Gas station experiencing increased no-pay drive-offs already

[Mr_Spock]

...here in rural New Hampshire. Weird seeing signs stuck to the pumps stating that some people will have to pay first - even when using debit/credit cards. I wonder how they know who the "some people" are who have to pay first? Gas lines & drive-offs - are we in the mid-1970's or something? Did I miss something? :shrug:

[bluestateguy]

1. I don't condone drive offs

But we need to understand the desperation of many people.

If the oil companies would stop gouging the American people this would not happen nearly as often.

[lostinacause]

4. Chances are America is paying too little for gas as it is.

The gas tax in America is one of the lowest in the developed world. I would expect that Americans are not paying the full cost of their decisions. (Taxes work to provide the correct incentive to include the costs of road repairs and pollution in an individual’s decision. This is the case even if the money does not directly go to these causes.)

[bluestateguy]

6. I'm getting a little tired of hearing that

For 7 years I have done my part, taking public transportation to work most days of the week, and sometimes all of the week. For 4 years before that, I did not have my car with me in college.

I have standing.

But not everyplace that I need to go allows me to get there and back on public transportation. To say nothing of all the problems associated with say, transporting 12 or more bags of groceries on a public bus. Nor does everybody's work schedule comport with public transit schedules and routes. Nor does everybody have co-workers who are either willing or able to partake in a carpool.

I do not drive frivolously. I try to limit my driving as best as I can. I own a pretty fuel efficient car, and I have been doing my part for 11 years now. So I get a little angry whenever somebody sitting in their Manhattan apartment or San Francisco townhouse proceeds to rattle off a bunch of canned talking points about the evils of cars, and the need for alternative sources of energy every time someone here dares to say that gas is too expensive.

[Mr Rabble]

11. No shit! How much we pay relative to Europe is not the point.

Gas prices quadrupling in 5 years is the point.

[lostinacause]

14. Unfortunately it (Americans paying too high prices for gas) is likely true

As far as for the rest of your situation; you seem to be doing fairly well for limiting fuel expenses. Unfortunately life happens. All we can do is our best. (I have already cut down my driving significantly.)

[lostinacause]

2. There likely won't be long lines.

Since there are no price controls the market will prevail resulting in higher prices instead of long lines.

[Glenda]

3. How much is gas there now? n/t

[Mr_Spock]

7. Just filled up @ $3/gal for regular

I figure that will seem like be a bargain when I look back at it next week!

[Glenda]

8. I took a walk in my neighborhood: $2.79 and $2.86 are the prices

at my nearby gas stations (MA). I figure I better get used to walking, or maybe biking places :)

[Mr_Spock]

9. Hehe you got a bargain going there - get it filled up now

Have you read about the lines & price gouging in Georgia in the other posts here :wtf:

[Glenda]

10. I filled up on the weekend at 2.69 mid-grade

Yeah... some of those places with $6/gal, what's up with that?

:shrug:

[Wizard777]

5. I was robbed! I stucka nozzle in my gas tank and Shell took all my money.

Maryland gas station owners are being investigated for price gouging in latest greatest price increase. The democrats are fighting back!

[KansDem]

12. We've adopted a "catch me if you can" mentality to crime these days.

But then, who can be blamed for this? Enron was caught "red handed" ripping off California; who was held responsible? Bush was caught using inside information in his timely stock sale of Harken; was he held responsible? The list goes on and on and on...

So what to do? Apparently redefine "theft" as "only if you get caught." So "dive-offs" are committing a crime only if they're caught, just like the "big boys..."

[Mr_Spock]

13. Is that the Mohammad Ali defense?

:D There was a song in the 70's about how elusive he was as a boxer - the punch line was "catch me if you can" :D

[friesianrider]

15. Probably for SUV drivers like me :(

I have a smaller SUV (Jeep Grand Cherokee) and it's still costing me $50 to fill up. I'd guess that people in small cars aren't as big of a hit if they drive-off as someone that is ringing up $75 or $80 for one fill-up. I can only imagine what someone with an Excursion or Expedition is paying....(and unlike the majority of them, I'm actually using my SUV for something).

[Mr_Spock]

16. I suppose, but they get the approval before you are finished.

I had the pump shut-off once at just a dollar or two - had an issue with a company putting a large debit charge for a product through on a Sunday! Anyway, I had to go inside and explain what was up...

[PurityOfEssence]

17. Not demanding prepay is idiotic.

It's not like people who do this version of an honor system deserve to be hurt, but it's simple HUMAN NATURE. Do not let people in a high-speed vehicle take your product aboard before paying.

This isn't hard to do, and it won't slow anything down. What WILL cause trouble is the wasted time pursuing thieves and the court costs afterwards. This makes no sense. Prepay should be mandatory; if people don't have the sense to know that society was created to defend us from our fellow man, then they need to be convinced to make the system less screwable. Those who want to have an honor system may be fine and decent people, but they're causing disruption to the rest of us, because our tax dollars go to paying the police and local judicial system to straighten out crap that should never have been allowed to happen.

This is just silly. Make it mandatory.