The Latest New Crime - Stealing Petrol & Diesel

Most of the gas stations in my county has gone to pre-pay because of people driving off without paying. Now people are resorting to siphoning gas tanks of autos and irrigation tanks in the fields. My hubby went out to his truck last night to go visit with his parents awhile and found his tank had been hit. Right in our own driveway. He saw some kids running down the street with a gas can in their hands but they headed off into the woods when my hubby gave chase with my car. They can't siphon gas out of my car cause it has a special valve that won't let anyone put a tube down into the gas tank. However, if someone was crafty enough, they will cut the gas line leading from the tank to the engine and get the gas out that way. It's been done as well here. Don't think they can get to my gas line being my car's ground clearance is only 8". I'm leaving my porch light on all night now until we can get a new bulb for our security light. That light will light up the whole backyard plus our driveway.

Hmmm the way the diesel and petrol pricing are increasing i am sure youngester will do that to keep their bikes or car running. i know its weired but i am sure fuel is getting expensive item well i will be scolding gov, and worried about inflation but will get my fuel from pump and never think of stealing lets pray that fuel prices goes down

Hi Ellie-The rising prices are making it more tempting to steal,but unless it turns into "Mad Max" out there sometime soon,I'll keep buying it legally! You saw this article and heard this on the news last week,yes? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7471119.stm

I have heard that there is more people driving off from the pumps now....I would never dream of doing that....and it hasn't happened to me yet. There has to be a way to get this straightened out...some solution that doesn't take a lifetime to figure out....

This will continue as long as the price of gas keep going up. I will start to affect a lot of people and this will be the next news topic for news channels to speak on. No town will be to big or too small for this to start happening. As far as I know it has not started happening around here where I live but it could happen.

Whatever the price of fuel, I still wouldn't steal it - and I bet the majority of people feel the same way. I bet your mini crime wave is down to a hard core of a few offenders, who were up to no good long before fuel prices went up and have just changed their activities.

Hi there ellie, stealing is also very rampant here in our City..Lately, a couple of guy were arrested after getting in the pharmacy and some store around.I am sure the main reason is the crisis we are experiencing.And that is also true about stealing Petrol and Diesel.. If I am really broke, I will never end up stealing anything, I might be seeing myself begging to my family and relatives for assistance!

There have always been people who do this Ellie but the cost of fuel has gotten so high it has become much more prevalent and quite common! I wouldn't do this myself and i haven't had it happen but it is something we really have to be careful about and try to stop from happening as it is costing ordinary drivers millions of pounds a year already nationwide! xxx

I guess the cost has increased to the point where it is profitable to steal and sell fuel. These people are disgusting! Trying to profit at other people's expense. I know motorcycles are easy to steal from due to the exposed tank and pipe. Are they also stealing from cars as well?

I can imagine some people getting so desperate that they would steal. That is the thing: the worst hit in a situation like this is the people who are barely hanging on. Just scraping by and then getting hit by raising fuel costs can be a real killer. There will be two types of people soon: the rich and the poor. The rich will be able to survive and buy cheap real estate and then rent it to the people who can't afford their own homes! The objective we should all reach for it to get rich so we won't have to worry about anything!

I think that the rising costs of fuel do contribute to increases in the theft of fuel from vehicles and gas stations. I would not steal, but then again, I've never had to. When, I was low on money, I made sure I worked as hard as I could for the next check. And, it helped me learn to save for "a rainy day", in case an unexpected expense arose. I have not had anyone steal gas from my car, and I hope it doesn't happen. PearlGrace

It's been growing for some time, along with the cost of fuel. Some of our local garages are introducing the new card payment systems at the pumps. Our local Asda is fully automated. It reads your card before you can get fuel. Most of them have CCTV. It's a sad reflection on the Society we live in! No TRUST in any-one. I've not heard of a local rise in thefts from parked vehicles, but it wouldn't surprise me. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that those commiting the crimes, were 'selling on' to others either. There's always someone willing to buy cheap, no questions asked. I wouldn't be tempted to steal, or buy anything I suspected had been. I think my Grandmother would come back and haunt me if I did! I'd have to be 'starving' and totally without money, to even steal a sandwich from a shop.

I would not steal gas. But I do understand why people would steal it. The price is rediculous. In kentucky my husband watched the price of gas go from 3.99 to 4.28 in 8 hours. I feel some people work just to afford to go to work. Its crazy and something needs to be done.

Theft is theft, sandwich or petrol. Pretty soon people are going to make it difficult for others to be honest.

I don't have a car, so I wouldn't be tempted to steal. I guess not only the rise of the petrol or diesel only makes people steal, but also when people become unemployed, I think the most reason is unemployment.

This is happening round and about quite often now, and yes it is down to the price of petrol etc. We never have much in our tank, so no one would get owt from it! When I was a teen, this was pretty common where I lived it was how the car thieves survived, they would syphon from cars or do petrol burners. I would not be tempted to do it no, to get the petrol you have to use a tube, to get the petrol out you have to blow and suck down the tube and petrol does not taste nice. We have not had it happen to us no, but they can try if they like!

Well, it is sad that it has come to this. I don't think there is much of the stealing of gas yet right in the area where I live, but I think there might be a little more of the drive-off-without-paying customers. I have heard people saying that they are keeping their vehicle gas tanks only half or less than half full so that if someone decides to siphon gas from their tanks, it won't be very much and less of a financial loss to them. I am not tempted to steal, I am just trying to conserve gas use by walking and biking more. I don't know what we will all be pressured to do when it gets to over $10 a gallon for us. I am glad that I work at home and don't have to spend gas money to commute to work.

Hola Ellie Hope you had a good day at work. I think Its the rise in all prices that are cuasing this. No stealing just isnt worth the trouble, and I hate it when people steal from me. I may not have anythng but I do have my name values morals and to live with myself. Its better to go without than to steal. A theif is hand in hand with a lier. This is just another prime example of an economy in distress. Happy lotting your my lot. David :)

Sometimes poverty causes the people to steal in order to survive.But i will never do that.I would rather beg than to steal.Maybe the rising of the fuel is one of the reason why people are tempted to steal,i am not sure but it could be.

Hello,Ellie!I am living in china now.Glad to join in your discussion.The prices become higher and higher too from last year in our country, one of which is the price of meat.And the new crime appears,just as what you have mentioned.But it is not petrol,it is pig.From last year,there are several crimes of stealing pigs from farms! Forgiving for my poor english.