Cause and effect

Cause and effect. It's a simple idea that most children over the age of 5 can grasp. Put a finger in a flame and it burns. So you don't do it again. The government in England could learn a thing or two from 5 year olds when it comes to petrol prices. Currently they're at around £1.40 per litre - about $10 per gallon in US equivalent. Thats the cause. The resultant effect would seem obvious to even the least educated person: record numbers of cars having their fuel lines cut and petrol stolen, and record numbers of drive-offs from petrol stations. The best way to prevent drive offs would be to force everyone to pay at the pump. If you don't swipe a card in the pump, you don't get petrol. Of course in the muddy backwaters of a place where everything is broken, that's too obvious so instead, UK petrol stations have invested tens of thousands in cameras and numberplate-reading technology. That's another cause. Effect in this case? People now put fake numberplates on and still drive off without paying. Frankly it's a wonder anything works in England any more. The lunacy surrounding petrol prices is just the tip of the iceberg.