Does this happen where you live?

[SS MAYFLOAT]

It seems lately where I live, the teens have found a way to get free gas for themselves. They steal the plates/tags off other peoples cars, get gas and drive off. Since I live on a main road, guess I need to do something to prevent mine from being stolen. Maybe some lexan over the plate with vandal proof screws? Just the hassle to get replacement tags is a pain when you got to deal with the Division of Motor Vehicles. Figure 3 to 6 hours here to get things back in order. Plus having to explain to the law enforcement that it wasn't you that drove off from the gas station. Just hope that the teens didn't put them on the same model and color of your car!

 

[JB]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Mornin', SS.

What is your basis for assigning blame to "teens"?

I can see "Pay, then pump" returning to the station.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Interesting scam. SS, I would just replace your screwes with star ones or anything that requires something other than the typical straight/phillips screwdriver or nut driver to remove. It just has to be enough to make them pass on yours.

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Yep - around here, for a lot of years you have to either pay with your credit card first, or go pay the attendant cash before the pump will turn on.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

It is an ordinance here. Pay before you pump. It was put in place a year or two ago.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Most if not all stations are like that now around here.
Have been for a year or so.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

I can see "Pay, then pump" returning to the station.

Yes the changes have been happening here too. I always used my debit/credit card so I could stay at the pump. One station recently changed to it and it completely disabled the card scanner...... they no longer get my business.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

It seems lately where I live, the teens have found a way to get free gas for themselves. They steal the plates/tags off other peoples cars, get gas and drive off. Since I live on a main road, guess I need to do something to prevent mine from being stolen. Maybe some lexan over the plate with vandal proof screws? Just the hassle to get replacement tags is a pain when you got to deal with the Division of Motor Vehicles. Figure 3 to 6 hours here to get things back in order. Plus having to explain to the law enforcement that it wasn't you that drove off from the gas station. Just hope that the teens didn't put them on the same model and color of your car!

Great Idea! I'll hafta go out and try that! Not!

Sometimes I think this is how word spreads of the latest scam. What will they think of next? I'm afraid to ask or find out

IMO, I think any discussion on gas prices, is dangerous, & inflamatory, if the "Powers to be" gets wind of someone saying "Do you think the price of gas will get to $X per gallon?" They will figure, "Wow, OK, lets give them just what they want, or will bear to pay, we'll make it $X dollars!"
I think this goes on at just about any forum, or discussion on the internet.

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Yep - around here, for a lot of years you have to either pay with your credit card first, or go pay the attendant cash before the pump will turn on.

I just assumed it was like that every where. Imagine a grocery store where you load the groceries in the trunk and then go back to pay....

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Mornin', SS.

What is your basis for assigning blame to "teens"?

SS, how bigoted of you to assume.

For all you know it's a bunch of old guys living in seclusion who are stealing gas to power their catfish boats!

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

We have had the pay first system for years where I live.

I've never had a license plate stolen on my car but I suppose, with rising gas prices, this little scam will become more popular where I am, so it may be time for some of those star head screws.

The problem that I have had, is losing my trailer plate to thieves at the boat ramp. After replacing three of them, I gave up and stopped mounting my trailer plate on the trailer. It is now fastened to one of the stern eyes on my boat with a heavy piece of wire that I can keep twisting every time I put it on. I do this on one side of the plate while using a long bungee on the other side, which runs around the back of my motor to the other eyebolt. This is not really a legal mounting position but I have never been hassled about it, including by our state troopers.

 

[KnottyBuoyz]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

I think creative thieves, teens or not, will find a way to get your tags if they really want them. I lost a pair yrs ago and ended up getting arrested for armed robbery!

The buggers weren't stealin' gas they were robbing convenience stores with a car very similar to mine. Mine was a '70 340 Duster and theirs was a '70 or '71 340 Demon. Same color. Well they knocked off a half dozen stores in the area before being chased, but not caught, by the cops. They ran the tags which lead them to me. I had a whole SWAT team drag me out of my rack (I was working on a Coast Guard ship at the time) at 2 in the Am. After the Chief Officer of the ship got the mushroom heads to calm down, they wanted to execute me right there and then, we explained that my tags were stolen and reported two weeks earlier and that my car was in the shop w/o an engine. We actually had to lead them by the hand to the shop and show them the empty engine compartment! *lol* It all seems so funny now but could have been a very bad situation had things gone differently.

 

[mainexile]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

SS, how bigoted of you to assume.

For all you know it's a bunch of old guys living in seclusion who are stealing gas to power their catfish boats!

Yeah, those of us who are at (or near) retirement have to start finding ways to stretch our pension dollars.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Good thing you were in the CG and on the boat, Rick. As a Federal "facility," they had no ability to take you into custody on it, so they pretty much had to chill once your boss got into it. Sometimes that crusty of Master Chief or Commander, who gives you grief with all his "tude," can be your best friend when he tell the boys in blue to get the &*%$ off of his *%#$@*% boat!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Mornin', SS.

What is your basis for assigning blame to "teens"?

I can see "Pay, then pump" returning to the station.

My basis is that is what was announced on the local news on the radio

The teens know that they are juviniles and whatever wrong that they do will not be on their permanent record. So basically they will do whatever they want to it seems. Don't get me wrong, not all of them are bad. Of course adults are the same way, some good and some bad.

The majority of the stations around here in town are pre-pay. There are some that will let you get gas then pay. These culprits (teens which have been identified by video cameras) will go into a station/quickstop, hold them up, and get a fill up while they are at it. Upon leaving is when the security cameras get the pic of the car and tag.

Most of these stations only have one or two people working at night. Sure like the idea that Mass has on full service pumps. At least they would have enough employees to prevent these type hold ups.

What comes around goes around. When they are our age, it will be them to get scammed or ripped off by someone who thinks they are smarter.

We all were teens at one time, and I must admitt that my redneck credit card got me plenty of gas. Of course then $2.00 worth would get you 5 gallons

Have a great day JB

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Thats amateur. No sophistication at all. Here they park a truck with an enclosed trailer over the gas station tank fill. Inside the trailer is tank. They drop a hose from a hole in the trailer and pump out the underground tank.

here is the story.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/automotive/16415800/detail.html

 

[Knot Waiting]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

There has been an increase in crimes where "people" (because all ages commit crime) puncuture fuel tanks on parked cars and drain them out. Especially vulnerable are large trucks because they generally carry more fuel onboard and because of their increased height make it easy to get a gas can underneath.

I do believe that stealing fuel is treated as a federal crime so despite age, all would be prosecuted equally.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Thats amateur. No sophistication at all. Here they park a truck with an enclosed trailer over the gas station tank fill. Inside the trailer is tank. They drop a hose from a hole in the trailer and pump out the underground tank.

here is the story.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/automotive/16415800/detail.html

Saw that on a Cleveland channel. Now that it has hit the media, I wouldn't doubt that is more widespread than we know. It won't be long before there will be locking covers for those fills. I know that I wouldn't want to be the one to get caught. There would be more than theft charges to go along. Stuff like transporting hazardous materials and improper containment.

Good to see ya postin Flathead

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

The other one that is sort of interesting is all of the folks stealing used vegetable oil fromt restaurants. Apparently the stuff is very easily converted into biodiesel.

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Does this happen where you live?

Thats amateur. No sophistication at all. Here they park a truck with an enclosed trailer over the gas station tank fill. Inside the trailer is tank. They drop a hose from a hole in the trailer and pump out the underground tank.

here is the story.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/automotive/16415800/detail.html

Wow. It's amazing what people can come up with...