Posted by Gary Boehm on 6/4/08 10:41pm
Msg #250043

Theif in the night n/m

Reply by Gary Boehm on 6/4/08 10:54pm
Msg #250044

Re: Thief in the night

My sister sent this to me. I know we Notaries use a lot of gasoline and the last thing we can afford is to fill the tank only to find it drained empty! But there is a theft of another kind going on now! I hope this is ok to post here - it is intended to benefit us all...

"A woman said her son found his license plate missing so he called the to report. They told him people were stealing the plates to get free gas. So how does a license plate mean someone can get free gas?

Given to the rise in gas prices, people have taken to stealing license plates, putting them on their own car, then getting gas and running without paying for the gas. The gas station will have 'YOUR' license plate # and you could be in trouble for 'pump and run.' Check your car periodically
to be sure you still have a plate. If you should find it missing, file a report immediately!!!

Keep an eye on your license plate! Make sure you always know it's there! When the license plate is reported as the 'drive off vehicle,' it's YOU they contact! And they WON'T be paying attention to the make and model of the car - just the plate number! And even if they rely on cameras you would have to subpoena the records and hope that they don't record-over every 24 hours."

Again, I hope this is ok to post here for the benefit of fellow members. Pass it on to anyone you know. I think they will appreciate it!

Reply by Pat/IL on 6/5/08 12:38am
Msg #250057

Re: Thief in the night

Around here, they just make you pay before pumping. And why would they tape over the evidence?

Reply by CaliNotary on 6/5/08 12:45am
Msg #250058

Good lord, I am so sick of these Chicken Littles

http://www.snopes.com/fraud/autos/gastheft.asp

Here's a hint. When you get an email telling you to pass it on to everyone you know, press the delete key on your keyboard instead. It's 2008, why don't people know this by now???

Reply by Lee/AR on 6/5/08 2:48am
Msg #250060

Re: Good lord, I am so sick of these Chicken Littles n/m

Reply by Tonya Washington on 6/5/08 10:04am
Msg #250094

Re: Good lord, I am so sick of these Chicken Littles

It seems that I am not the only that does my research before forwarding an e-mail to people.

Reply by JanetLA on 6/5/08 10:43am
Msg #250103

But this really did happen to me. Not a rumor. I walked up

on two men at my car at a New Orleans Wal Mart; one in the front, one in the back. I did not realize what they were doing, but they acted in a suspicious manner. I came home and my plate was gone. I called the sheriffs deputy at the Wal Mart and they filed a police report. He said that they do it for all types of crimes but most often just to have what appears to be a valid plate when they are unable to get one for whatever reason. Now, I am not sure how this rumor was started because all gas pumps here are prepay but I do know that they will steal your plate...

Reply by jba/fl on 6/5/08 10:51am
Msg #250107

Re: But this really did happen to me. Not a rumor. I walked up

Two plates stolen from 2 cars my house couple of years ago - police said happens for various reasons, mostly criminal activity.

There are special locking nuts one can use so that plates cannot be stolen as easily (let's face it, nothing is fool proof, and these fools have already most likely been educated at the jails/prisons or by those who have been there already.)

Snopes did not say story untrue, didn't say true either. Only cited possibilities.

Reply by Gary_CA on 6/5/08 11:26am
Msg #250120

The gas in my tank has appreciated 50% in the past year.

The camera on the front seat had depreciated 50%.

The gas is now worth $60 and the camera is worth $200.

I'm usually careful about hiding the camera.

Point is this... high gas prices are a PITA and I'm sure there will be more gas theft, but we still need to keep things in perspective.

Gas isn't 90% of our expenses and it isn't the best take for your local crackhead.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/5/08 11:29am
Msg #250123

Get a locking cap.

My son's gauge doesn't work well. He goes by how many miles are on the trip odometer.

He called me the other day and said he had to have his truck towed in...the truck died in the middle of the street.

Odometer indicated there were plenty of miles left 'til time to fill up.

His gas was undoubtedly siphoned.

Get a locking cap.

I'm picking up two this weekend.

Reply by ZeeCA on 6/5/08 11:45am
Msg #250130

Re: Get a locking cap. 4get that... they are now going

underneath and poling a hole in the gas line and siphoning that way... someone came into my backyard (TWO LOCKED GATES) and stole my self coiling hose... we figured it could cut up nicely into managable siphoning hoses that fit in a pocket... UGH

oh it can run hundreds of $$$$ to fix the poke holes...

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/5/08 11:48am
Msg #250132

True...however, I would think car alarms would help a bit

with that.

Reply by BrendaTx on 6/5/08 11:48am
Msg #250133

Okay - should also help with locking caps too.

Duh.

Reply by Gary_CA on 6/5/08 12:15pm
Msg #250135

Get a dog, a big dog.

Of course they eat more in a year than they protect, but that's beside the point.

Reply by ZeeCA on 6/5/08 1:16pm
Msg #250148

Re: True...however, I would think car alarms would help a bit

according to the news a car alarm does not do squat w/ them going underneath as they do not do anything but poke into it and it does not trigger the alarm.. the news here has been looking at options to protect yourself....

Reply by jba/fl on 6/5/08 1:19pm
Msg #250149

Put in GARAGE! Problem solved...of course,

if you have converted to more living space, or don't have at all - Big Lights!

Don't you just love that the media is giving everyone 'how-to' lessons on stealing gas, cars, breaking & entering, and so on?

Reply by MikeC/NY on 6/5/08 5:01pm
Msg #250177

Depends on the alarm...

Some car alarms are motion detectors - ever hear a loud clap of thunder, followed by car alarms going off? Alarms like that would definitely be set off by poking a hole in the gas tank.

I remember the gas shortages in the '80s, when there was a real problem with gas being siphoned from tanks in some areas and the first locking gas caps started to appear.

But I agree with Cali that the email is bogus - a good clue is that there's no verifiable information ("A woman said her son..." What woman? Where and when did this happen?). Also, most gas stations stopped self-service "pump-then-pay " back when gas prices went over $1/gal, so I can't imagine how a scenario like that could ever happen today.