Thieves Drill Into Gas Tanks For Fuel
05-15-2006, 05:24 PM
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Thieves Drill Into Gas Tanks For Fuel
SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, 2006 - Thieves are sinking to a new low -- they're tapping gas tanks on cars to steal supplies of gasoline. The practice is frustrating car owners in San Francisco and San Jose.
It's a tiny hole costing a big chunk of change.
"It takes about $600 to replace that tank. It is very sad," Anthony Vera, a gas theft victim, said.
He says it's sad that thieves have resorted to drilling straight into gas tanks in order to steal fuel.
"I drove around the neighborhood to see if anyone else had anything similar, and just noticed a couple Dodge 1500's just like mine that had the same thing. They just took a drill and went right here," Vera said.
Dodge service manager Ron Moore says he's not surprised.
"With the prices the way that they are, I'm sure it'll start happening a lot more," Moore said.
He's had two truck owners, in addition to Vera, come to him with similar scenarios -- indicating the old days of siphoning gas are over.
"Now they can't siphon it, because there's a rollover ball inside the tank. But this is the first year they got this sophisticated," Moore said.
Sophisticated and dangerous.
"If a spark comes of the drill or something, start whoever's doing it on fire," Moore said.
That's exactly how fire officials believe a fire started back in January. Three Sacramento postal service trucks caught on fire after suspected thieves drilled into their gas tanks.
While his truck will get a new tank, Vera fears this could be the beginning of an expensive trend.
"My biggest fear, really, is that you can replace that tank and they can come back and do it two weeks from now," Vera said.
It's a tiny hole costing a big chunk of change.
"It takes about $600 to replace that tank. It is very sad," Anthony Vera, a gas theft victim, said.
He says it's sad that thieves have resorted to drilling straight into gas tanks in order to steal fuel.
"I drove around the neighborhood to see if anyone else had anything similar, and just noticed a couple Dodge 1500's just like mine that had the same thing. They just took a drill and went right here," Vera said.
Dodge service manager Ron Moore says he's not surprised.
"With the prices the way that they are, I'm sure it'll start happening a lot more," Moore said.
He's had two truck owners, in addition to Vera, come to him with similar scenarios -- indicating the old days of siphoning gas are over.
"Now they can't siphon it, because there's a rollover ball inside the tank. But this is the first year they got this sophisticated," Moore said.
Sophisticated and dangerous.
"If a spark comes of the drill or something, start whoever's doing it on fire," Moore said.
That's exactly how fire officials believe a fire started back in January. Three Sacramento postal service trucks caught on fire after suspected thieves drilled into their gas tanks.
While his truck will get a new tank, Vera fears this could be the beginning of an expensive trend.
"My biggest fear, really, is that you can replace that tank and they can come back and do it two weeks from now," Vera said.
05-15-2006, 05:42 PM
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I don't know why we are crying about gas prices already. In europe (i.e. Denmark) A liter of gas costs almost 3 dollars. In addition to the fact that our car over there would cost near 100,000 dollars. We have it made. I can't believe people feel the need to steal already...
05-15-2006, 05:43 PM
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Well at least our tanks are not that easy to get to. You'd need to jack the car up. A little incentive to just pass and hit yer average Ford with half the tank exposed under the trunk for all to see. 
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