[Troyboy1208]

So I go out this lovely Sunday morning to Run some errands in my Honda civic Hybrid and I notice the gas cover is open on my car. My worst fears are confirmed when i check the gas level upon starting my car. Yesterday i had almost a full tank and now im at 1/4. WTF. Im so pissed. Now im going to go buy one of those locking fuel caps. Also however they popped open my gas cover they left a dent in the side of my car...Has anyone else had this happen to them? IM going to check my neighbors to see if it happened to them. I dont know maybe my neighbors did it!!

[HEADER_RACK]

I bet we are going to see a lot of this in the up and coming future.

[Aaron]

Welcome to the future...

... or the past as it were.

When I was a young man almost all cars came with locking gas caps... because of a 5% interruption in oil supply for a few weeks.

[cynicalheretic]

sorry about your bad luck.

Just make sure everyone is locking their garages and make sure to also keep your lawn mower gas cans hidden as well.

[Troyboy1208]

I could understand this happening in the ghetto but I live in a nice middle class area. Obviously not classy enough

[Baldwin]

I found my grandfather's locking gas cap not too long ago. It's a shame he can't remember the combo.

What state do you live in?

[some_guy282]

I think locking gas caps are just like locks for bicycles. They're good deterrents, and nothing more. For the time being and a bit into the future, your locked gas cap makes the thief move on to the next car which is an easier target. But in the end if they want the gas: they're going to take it. They can either cut the fuel line, puncture into the gas tank itself, or hell, why not steal the whole car? Then they can siphon the gas in a leisurely manner where they choose without having to worry about getting caught. Or they can just view the car as disposable: drive it until the tank runs out and then abandon it.

Things will get worse as time goes on as previously mentioned of course. That being said, I am a bit surprised to hear even an anecdotal story with gas at only about $3. Is the neighborhood you live in a suburb?

[Troyboy1208]

I doubt they would steal a car just for the gas? Or am i being naive. BTW I just got a locking gas cap from autozone. I got the last one. Apparently im not the only one looking to buy these. And I filled up the tank. They took just under 10 gallons from my calculations. Must have had two five gallon containers.

[Troyboy1208]

yes i live in an area north of Orlando that is basically a suburb. It used to be a small town but is now covered in houses.

[Ebyss]

And so it begins...

Thanks for letting us know Troyboy - these little anecdotes are the very things that point to current sh*t-fan relations, despite the overall "business as usual" message from the MSM.

[HEADER_RACK]

The only thing a lock will do is keep an honest man honest.
To a true thief it's not much of a deterent, but I guess it's better than nothing.

[eastbay]

It's probably kids. The parking lot of the high school near where we live is filled with really lousy mileage vehicles. Their parents may be getting tired of springing for their gas. If these kids want to drive in the manner in which they're accustomed, stealing gas is a simple and low risk way to make it happen.

Plus, they'll have no record if they're caught. Juvenile arrest/ conviction records for minor offenses are commonly 'sealed' after the kid turns 18. I know this... lol.

I was 18 in 1973. Many of my friends were 16 or 17. Guess who got picked to syphon gas??

[I_Like_Plants]

But who would syphon from a honday HYBRID?????

Oh, is yours one of those that doesn't look like a hybrid?

One of the nice little things about having a Prius, I figure, is there aren't too many people who are going to syphon from one or even try to steal it, they're pretty weird cars and known for having tiny gas tanks.

[Troyboy1208]

My car has a 13 gallon tank and my neighbors ford Excursions gas tank is big enough to put my car in it. Why they didnt siphon his gas is a mystery to me. He does keep the outside of his house lit up like the Las Vegas strip. Maybe thats why.

[I_Like_Plants]

And then there's the side of me that wants to sell the Prius and just get a motorcycle...... was drooling over the Yamaha Virago 250 the other day, 250 cruisers are great tools, the most easy to load up with shit for the least expense and gas usage. M/Cs are also easy to siphon from but you don't get major damage or lose much gas lol.

[Plantagenet]

Years ago I was illegally sleeping in my old VW van in the parking lot of the Ahwanee Hotel, the poshiest hotel in Yosemite, and about 3 am gas thieves started stealing gas from my dented up old van even through I was surrounded by much newer and nicer cars.

I scared the shit out of them when I rose up in the van and yelled at them as they were siphoning the gas. I got a nice tube and gas can out of the experience, too.

[some_guy282]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Troyboy1208', 'I') doubt they would steal a car just for the gas? Or am i being naive.

[greenworm]

What are the legal ramifications on building a better siphoning device solely for this purpose and advertising it as such?

You need to get an alpha dog and tie it to your car, the assailant probably sang along to your car alarm while he/she perpetrated the act.

I can hear it now.

"Eh, eh eh, beep, beep, beep, whooo, whooo, whooo." That should be enough gas, I am out of here.

[Tyler_JC]

Why would anyone steal a $10,000 car for what, $100 worth of gas?

Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees...