Punks puncture gas tanks

[Scotsman]

Good thing the 5htgens will be sitting way low...

Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thieves puncture tanks to steal pricey gasoline
Height of trucks, SUVs makes them easy targets
Detroit News and Associated Press

Dale Fortin is getting a new kind of customer at his Detroit auto repair shop, customers who have not just been in a fender-bender or had a windshield smashed by a rock.

The soaring price of crude oil has turned gas tanks into a cache of valuable booty, and Fortin has replaced several tanks punctured or drilled by thieves thirsting for the nearly $4-a-gallon fuel inside.

"That's the new fad," he said. "I'd never seen it before gas got up this high."

While gas station drive-offs and siphoning are far more common methods of stealing gas, reports of tank and line puncturing are starting to trickle into police departments and repair shops across the country.

Some veteran mechanics and law enforcement officers say it's an unwelcome return of a crime they saw during the Middle East oil embargo of the early 1970s.

Gasoline prices surged just before the long Memorial Day holiday weekend and crept a hair higher overnight Monday to a new record national average $3.93 for a gallon of regular, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Given their height, Fortin said pickups and sport utility vehicles are more vulnerable to the thieves who puncture the tanks and use a container to catch the fuel.

Plastic tanks are typically the target, he said, since there is less chance of a catastrophic spark, and they are easier to drill.

Andy Beesley, owner of Great Lakes Collision in Royal Oak, says he has replaced two gas tanks of customers with pickups.

Beesley said a customer brought their truck in to his shop in March after thieves stole gas by putting a hole in the truck's plastic gas tank.

"They crawled under the truck and they took a cordless drill and put a hole in the underside of the gas tank," Beesley said.

"They caught the gasoline with some sort of drain pan."

Beesley said he was not shocked by the thefts.

"We expected it," said Beesley about the thefts and the major rise in gas prices.

Troy Police Lt. Gerry Scherlinck said his suburban Detroit department this month received a report of a stored motor home whose tank was siphoned and drained of 50 gallons of gas. They also had several incidents last year in industrial parks where the gas tanks of vehicles were punctured.

"Gas is liquid gold these days, and has been for the last year-and-a-half," Scherlinck said.

"I would anticipate seeing more of these kinds of incidents as the price continues to go up."

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...63/1016/AUTO01

[BumbleBee]

And I thought I was safe with a locking gas cap door.

[Scotsman]

Originally Posted by BumbleBee

And I thought I was safe with a locking gas cap door.

That's what I have but these fools would be hard pressed to drain gasoline from a passenger car because of the lowered ride height, unless they put you on bricks (they have a jack). Honestly, you're an idiot if you go to this extreme because you can't buy gas using your own pocketbook. If it's that bad take the bus or walk. It's not hard, but this world appears to have more idiots than bright bulbs, unfortunately.

[MerF]

As much as I hate idiots and especially thieves...I seriously can't help but blame anyone but the government for this...and I'm not the type of person that blames everything on the gov't...but they are letting this get out of hand seriously.

[DGthe3]

wonder how much the drill cost them to put a hole in the tank . . .

Honestly though, I can see this being as much of a targeted attack on SUV owners as a theft of gas. It could be a bit of both too - steal the gas from a hummer, fuel your prius for a month.

[boxmonkeyracing]

guess my silverado is at risk. . .dang.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by DGthe3

wonder how much the drill cost them to put a hole in the tank . . .

Honestly though, I can see this being as much of a targeted attack on SUV owners as a theft of gas. It could be a bit of both too - steal the gas from a hummer, fuel your prius for a month.

^

Ahhh...see....the drill was stolen too!

Now...anyone tries stealing gas from my car....I'll be hiding inside. And, when you crawl under to drill out my tank. Get ready for 3,400lbs running over you!

[stovt001]

My car is too low to tap the tank without using jacks, but I will certainly be getting a locking gas cap. I'm annoyed Chevy made the Cobalt's fuel door non-locking.

Apparently thieves are also stealing catalytic converters now, especially from SUVs and trucks because they're easy to accesss.

[Mindz]

Theft Deterrent Kit



For those pesky kids trying to tap your gas tank while you're sitting in it.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by stovt001

My car is too low to tap the tank without using jacks, but I will certainly be getting a locking gas cap. I'm annoyed Chevy made the Cobalt's fuel door non-locking.

Apparently thieves are also stealing catalytic converters now, especially from SUVs and trucks because they're easy to accesss.

I took my first theft report for a catylitic converter being stolen off of a Toyota.....while parked in the middle of a crowded parking lot at the mall! They actually used a saw-zall to cut it off. Only took a couple of seconds....lots of noise, but only a couple of seconds.

[CamaroSpike23]

this is why i run a fuel cell.


and a gun.

[z28collection]

i hope those punks blow themselves up trying to drill into a gas tank, i would be a little worried about sparks from the drill bit.

[Muscle Master]

Originally Posted by Scotsman

That's what I have but these fools would be hard pressed to drain gasoline from a passenger car because of the lowered ride height, unless they put you on bricks (they have a jack). Honestly, you're an idiot if you go to this extreme because you can't buy gas using your own pocketbook. If it's that bad take the bus or walk. It's not hard, but this world appears to have more idiots than bright bulbs, unfortunately.

never under estimate a human's determination on a unjust cause

but...........lol this is kinda funny, I would kick some ones ass if I catch them doing this, then bet the money out of them to repair my gas tank, I hold back using the .303 rounds

[DGthe3]

This is why we need to switch to hydrogen. Drilling a hole in the tank would result in a high pressure jet of extremely cold hydrogen, aimed right at the guy drilling the hole.