johnnymk

By Brad Smith
Source: Tampa Tribune, Fla.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Police call it "gas and dash." After topping their tanks with gasoline, drivers decide to steal it rather than pay. It's an easy crime. The victims appear to be rich oil companies.

In reality, gas theft costs small store owners and station managers millions of dollars a year. Based on anecdotal evidence -- no hard data exist -- the recent spike in gas prices may be driving an increase in such theft around Tampa Bay.

It happens at least twice a week to Liton Saha, manager of an Amoco station at Gandy Boulevard and Manhattan Avenue in south Tampa.

"If you turn on the pump, then they fill up and drive off if you're not looking," Saha said last week.

Monthly, Saha loses at least $200 to $300. Some gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and trucks can hold $40 to $50 worth of fuel.

Jim Smith, head of the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, said the theft has worsened as pump prices hit the $2-a-gallon range.

"If I've got members telling me the rate of drive-offs is up dramatically, well, it's up dramatically," said Smith, whose group represents about 5,300 retailers.

Florida's 6,992 stores selling gas rank the state second only to Texas for most gas outlets. Three in four gas sales are made at convenience stores.

In 2003, gas drive-offs cost the nation's convenience- store industry $112 million, according to a trade organization.

"There's no question that we have seen an increase in gas theft as the price goes up," said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

In fact, that tends to happen every spring when gas prices typically rise for the summer travel season, Lenard said. In early 2002, for example, when gas was averaging about $1.10 a gallon, a spring spike to $1.30 set off a gas-and-dash frenzy.

"It's a misdirected anger and frustration against higher prices," Lenard said.

This time, however, it's not "teenagers filling up with five bucks and peeling out for the thrill," he said. "We're seeing people with SUVs on empty fill up and leave with $30 to $60 worth of stolen gas."

At a Shell station on South Manhattan Avenue, clerk Mohammed Kabir keeps a list of every gas theft. He tries to note the license plate of every thief who drives off, but he doesn't see them all. Most are reported to police.

Joe Durkin, Tampa police spokesman, could not confirm a rise in such incidents.

"It does happen from time to time," he said. "We're not seeing a flood of them."

Despite its many metropolitan areas offering anonymity, Florida has taken several steps to discourage such theft.

In 1999, the state became one of the first to enact a law that makes the penalty for stealing gas the loss of a driver's license. Today, half the states give a judge that discretion.

An antitheft advertising effort includes stickers plastered on gas pumps, featuring a Florida Highway Patrol trooper's stern-faced warning.

Moreover, many gas stations require customers to pay before pumping during certain hours, typically after dark but increasingly at all times. In California and other states, 24- hour prepay is standard.

Diane Gibson, a clerk at a BP/Amoco on North Dale Mabry Highway, said the station was losing perhaps $100 a day to gas theft before switching to 24-hour prepay two years ago. Being near an Interstate 275 ramp made the station particularly vulnerable.

"They were just filling up and taking off," Gibson said.

Sam Fawaz, manager of a Citgo on West Shore Boulevard, said he turned to prepay because the alternative wasn't worth the $150 to $200 in daily gas theft losses.

Today, everyone pays up front except "regular customers," Fawaz said.

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Bires

bastard thieves! They prolly rationalize it, like they are sticking it to the man.

In LV, all the pumps I've used are credit or cash first.

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Five years...

bachviet

That really sucks for the store owners. In CA, you have to pay before pump.

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WhiskeyPapa

Perhaps if there were some real penalties for drive-offs, there would be less of them. Here in Minnesota, if you drive off, and they get your license, a cop may visit you, or most likely you'll get a letter telling you to pay. If you don't pay, you'll get a $50 fine.

So really, the worst that can happen is you have to pay for your gas in a few weeks.

Cubsfan

Sucks for those of us who don't steal too. Sometimes it's a pain to pay first.

Chgoman

I don't think you've been able to pump before you pay in California for at least 10 years.

attgig

i pretty much always use my debit card....

but man, that's messed up. that's why jersey and oregon are so cool....full service is standard

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look_ma

When I moved here to san antonio, everywhere is prepay. Blew my mind away, but I am from a smaller town. In college station (60,000ish) if it was past dark, I would just show the bills to the clerk and they would turn on the pump for me, during the day you didnt have to pre-pay either. I am with attgig, using my debit card is so much easier to pay with gas at the pump.

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Kebbies

there used to be a few pumps in san diego that let u fill up before you pay. i remember going to one off convoy heading twds clairemont blvd, and there was a chevron that let you fill up before you gave up your bills.

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Mike_N_Ike

Wow, I didn't even know you could pump before you pay...anywhere. So are Californians just alltogether untrustworthy or what?

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-Mike

Cubsfan

Yes

Burzhui

how is that??? makes absolutely no difference to me

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Bires

One more excuse to increase gas prices.