Pump pirating used to be a big concern in my town. At least 10% of the crime listed in the local police blotter was drive offs. Then when gas got over $2 a gallon I noticed more stores switching to pre-pay. Now I never see it listed.
This reminds me of my parents adventure as a couple of pump thieves. They filled up their motorhome while on a trip through NM. My mom got out to stretch her legs. My step-dad thought she went inside to pay for the fuel. She thought he paid at the pump because that's the way most pumps in CA (their home) are. They ended up getting pulled over by a couple of troopers about 30 miles down the road because neither of them paid for the gas. They made them drive back to the station and pay for the gas, but at least they didn't get shot for it.
Because it was an honest mistake and they didn't lead them on a car chase. They did not intend to steal, these boys did.