[ColossalContrarian]

Well it’s bound to happen. I remember being in high school riding with a friend to a varsity football game. He pulled his Camero up to the pump, said "don’t move I’ll be right back", started filling his car with gas and shortly after we took off. That was my first (and last) experience with what’s commonly referred to as “gas and go”. This was about 13 years ago…

It’s time for a gasoline theft thread as I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of this behavior. Let me know if we already have a thread dedicated to this topic.

[ColossalContrarian]

Felon suspected of gasoline thefts
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')t a time when many motorists are feeling robbed at the gas pumps, King County sheriff's detectives say a felon managed to steal nearly 20,000 gallons of gasoline from unsuspecting service stations between Bellingham and Oregon.

[vision-master]

A neice of mine worked at a gas station in the Burbs ($500,000+ homes). She said most drive-aways where newer SUV's with fancy dressed occupants. Go figure.

Reminds me of my old tax man who had rental property. He said ppl dressed to the hilt driving fancy cars where usualy the worst rental risk.

[cynthia]

Just had a conversation with my husband about not filling our tanks anymore because we park outdoors, live in a small college town and live half a block from a highway.
It's inevitable that gas siphoning will become commonplace with rising pump prices. Our vehicles are sitting vessels of opportunity.
cynthia

[ColossalContrarian]

Unfortunately I too park my car on the street. Decent neighborhood but I’ve been suspicious that past couple weeks. My work pays for gas but still. I don’t want anyone messing with my car. There doesn’t seem to be any sign of someone prying the cover but I’m going to consider one of these…



There have been a couple mornings when my tank was so low the little electronic deal was blinking that I had ZERO miles till I was out of gas, I never let it go that low (usually fillup when it says I have 100 miles left, ¼ tank)

btw vision-master, I’m concerned about my neighbors who have a Hummer H2 AND Lexus SUV –the big one. Parked out front. I can't imagine how they fill those beasts up!!!

[buzzard]

My car (Honda) has a locking door over the gas cap. Can only be unlocked from the inside of the driver's compartment. However, last year I decided to add a locking gas cap also, just to make it more difficult to access. The problem is that thieves by-pass the whole mess and simply drill a small hole in the bottom of the gas tank and drain the gas out into a low container and they're gone. Now the question becomes, 'do I make it easy for them and save my gas tank or count on it being difficult enough to steal my gas that they quit?'

I fear that these kinds of issues will be front and center in the near future. Just the vicissitudes of life in our brave new world.

[duke3522]

These days it is very difficult to siphon gas due to the design of the fill tube. So I believe that punching the gas tank will be how most gas is stolen in the future!!

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'U')rquhart said Torres is believed to have tampered with at least 15 gas pumps along the Interstate 5 corridor — allowing him to fill several 55-gallon drums for free. Most of the victims weren't aware of the theft until much later.

[SoothSayer]

They have a trapdoor in the bottom of the van, and drill a hole through the tank access hatch fitted in the ground below them.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'U')rquhart said Torres is believed to have tampered with at least 15 gas pumps along the Interstate 5 corridor — allowing him to fill several 55-gallon drums for free. Most of the victims weren't aware of the theft until much later.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SoothSayer', 'T')hey have a trapdoor in the bottom of the van, and drill a hole through the tank access hatch fitted in the ground below them.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SoothSayer', 'T')hey have a trapdoor in the bottom of the van, and drill a hole through the tank access hatch fitted in the ground below them.

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SoothSayer', 'T')hey have a trapdoor in the bottom of the van, and drill a hole through the tank access hatch fitted in the ground below them.

[dohboi]

Someone I know had always paid in cash inside after pumping. Now he notices that all the places that used to be fine with that are requiring payment before pumping because of the frequency of drive-aways (theft).

I am betting that this is pretty wide spread now and due to get much, much worse.

Just another factor that will hasten higher prices, even in the face of "demand destruction." Normal economics depends on people playing by the rules (so much for "free market"). People don't seem to be interested in the rules (not stealing) as gasoline skyrockets ever higher and people are stuck trying to fill their behemoth gas engorgers and diesel devourers.

You ain't seen nothin' yet. Driving season is just getting started.

[lawnchair]

I've stopped keeping my pickup (I use for < 2000 miles/year for towing) filled up. I'm seriously considering making a weatherproof sign or two with "LESS THAN TWO GALLONS OF GASOLINE IN TRUCK", like the old "NO STEREO IN CAR" signs.

[joe1347]

Yep. Cleaned out my garage this weekend so that I don't have to park my car outside primarily out of fear of vandalism. I drive a Prius.

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

Someone stole the gas out of our U-Haul moving truck the night before we left the Orlando, FL area to move out of state. This was back in June 2006 when prices were a lot lower. The truck was parked in the driveway of the house. My guess is it was someone who watched us load the trucks and then saw us drive our car to a motel that night. We had the truck backed right up against the garage door, so no one could get into the back of it to take our furniture.

I haven't seen any gas stations that still allow people to pay cash after pumping. They all have little homemade signs that say "Due to high number of driveoffs, pay inside first" or something like that.

[Twilight]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dohboi', 'Y')ou ain't seen nothin' yet. Driving season is just getting started.

[Byron100]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('IgnoranceIsBliss', 'S')omeone stole the gas out of our U-Haul moving truck the night before we left the Orlando, FL area to move out of state. This was back in June 2006 when prices were a lot lower. The truck was parked in the driveway of the house. My guess is it was someone who watched us load the trucks and then saw us drive our car to a motel that night. We had the truck backed right up against the garage door, so no one could get into the back of it to take our furniture.
I haven't seen any gas stations that still allow people to pay cash after pumping. They all have little homemade signs that say "Due to high number of driveoffs, pay inside first" or something like that.

[JJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Twilight', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dohboi', 'Y')ou ain't seen nothin' yet. Driving season is just getting started.