RNZ Checkpoint
The appearance of abandoned half-empty milk bottles at a service station have a Central Otago community baffled, and one resident on a mission to unmask the serial litterer.
On and off for nearly two years, someone had been leaving half-empty bottles of flavoured milk on top of a self-service pump at a fuel stop in Alexandra.
The milk bandit had left a smorgasbord of brands and flavours.
CCTV had been viewed, theories floated and a local woman who used the same fuel station became obsessed with solving the mystery, chasing down every detail.
But no one was ever identified and the clues dried up, along with the milk bottles.
Recently, the bottles began appearing at the fuel stop again.
Milk monitor turned citizen detective Poppy Prendergast got straight back on the case, and told RNZ's Checkpoint programme today she hoped this time the case could be closed.
The most recent incident involved a whole clutch of different milk products left on top of the fuel pump, she said.
"There was flavoured milk, larger and smaller bottles, and actually it has escalated because this time round there was a bottle of yoghurt."
At the time, the theory was that the culprit was a truck driver or delivery driver, with bottles always found at the pump that serviced trucks.
Since then, the petrol station had checked its cameras, and while details were scarce, it confirmed suspicions that the person leaving the milk was a male delivery driver.
Like the previous times the milk had been discarded, Prendergast said it seemed the bandit still had a broad taste.
"It seems that he particularly likes flavoured milk, for sure, there's small bottles of flavoured milk, there's been banana, chocolate, strawberry, sometimes the limited edition flavours."
After following the culprit's movements for the past few years, Prendergast said there was only one thing she wanted out of her search.
"I just want him to put them in the bin."
The mystery milk dumper had become such a legend within the town that Prendergast believed there had even been copycat incidents.
"Someone left milk at McEwen's and I thought, there's no way that's our guy because he doesn't go to McEwen's, he goes to RD. And it was also left kind of by the gutter, not by or on top of the pump."
As for the reason for the abandoned milk, Prendergast's guess was as good as anyone's, but she wasn't short of theories.
"My latest theory is, I think he's on these long drives, I think he has his heating turned up quite high and then the milk gets warm. So he doesn't finish it because he's like, oh no, it's a bit warm now, so I'll just dump it all here."
While Prendergast was still gripped by the case, she said she expected locals were probably sick of her efforts.
But she said the hunt would continue until the milk was put in the bin instead of on top of the pump.
"I will cease seeking them out if they can just be a tidy Kiwi."
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz |  |
