▁such ▁as ▁" d ine ▁and ▁d itch ", ▁" e at ▁and ▁run ", ▁" e at ▁it ▁and ▁beat ▁it ", ▁“ ch ew ▁and ▁sc rew ”, ▁" b ite ▁and ▁b olt ", ▁and ▁" do ing ▁a ▁runner ". ▁ ▁Leg al ▁aspects ▁ ▁In ▁English ▁law , ▁" d ine ▁and ▁dash " ▁falls ▁under ▁the ▁crime ▁of ▁making ▁off ▁without ▁payment ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ; ▁the ▁law ▁was ▁later ▁copied ▁in ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁and ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Ireland . ▁Sim ply ▁failing ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁bill ▁when ▁due ▁is ▁generally ▁not ▁a ▁crime ▁in ▁most ▁United ▁States ▁circumstances ▁or ▁juris dict ions . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁contract ▁deb t , ▁and ▁the ▁act ▁is ▁civil ▁rather ▁than ▁criminal ▁in ▁nature . ▁ ▁However , ▁there ▁are ▁often ▁laws ▁that ▁apply ▁specifically ▁to ▁restaur ants , ▁hot els , ▁and ▁other ▁circumstances , ▁where ▁the ▁pres umption ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁customer ▁intended ▁to ▁never ▁pay ▁their ▁bill ▁in ▁advance ▁and ▁therefore ▁obtained ▁the ▁valuable ▁services ▁under ▁false ▁pret enses , ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁criminal ▁fra ud . ▁In ▁certain ▁states , ▁d ining ▁and ▁dash ing ▁is ▁not ▁label led ▁as ▁a ▁criminal ▁issue . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁California , ▁it ▁is ▁considered ▁a ▁pet ty ▁the ft , ▁while ▁in ▁Mississippi , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁fel ony ▁off ense ▁to ▁refuse ▁to ▁pay ▁a ▁bill ▁over ▁$ 2 5 . 0 0 . ▁In ▁one ▁case , ▁Paul ▁Gu ad alu