Doug De Patie shouldn't have been able to throw the switch on a gas pump and start fuelling his car without first paying.

Yet that's exactly what happened at a Surrey Shell station on Monday.

It's been more than three years since De Patie's son Grant was dragged to death after a gas-and-dash robbery in Maple Ridge, and it's been seven months since "Grant's Law" took effect, requiring pre-payment at all gas bars, along with other security measures to protect staff.

De Patie heard rumours some stations flagrantly ignore the new regulations.

But he never guessed he'd find one himself – not far from his Surrey home and across the street from the Mohawk where Grant first worked as a gas jockey.

De Patie realized on Friday the station at 62 Avenue and King George Highway was disobeying the law.

"People were driving up and they were getting gas at the pump, without paying," de Patie said.

He complained to the staff, but the young attendant inside didn't understand his point.

On Monday morning he returned to test the station himself and determine whether it had been a one-day glitch.

It was difficult for De Patie to walk up to the pump and put the nozzle in his tank and flip the switch.

"My heart just dropped when I grabbed that pump, put it in and started to refuel," he said. "It rocked me to my soul."

He put in $10 worth, then paid and walked away stunned.

"After all this, after all I fought for, I'm amazed that in this community that gas station would add insult to injury and throw it back in our faces by not observing pay-before-you-pump."

A manager at the 62 Avenue Gas and Snack on King George Highway denied his station had allowed customers to fill before paying, but pledged to investigate when told of De Patie's complaint.

The station does not have the ability to prepay at the pump using credit card, but he said customers ca leave either their credit card or their keys with the attendant before fuelling.

WorkSafeBC is also investigating De Patie's complaint.

"We have sent officers. We will determine if they are in compliance," said spokesperson Donna Freeman.

"Generally we have very broad compliance with Grant's Law, or the mandatory prepayment requirement."

She said there have been some "unique challenges," mainly in remote or rural areas.

Violators are subject to WorkSafeBC orders or enforcement action.

De Patie said friends have told him of seeing stations in Abbotsford and Kelowna also not following the rules.

jnagel@surreyleader.com