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Forget about locking gas caps - thieves now drilling holes

11K views 88 replies 40 participants last post by  ejb69 
#1 ·
My nieces husband has a 2017 Ford F150. He and a co-worker take turns driving to the jobsite. When he doesn't drive he parks his truck at one of those "Park and Ride" lots located around the area. Today he was parked at one along a major highway.

When he returned to his truck he noticed a big wet spot under the truck and was shocked to learn that someone had crawled under the truck, drilled a huge hole in the bottom of his fuel tank and had drained all the gasoline.

Gas around here has been $2.85-$2.95 for a long time but in recent weeks has seen a spike to $3.07-$3.17. Imagine what thieves are doing in CA with gas prices reaching $5.99?

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#10 ·
With a plastic tank, it could have been a hand drill.

Besides the gas, the owner has a towing bill and a replacement gas tank. If the thief had the gas burn him up, it might be karma.

Treefarmer
 
#5 ·
WOW,, thieves are getting dumber an dumber.
 
#6 ·
Them’s the breaks when you park your vehicle in a public parking spot.
 
#7 ·
We have seen an increase of gas tank sales when northern va had very little gas stations with fuel we saw a few of them come in with holes drilled most of time insurance paid the bill some tanks run well over 1k in price plus labor

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#11 ·
Seriously. 🤦‍♂️ How stupid & desperate you gotta be. Morons!
 
#16 ·
All you can do is hope they get caught and charged with every one of them that has the same size hole. If you caught him you’d have to decide on calling the police or dropping a smoke.
 
#17 ·
That is the problem though. They will be made out to be victims and we will be lucky that they get a slap on the wrist.

Car jackings are a big problem not too far from where I live. Most of the time it is just someone "needing" to get from point A to point B. You know it isn't for a job but they need to get there somehow. Why pay for an uber when you can just car jack someone, drive to about a block away from your destination and dump the car. Well they normally cut the catalytic converter off at some point in the process.
 
#18 ·
I have been to minneapolis many times in the past. Getting carjacked was the last thing on my mind. Sad.
 
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#21 ·
This is nothing new. Last time gas went really high the trucks at the local boat launch were targeted . It’s pretty easy to poke a hole in the bottom of a plastic tank. This is part of the reason I always make sure my trucks have skid plates.
 
#22 ·
That’s a burn center patient waiting to happen.
 
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#24 ·
From what I saw they didn’t use a drill, it was a hammer and screw driver used to poke a hole n the plastic tank on tall pickups. Using a 5 gallon can when most trucks a 30 - 40 gallon tanks seemed to be the dumb part to me.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Things like this is why when I read a story about a criminal crushing themself to death trying to steal wheels off a car or a catalytic converter, it warms my soul.
Hate, hate, hate theives....
 
#25 ·
Not sure why everyone acts like he is lucky he did not catch fire. Even using a drill the sparks generate by the brushes are far enough away and would have stopped (if he paid attention) well before any fumes or gas got to the the spark. Since this was on the bottom of the tank you would not get any fumes until the gas has poured out. Not like people are burning up at the gas station for being stupid and boy have i seen some stupidity lately at stations recently. A month ago I had to intervene as the woman at the pump next to me just pulled the nozzle out while still pumping (she had the lock on and did not disengage it). Just yesterday I saw a woman tuck the nozzle under her arm as she fumbled for her credit card dripping gas all down her side.
 
#26 ·
OFF TOPIC ALERT; Almost two years ago I took Old Yellow in to a shop for brake work. I took it the day before. They have a fenced lot. I had to sign an acknowledgement, they were not responsible for theft or damage where in the lot. I left the doors UNLOCKED. I told them I would rather any thieves have access, rather than break a window or use a "slim jim" on the locks. Do NOT lock it when you lock up the fenced yard, or when you finish the repairs.

A farmer friend (small operator, gas tractor) had a 300 gallon gravity gas tank. The nozzle padlocked to the frame. The thieves cut the hose at the nozzle to steal some gas. At least they shut off the tank valve when they got all they wanted. They could have let it drain on the ground
 
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#28 ·
I for one will try to avoid parking anywhere with no oversight such as a parking attendant or ticket guard. Which unfortunately is not always available.
I loath leaving my vehicles anywhere such as when I go to court,, public garages are my biggest fear of having it stolen or fooled with.
When I was building I had a chance to work on brownstones in Boston for great money,,, nope, and I had the jobs, not leaving my work vehicles on Boston streets Exactly for the reasons mentioned in this thread.....
I can't stand thieves!!!! Lowest forms of life in my opinion.
 
#30 ·
I can’t disagree with anything above but sometimes circumstances dictate you gotta do what you gotta do. When I was a field service technician there were LOTS of places I didnt like leaving my vehicle for the day but I had no choice if I wanted to stay employed.
 
#31 ·
I hear ya J but I still "try" not to leave my vehicle anywhere that looks to be a suspect area, (no longer working where I'm not at a house or secure area for an inspection).. I even hate to go to one of our local restaurants and leave it in the public parking lot.. Not a safe area at all... Maybe getting paranoid in my old age? I just don't trust people these days. I lock my vehicle even in my own yard... The boonies can be just a dangerous as the city for theft and break-ins.
I catch anyone fooling with my truck and they belter be superman and can outrun a speeding...........
 
#32 · (Edited)
Maybe that's why every time I get in my wife's SUV to drive it, the number of miles left until walk is usually under 30 and the fuel tank needle is always on "E-"...........She is avoiding becoming a gas theft victim............ ;)


(or she is waiting for me to take it to the gas station and fill it up, again......... I need to drive it here shortly, I will be amazed if there is more than 1/8th of a tank of gas in it when I take it............)

Now, I am editing this original post 4.5 hours later after returning from using the boss's SUV to tow the trailer with 48 bags of fertilizer on it. And of course, as we are headed to the garage, she says, "We are going to need to get gas first thing"........

With a 25 gallon tank, I would say she was right as rain about that statement............Oh well. At least she is predictable.:)

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#33 ·
electric???? not until they pry my vehicle keys out of my dead hand! On my Hummer, I have a sticker right under my Dump sticker that says; "my carbon footprint is bigger than yours". Never electric in this yard. I'm still a motorhead and always will be.. Very limited travel these days so not much gas used anymore.
 
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