High prices drive up gas drive-offs
Press Journal By Marc Dadigan staff writer April 4, 2003
About six years ago, gas-station owner Gene Duffy was chasing a 25-year-old driver who hadn't paid for a tank of gas, when he was struck by a van and knocked to the ground.
Now Duffy doesn't quibble over a few dollars.
"After (the accident), I said to heck with the money. I don't expect any cashier to run after anybody," said the owner of Duffy's Mobil near Interstate 95 and State Road 60.
It's probably a good thing Duffy has given up his pursuits, as some gas-station owners say gas drive-offs have been on the rise in the county, especially since gas prices spiked a few weeks ago because of the onset of war and an oil worker strike in Venezuela.
However, law-enforcement officials said reports of gas thefts might have increased slightly but seem to have remained steady over the past month.
"There has been a lot concern from retailers about there being additional drive-offs," said Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Joe Flescher. "But we haven't seen a tremendous rise in reported incidents."
There have been six Sheriff's Office reports in the past two weeks of gas drive-offs, but some gas-station employees say they don't report drive-offs because they think there's little chance of catching these petroleum bandits unless video cameras or employees record the license plates.
"I'm a small-timer . . . I'm making two, three pennies a gallon, and this stuff is happening? It's just bad people who do this," said Dennis Rodricks, owner of Old Dixie Chevron at 755 Fourth St. "The police can't help me."
In the past three days, there have been four drive-offs at his station, Rodricks said, but he rarely reports the incidents to the police even though the thefts are hurting in his business.
Law enforcement has nabbed its share of gas thieves from the Hess Station at 8418 20th St., said associate Mike Shaw, as the 20-pump station uses video cameras and binoculars to monitor would-be purloiners.
However, in the past few weeks, Shaw estimated that gas drive-offs had doubled at the station, which usually has a couple drive-offs a day.
"We have a few get away, but they don't seem to realize that gas drive-offs help prices go up," Shaw said. "They also don't realize that cashiers could lose their job if there's enough drive-offs on their shift."
Flescher recommended that gas stations, in addition to being well-lit, should try a pre-pay system for gasoline transactions. Otherwise, customers always receive the product before they pay at gas stations, he said.
While Flescher said he was surprised to hear some gas stations didn't report thefts, he said thefts of diesel fuel are almost always reported as the station can face a loss of $200 or more.
Although stealing gas is usually a misdemeanor charge of retail theft, judges can take away a pilferer's driver's license if convicted, Flescher said.
"I don't think saving $30 a gas is worth the risk these thieves are taking," he said.
Both Flescher and Duffy added sometimes drive-offs aren't criminal in nature but simply a misunderstanding or mechanical error. Some elderly customers have innocently forgotten to pay, said Duffy, who was one gas station owner not experiencing more thefts in recent weeks.
"I've been in the business 10 years, and, whether it's 99 cents or $1.50 a gallon, there are going to be drive-offs," Duffy said.