MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- A new law to require prepayment of fuel in Myrtle Beach, S.C., went into effect Friday, July 1, reported The Sun News. Some 27 fueling facilities in Myrtle Beach will require all customers to prepay for gasoline to cut down on police time spent on rarely solved crimes, said the report.
At least 10 states have stiffened penalties for driveoffs this year or are considering it, added a USA Today report. At least 28 states have toughened penalties for gas-and-dash drivers since 1998, when Georgia became the first to take away licenses, [image-nocss] it said.
Higher gas prices make driveoffs more expensive for retailers and increase with the rising cost of fuel, the report added. Myrtle Beach city leaders said they are following Mount Pleasant, S.C.'s lead to prevent a summer surge in a year that has seen a steady increase in the number of driveoffs.
From January to April this year, there were 230 driveoffs reported to Myrtle Beach police, and one was solved. Each case takes at least 30 minutes of paperwork and travel time, police said. Driveoffs already are more frequent than this time last year, which saw more than 500, according to the report.
Gas stations outside the city limits still can choose when to make customers pay for fuel. We haven't really had any problems so far, so we're going to opt out, Linda Sherman, manager of a Hess station outside the city limits, told the newspaper.
Peter Sodini, president of The Pantry Inc., Sanford, N.C., told The Sun that he expects some losses in his stores in Myrtle Beach. He said the company will almost break even in this area because it also owns stores outside the city. As long as the alternative is convenient and there's not prepay, you might have some customer migration.
In January 2004, Mount Pleasant enacted a similar law, one of the first in the nation, that cut driveoff complaints from 200 annually to zero immediately, Town Administrator Mac Burdette told the paper.
Nationally, gasoline thefts totaled roughly $112 million and as much as $1,500 per store in 2003, said the report, citing data from the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Driveoffs have increased in 2004 and 2005, NACS said.
Among states taking measures this year:
Minnesota enacted a law in June allowing 30-day license suspensions, on top of misdemeanor theft penalties, for a pump-and-run conviction. Iowa began suspending a license for a second offense in June. Oklahoma raised the fine to $500 from $100, plus up to 60 days in jail. South Dakota allows a retailer who records a thief's license plate to identify the car owner through state records and demand payment. The owner would face a service charge and court costs. Virginia, which added license suspension in 2003, will raise the fine today from $100 to $250. In Oregon, one of two states that prohibit self-service pumpingthe other is New Jerseythe legislature passed a bill that would add suspension to penalties. It is awaiting the governor's signature.Oklahoma State Rep. Paul Roan, a Democrat, sponsored a bill to require prepayment, but saw it changed to a stiffer penalty. Roan, 62, who spent 25 years as an Oklahoma state trooper, said law officers don't like gas-and-dash calls. It's like a dog chasing his tailhe don't catch it,'' he told the newspaper. You've got more things to do than be a bill collector for a service station,'' he said.
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