Or capitalism

Treefiddy? They'd need about Treefiddy? Now wait now, they're not a 500 ft tall cryptid from the Paleozoic era now are they? God damit it's the Loc Ness monster again. No Loc Ness monster I ain't gonna give you damned treefiddy!

In Australia, at least where I am, we're still civilised and they let you fill up and then pay. There's cameras to catch the plates of people that drive off without paying, though.

We patch that loophole by making sure no one has 0 net worth and everyone has their needs met

They also have no capacity to pay whatever fine you might levy. This is not really a problem you can get around. It's tautological. People with nothing to lose have nothing to lose.

The social contract flows both ways. If you've been left behind, you don't owe jack to society.

You do realize that "a surveillance state where the government knows how much money and holdings everyone has" describes the entire basis of the tax system, right? The government already knows that information. So, you're saying that you are so concerned that the government would suddenly know how much money everyone makes, and that the better solution is institutionalized governmental corporal punishment leading to permanent disability and death?

I'm still pissed off at being treated like a thief every time I go to gas up because they started a forever war in the middle east which inflated the price of gas. Then they never brought the cost back down with the price per barrel AND kept the paying before pumping policy.

I'm 60, so me, too. But, I haven't seen a pump or a station that allows pumping before paying in many, many years.

You hand over cash at the counter, and they turn on the pump. Or you pay at the pump--you need to put your card in before the pump will start.

Yeah.

If you were a local they'd see you pull up and turn on the pump. If you weren't you'd go inside and pay cash first, but it was inconvenient because it was harder to just fill the tank.

It depends where you leave in Europe or seems to work that way in US you have card readers on the distributors or need to go to the attendant and pay in advance with cash. I think there's also an option (or at least the attendant let me) to leave your DL, then fuel your car and then pay and get you DL back.

Well these days credit cards have an authorization function where they can hold $50 or $100 and then when done can release the hold and charge you the proper amount.

And cash is rare enough that they don't mind inconveniencing those people anymore.

Pay the clerk. If you can't fit x litres/gallons/whatevers, you go back to the clerk and they give you the remaining balance back.

Personally, I estimate. I have a quarter of a tank, I need 3/4 of a tank. That's 9 gallons. Times $3.99 is $35.91. I get $30 on pump whatever

In Canada its an auto function of the payment system. You say you want $100 in gas. The card gets preauthorized for $100 to ensure the money is available then the pump starts. After you finish pumping and get only $80 in fuel that is what is actually charged to the card. The card is charged only after you finish pumping.

That is definitely not true. There is no gas station here where you can do that anymore without having either signed in via an app or credit card.

It used to be like that, but that was a long time ago.

How do you fill your tank without paying for more gas than you're going to use?

you don't pay for more than you use. I prepay $100 on my credit card, use $58 and I'm charged $58, the $100 was a security hold and is the most you can get.

In Estonia two chains make you choose at the pump if you're paying inside after pumping or on the machine before. One switches over automatically when the shop part closes and doesn't even let you choose when it's open. Others are pay-first.

And nobody needs to see you here, they have cctv anyway

and in costa rica (and id assume much of central america, idk) you don't do the pumping, an employee at the station does it, then you pay them; you dont even leave your car

not at Costco