Gas For Less Money

“How can it be on empty, I just filled it up…?”

Years ago, if someone was stuck out of gas, they might resort to trying to syphon gas from another car. Maybe a half-gallon. Unscrew the gas cap, syphon. Gas was under a buck…

With gas over $4.00 per gallon and rising, your gas tank has more money in it than most people carry in their wallet - which makes an attractive target for thieves.

Worse, few cars have a simple screw-top gas cap that isn’t protected by a locked panel. This means at the very least, the thief must force it open, usually damaging it. In many cases, the thief won’t even try to pry it open before simply drilling through the tank with a portable batter-powered drill! Replacing the gas tank might run $500, on top of the $50-$80 in gas that was stolen.

The Associated Press ran a story recently, “Thieves Drill For Gas In Car Tanks“.

According to one auto repair shop owner, “That’s the new fad,” he said. “I’d never seen it before gas got up this high.”

Experts say there’s no surefire way to ward off thieves thirsting for your $4-a-gallon-and-rising gas, but AAA offers these tips:

• Park your vehicle in a garage, attended parking lot or in a lighted area.
• Vary your parking routine
• Check the fuel gauge when returning to your vehicle to make sure gas hasn’t been stolen.