Great News: Gas Pump "Drive-Offs" On the Rise

We'll probably be seeing a lot more of this around the country as gas prices hit $4, $5, or even $6 per gallon as summer approaches.

So don't be alarmed when the guy in front of you at the pump peels out like a NASCAR driver coming out of a pit stop the second he's done filling up.

That's perfectly normal.

MURFREESBORO — Gas thefts are on the rise locally as gas prices near the $4 range at some Murfreesboro convenience stores, according to Murfreesboro Police.

MPD spokesman Kyle Evans said police expect to see even more gas drive-offs as gas prices continue to rise throughout the city and rest of the state.

"As gas goes up, we typically see increases in gas drive-offs," Evans said. "It's something we warn store clerks to be on the lookout for. It's best for gas station owners to implement prepaid policies to avoid such theft."

Lest we forget, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas was around $1.79 when Barack Obama took office - practically free compared to today's prices. I'm just sayin'. But of course that was back when we were on the verge of the Next Great Depression™, thanks to the evil George W. Bush.

Who would ever want to go back to that?

Don't all raise your hands at once.

But let's not go around blaming Obama for today's lofty gas prices. Why would we? What, just because he has all but shut down domestic drilling and oil exploration? Or because the Middle East has devolved into an unpredictable disaster on his watch? Or because he's sinking hundreds of billions if not trillions of dollars into inefficient, impractical energy sources like solar and wind?

Clearly, none of that has anything at all to do with gas prices.

Nah, Obama's off the hook here. It's the shadowy, greedy speculators who are driving gas prices through the roof. Or something. At least that's what Bill O'Reilly keeps telling me every night.

He's super-smart too, so he must be right.

Cross-posted.