# They siphoned our gas! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 20, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508 "2005-09-20T06:24:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/21 "2005-09-20T17:50:33Z")
2005 Subaru Baja. No lock, no latch. Open to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/22 "2005-09-20T21:28:55Z")
> [@EarthStone777](#): > > … In fact, I haven’t seen a vehicle built since the late 70’s where you could open the gas door from the outside. Every car I’ve had, and my parents, and all my friends, and even rentals have had locking gas caps, or secured gas doors. We visited my brother in Seattle for a week or so a couple of summers ago. Since we flew out there, and he lives close enough to work to bike there, he let us borrow his car to do sightseeing, etc. while we were there. We took a day trip to the Olympia peninsula one day, and had to stop for gas on the way. We pulled up to the gas pump, then spent about 15 minutes trying to find the lever inside the car to pop open the gas cap cover. I finally called him to find out where it was, and he said that all we needed to do was push on the cover itself. :smack: There _was_ no internal lever or lock of any kind. I don’t remember what kind of car it was, but it definitely wasn’t more than about three or four years old. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/23 "2005-09-20T21:30:39Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > My husband filled up the truck on Friday, for work on Saturday. He came home Sunday morning. We didn’t go anywhere on Sunday. > Today he needed to run some errands (send off my white elephant box, for one). > When he when out, the gas door was open and the gas cap hanging from its little tether. > He turned the key, and sure enough the low fuel light came on. That means the took just about 20 gallons. That was over $60.00! ( gas is $3.08 at the station we use) > How do you carry 20 gallons of gas? …( I keep telling everybody to invest in gas-tank booby traps. Nobody listens. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/24 "2005-09-20T22:36:03Z")
why do i keep hearing the OP title in the voice of the South Park people who lost their jobs to temporal immagrants? 😉 “They tuk’er jobs!” “They Siphoned’ur Gas!” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/25 "2005-09-20T22:51:05Z")
96 Saturn has the lever down on the floor by the drivers seat that opens the flap. 02 Land Rover Freelander had locking gascap that you have to use the _ingition_ key to open. Needless to say, I never forget to put the gascap back on. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/26 "2005-09-20T23:36:54Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I’ve noticed a trend. All the cars mentioned with no gas security device, (locking door or cap) are all American made. What’s that about? Cheap gas. Untill, oh about last month, gas was pretty cheap, and not worth hassle and risk of getting caught stealing. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/27 "2005-09-20T23:54:17Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They didn’t siphon our gas – someone ran off with the gas can I keep in our shed forvthe lawnmower. > > I now have a new one (those babies are _expensive_!). And a new lock on my shed. I think the answer to this is obvious. One gas can full of gasoline hidden well and one gas can containing a fine mixture of gasoline, water, and sugar kept in plain view. Stick it to the man (or thief, whatever)! ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/28 "2005-09-21T00:47:07Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I’ve noticed a trend. All the cars mentioned with no gas security device, (locking door or cap) are all American made. 2000 BMW Z3- no locking gas cap or fancy doo dad to keep it closed. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/29 "2005-09-21T01:24:22Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Be sure to watch your e-mails for the inevitable ‘Thief siphons the wrong tank on an RV’ story. 😛 That’ll be something to see. I hope they’ve got a camera rolling when the propane goes boom. Or did you mean the other wrong tank? > [@butler1850](#): > > ``` > 2005 Subaru Baja. > > ``` > > No lock, no latch. Open to anyone. See, that’s funny, because I’ve got a 95 Impreza and it’s got one of those levers inside you have to pull. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/30 "2005-09-21T02:04:18Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > He’s going to look for a combination lock. [Here ya go](http://www.leedobbs.com/rcap1.html)! ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/31 "2005-09-21T02:07:40Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I think the answer to this is obvious. One gas can full of gasoline hidden well and one gas can containing a fine mixture of gasoline, water, and sugar kept in plain view. Stick it to the man (or thief, whatever)! mix in some diesel and some vegetable oil as well, and you have a guaranteed gasoline engine killer… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/32 "2005-09-21T02:09:19Z")
> [@Palikia](#): > > One of the maintenance men where I work just got fired because he was caught stealing 5 gallons of gas from one of the company vehicles. He lost his paycheck and benefits for that and won’t get unemployment. He is very stupid and deserves all losses. Hope he enjoyed asking “Would you like fries with that?” ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/33 "2005-09-21T04:43:34Z")
My company has had incidents of gas being siphoned from work trucks. It is a nationwide company and it wasn’t happening in just one city. My car, a 04 Honda Civic EX, coupe has the tank door release on the inside of the car. However, my husbands 04 Toyota Tacoma does not have a locking gas cap or a locking tank door release. ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/34 "2005-09-21T04:44:00Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > 2005 Subaru Baja. > > No lock, no latch. Open to anyone. Veddy interesting. I have a 2003 Subaru Outback and mine is locked with a lever inside. ---
**Author:** ![Kiminy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Kiminy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiminy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/35 "2005-09-21T04:46:10Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They didn’t siphon our gas – someone ran off with the gas can I keep in our shed forvthe lawnmower. > > I now have a new one (those babies are _expensive_!). And a new lock on my shed. Mr. Kiminy just buys a gallon or so at a time for the lawnmower. If he buys more than will fit in the lawmower, it goes into his car (which has an inside latch to open the gas cap). The lawnmower does a few runs around the yard on one tankful, and I don’t like the idea of storing gasoline in the shed that is only a couple of yards from our bedroom wall. (This is a statement from a gal who used to drive a '65 VW Bug with a five-gallon spare gas can AND a full gas tank under the front hood of the car.) ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/36 "2005-09-21T04:51:47Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > \ **You know it’s getting bad when they hold up armored cars, leave the money and siphon off the gas.** :eek: Is that a current event, or something that happened in the '70s which I was too young to take in? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/37 "2005-09-21T05:21:36Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > I think the answer to this is obvious. One gas can full of gasoline hidden well and one gas can containing a fine mixture of gasoline, water, and sugar kept in plain view. Stick it to the man (or thief, whatever)! I am probably going to hell for this (among many other things) but I plan to suggest this to my husband when he wakes up. I’m sitting here, giggling at the thought of any thief who stole THIS can. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508/38 "2005-09-21T06:47:48Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > [Here ya go](http://www.leedobbs.com/rcap1.html)! I think I found somthing better than a locking gas cap. I was at Frye’s Electronics today and picked up an itty bitty window alarm. Its the kind that has a magnetic link, when the link is broken the 90 dB alarm sounds. It has an on off switch, so he can turn it off while driving, then on when the truck will be parked for a while. Its small enough to fit inside the housing where the gas cap lives. It may take some modifying to work, but i think I can. It may not be loud enough for us to hear in the house, but it should scare off any potential siphoners. And it was only $5.00. I’m so smart 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-siphoned-our-gas/322508.md?page=1)