes and stands in the nearby queue. I don't know, they may have another counter for this. But, whenever you go to petrol bunk, make sure, you are not made a jackass!
What you can do is:
- Tell them aloud, how much you want to fill for.
- Give the money immediately, even before they start to fill.
- Check for the amount he enters (If that is less, you are in the process of becoming a jackass. Stop immediately and refuse to become one)\
- Never ever look somewhere else (if there is a gorgeous girl out there, you can wait for 30-45 seconds)
- If they call "Sir?", just say to yourself, "You bloody bastard, I am aware of you." and never listen to him till the petrol is filled. (If you don't speak bad words, you can replace that b-word with thief, but never turn around)
- If still somehow, they cheat you, Welcome to the Club!