Drive-Offs At The Pump Have Increased In Bismarck & Mandan

Breaking the Law

Drive-offs at the local gas stations have dramatically increased in the Capital Region since gas prices surged with the start of the war with Iran. $4.00 gas is not something everyone can afford, and some people have opted to take a very dangerous approach and commit a crime rather than pay for a tank of gas.  According to a convenience store clerk I spoke to this week, they were forced to stop offering the ability to "pay inside" feature on their pumps because of all of the drive-offs.

After calling numerous gas stations across Bismarck and Mandan, I was pleasantly surprised that there are still a few stations that offer you the option of paying inside after you pump your gas.

Pay After You Pump Options in BisMan

Arco (some stations)

Red Trail in Mandan

Simonson (you can pay inside after pumping at the south location, but not at the north location near the interstate because of drive-offs)

Horizon in Bismarck

Ideally, all stations would want you to be able to pay after you pump, because, believe it or not, gas stations do not make money off of gas sales. Their margins are so slim, and they are dependent upon customers coming inside the store to buy items, where the c-stores actually do make some money. When people pay at the pump, more often than not, they feel no need to buy any items or those impulse buys that you get when you do have the option to pay after you pump.

Apparently the Same Story in Garrison

The Garrison C-Store, a popular stop for people heading to their lake spot, has also been forced to suspend its pay-after-you-pump option.

Gas Prices May Go Higher

Much higher, according to one representative from GasBuddy, who I saw on the 6 O'clock news, if the war with Iran continues, and as we approach the 4th of July holiday, we could be staring at a 5 dollar national average for a gallon of gas. YIKES!

As a lake person myself, with a pretty hefty drive to my cabin, I'm praying for lower gas prices again, because there is no way I'll be able to afford 5 dollar gas, heck, I can't even afford 4 dollar gas.