The Herd Mentality

All takes is a bull to start running and the rest will join the stampede. That is the herd mentality in the simplest of sense according to my understanding of the phrase. That was what happened yesterday in Labuan June 24, 2008. It was like the replay of A Night of Near Mayhem which I reported in Pasir Mas which happened when news spread of the impending 78 sen price hike of petrol.
This time it wasn't anything to do with a price hike. It was just a rumour that all petrol stations in Sabah (Labuan included) will be closed for 3 days as a protest to demand the increase of comission to petrol dealers. In this modern age of hi technology, rumours are not spread by words of mouth anymore, its via the short messaging system. So effective was the spread that by 5.00 PM queues started to build up at the petrol kiosks in Labuan. Those who received the sms immediately headed for the petrol station to fill up their vehicle immediately after leaving their place of work. Lucky thing my son in law Lokman was stuck in an office meeting and rushed straight home after it was over at 7.00 PM.(Hey that is how hard these Petronas people work). He immediately told me about what was happening at the petrol station and I was tempted to go and have a look and perhaps take some pictures. Unfortunately his motorbike which I had been using had a puncture. (It was eventually found out that a 2 inch nail was the cause of the puncture).
In Labuan all the petrol stations are located in Labuan town or at its fringe. So last night, the town was brought to a stand still.A neighbour in Taman Mutiara had to go to town to fetch his child who was attending a tuisyen class 2 hrs after the class ended and that he went on a motorbike. His wife who went to fetch them earlier was stuck in a jam and only managed to come home much later. Another neighbour was on his way for dinner with his family when he was caught in the jam. He turned around and drove against the flow of traffic because he feared he might drain every bit of petrol in his car before he could replenish it.
Such was the problem created by a hoax sms.How easy it is today to spread malicious rumours and how easy it is for people to believe in such a thing. The person who started the rumour was cursed by all those who had to endure the hardship. Many wished him to be obliterated from the face of this earth.
Petrol dealers suffer too when there is a price hike as their cost of purchasing new stock will increase by the same amount of increase. At 40 percent, the cost is crippling especially those that are operating on a tight cash flow. Some stations have to pay cash before delivery of petrol. Purchase made via credit card means an additional cost had to be paid to the card company as commission and money will only be realised at least a week later.
Unlike the nasi lemak seller who can make instant adjustments by either increasing his price or reducing the quantity sold in order to maintain the price and profit margin, petrol dealers have to wait for government approval before any adjustment can be made to their profit margin. The government will eventually consider thir plight but the crucial question is when?
Though the money is good, life as a petrol dealer can be very tough. Not many of their next generation are willing to take over the business especially if they have managed to get a good education. They will find a better way of making a living. To those who don't know the business, operating one may seem like having a well full of liquid gold. I had lived that life once and though I enjoyed it very much, I dont want to be in that business for the rest of my life.
It is time for us to reflect on the folly of not using our brain to think and just reacted to the herd mentality. Such mentality should be confined to the lower beings like those that we often see on National Geographic stampeding on the plains of Safari.