Gas stations that don’t require pre-pay seeing more ‘drive offs’
Many gas stations still don’t require pre-payment (mostly rural locations) saw an increase in drive-offs when gas prices shot up over $3.50 a gallon.
Stations started jotting down license plate numbers and using cameras. But even with that, drive-offs haven’t decreased for many stations, because folks have gotten more creative.
As the American flag flies over the South Locust Holiday station in Grand Island, Nebraska where store employees have two reasons to celebrate a record Fourth of July.
Employee Amanda Arellano said, “We had 867 customers and not one drive-off.”
But even with watchful eyes and new cameras, Arellano stills sees at least three drive-offs a week, because drivers are getting smarter.
“A lot of them take their plates off, so we can’t get a plate number,” she said.
Or, they lay the pump down. “They just pump their gas and then they don’t even shut it off.”
Her computer still registers that they’re pumping gas.
“Then they run,” she said.
Drivers will also put stolen license plates on their vehicles. State Patrol Sergeant Darwin Daily said catching these gas thiefs isn’t easy.
“A lot of times the information is pretty sketchy. By the time we get the report, they’re a long ways down the road,” he said.
More stations might require Pay at the Pump to stop drive-offs, but Arellano said
it’s not in Holiday’s policy, so she’ll keep on watching the pumps.
“I pay more attention now to the pumps, because the fact that they’re stealing from me, I
mean I take this as this is my store, they’re stealing my money.”
Her store loses up to $200 a week from drive-offs, and most come at night or when they’re really busy. But on their busiest night so far this year, the Fourth was reason to celebrate.
“We were proud of ourselves, that was awesome, we didn’t have one drive-off. We were on top of it.”
She said they do catch gas thiefs about 50 percent of them time. But the State Patrol said prosecuting them is tough on gas stations. It’s time-consuming, and difficult cost-wise with jail and court fees.
It brings to light the (unfortunate) need to install prepayment policy at these stations. Next time, don’t plan on the fuel pumping, till you’ve paid!