[imagesource:here]

I used to enjoy going to the Engen down the road, revelling in the fresh smell of petrol in the morning, and driving off with my car and a wallet nicely loaded because back then the cost of a full tank was somewhat reasonable.

Now, I can barely look at the rand/litre meter in case I combust due to stress.

That National Treasury temporary relief on fuel taxes for April and May officially expires today, so you might feel the same way next time you pull up to the pumps.

There are rumours that June will see a massive surge in fuel prices in the country, with the cost rising to as much as R25 a litre.

But for now, it’s around R21,50 or so, depending on where you fill up, so you might want to top up at some point today.

I’d certainly avoid doing what a few hooligans in South Africa have been caught doing recently – driving off without paying for the tank of petrol.

If anything, you’ll just end up driving off the fuel to get away, anyway. Wasteful.

News24 reported that two 21-year-olds were arrested for driving off from a Westville Engen petrol station without paying for their tank of fuel, which came in at around R1 200.

They were caught on CCTV throttling their VW Caddy away as soon as the petrol attendant was done filling up:

The attendant ran after them and apparently smashed a back window, and the vehicle was later retrieved in the Mpumalanga area.

The suspects were set to appear in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday as a case of theft had been opened up.

It’s not a vibe to see your money getting guzzled before your eyes, but neither is appearing in court to face theft charges.

[source:news24]