gas and dash

• gas-and-dash

gas and dash (plural gas and dashes)

1. (informal, Canada and US, often hyphenated (especially when used attributively)) The act of driving away from a gasoline station without paying after filling one's gas tank.
   • 2011 June 8, Bob Mitchell, “‘We will find you,’ police warn driver in gas-and-dash death”, in Toronto Star‎, Canada:

     Everyone in Ontario who owns a 2002 to 2006 Nissan Altima will be contacted under an intense police investigation now under way to find the driver responsible for a deadly gas-and-dash theft.

   • 2012 October 16, Timothy Appleby, “Crime Stoppers launches ‘gas and dash’ awareness campaign”, in Globe and Mail‎, Canada:

     [A] private member’s bill . . . would compel drivers to prepay for all gas purchases. . . . [S]ince British Columbia put a similar law in place, gas-and-dashes have ceased.

   • 2014 March 28, “Innisfail RCMP Investigate Gas and Dash”, in www.albertapolicereport.ca‎, Canada:

     In the late evening of March 27, 2014 RCMP Innisfail received a complaint of theft of fuel (gas and dash) from the Penhold Fas Gas.

• drive-off, fill and flee, fill and fly, gas and go, pump and jump

gas and dash

1. (informal, Canada and US, sometimes hyphenated) To commit this act.
   • 2000 June 23, “Gas-and-dash thefts rise with high fuel prices”, in Lubbock Avalanche-Journal‎, US: Associated Press:

     Starting July 1, Kansas motorists who repeatedly gas and dash could lose their driver's licenses.

   • 2005 August 16, Logan Orlando, “Don't Try to Gas and Dash”, in Time‎, US:

     With the price of gas up 26% over the past year . . . too many Americans are filling up without paying up.