Assholes that steal extension cords in winter should be eligible for life in prison.

The BBQ Pit
61

The cords are obviously being stolen by someone in your complex who is using the cord probably for the very same purpose.

So, can you mark the cord in some way, so that the thief will be less likely to take yours? For instance, if you get an orange cord, get a few permanent sharpies and draw a design on the cord… Maybe a black, blue and red line that is “wrapped” around the cord and cannot be removed easily, if at all.

A permanently marked cord will be easy to spot if someone takes it, making it less likely someone will steal it and use it outdoors, anyway.

That, and parking on the cord would do the trick.

The bastard.

62

Never mind. Two weeks ago I chopped mine up with the snowblower. It took about 15 minutes to untangle from the blades and blade axle. Cold work barehanded at -30 windchill.

63

I did that last year!

64

This depends on the quality of the diesel fuel you get where you live. Our winter diesel fuel is supposed to work properly down to -32C, and it seldom gets colder than that here.

OTOH, a modern diesel engine provides very little excess heat, so it takes ages before the engine warms up and your heater blows anything but sub-arctic air. With a block heater, the car starts to deliver warm(ish) air after just a few minutes’ driving. That’s why new Toyotas sold here come standard with a diesel heating unit, to warm up the engine faster while driving cold, and my Mitsubishi purportedly is equipped with an electrical heating coil in the coolant system (and based on the time it takes to warm up from a cold start, I’m inclined to believe it).

65

First you unplug the extension cord from the wall, since it’s what you’ll be stealing. Then you cut the connector off the block heater cord with a pocket knife or leatherman, leaving the extension cord free and intact, but with a padlock still on it. Take the cord home and cut off the lock with a dremel tool. For safety, do not plug in the dremel tool with the same cord you’re cutting the lock off of.

66

The first time I took a look around the block, couldn’t see it being used by anyone else. Second time I had initialed the cord (yeah, I dunno what that would do, but my parents insisted). Now that I’m on the third cord I take it with me.

67

I’m curious - why do you assume it’s someone in the same complex?

68

Well, i have no proof, but I wouldn’t think that someone would be driving around in sub-zero temperatures to jump out of their car and steal an extension cord. It would make more sense to me that this is a crime of opportunity and need… Someone doesn’t have a cord, can’t get their car started, so they walk around until they see a cord that can be easily “borrowed” to use on their own car… They plug it in, heat up their own engine block and go, and they could roll up the cord and toss it in their trunk for future use.

I don’t think someone is going around steeling extension cords because they need a few extra around the house for the holidays, but I guess that could be possible.

69

I’m pretty sure I understand why someone would steal an extension cord - because they were born without a soul.

70

I didn’t see your post, but this is what I would do too. Put the cord in my trunk. It sucks that you have to do that, as I would think this is one of life’s unwritten rules, but it is just easier to keep it in your trunk… That still doesn’t keep someone from stealing it unless you park the car over the cord as it is being used, but you minimize the cord’s time out in the open.

I probably would have marked the cord too, even if that isn’t exactly going to stop someone that really wants it. But the thief may not have noticed your initials, and just took it. If the cord was wrapped in some different color electrical tape or something, they may just decide to take the next one and not yours.

Then again, maybe not. But it’s worth a try.

71

Here’s a thought - get a cord, cut the plug off. Feed the cord through the links of a chain, leaving some slack at the end of the chain. Put a new plug on the end, one that’s too large to be pulled back through the links. Lock the end of the chain around the outlet post.

Another diagram:




Cord with plug removed    D=========
Chain                     OOOOOOOOOO

Cord fed through chain, with some slack left at the end.  
Put new plug (Ɑ) on cord after threading through chain:
Slack left in cord to plug into outlet
   |
   |
   ˅
D====                 ===Ɑ
      \              /
       \            /
        \          /
OOOOOOOOOƟƟƟƟƟƟƟƟƟƟ
   ^
   |
   |
Slack left in chain to wrap and lock around post.

If after this, someone still steals your cord, they just wanted it more.

72

It may be a crime of opportunity, but it’s not a crime of immediacy: normally, when it’s -25 and the car isn’t starting, you need to run the block heater for an hour or two to get it started.