So I got a call today from a young man today that said he knew of some punks that have been stealing gas. The fuel is locked up with lock and chain, however, what they do is hold the handle open just enough and hold a 5 gallon can under it. I know there are special locks for fuel nozzles so that is on the list for friday. I am at the shop now, waiting to see if they show. This has been going on for some time. I now know where they live. Do I catch them red handed or swing by for a visit on saturday??/
Catch em red handed and call the cops.
agreed bring the .45 along for company
.45 would sure get their attention, but could be trouble if you were holding them at gunpoint when the fuzz showed up.
i do have some 12 gauge rock salt loads. what about contaminating the fuel?? it would be a little trouble but the only thing we use gas for is the jumping jacks, plates and saws. so we could get by. they also stole our beer all winter out of the shop fridge and we wired the handle with 110 and set up some expanded wire on the floor but it didn't work. everthing is locked up in containers but they still get to hand tools and other stuff. oh yeah , here in colorado we have a make my day law.
Hi Colorado Digger, I don't know what a make my day law is but what about hireing a local deputy to watch your place for a few nights. I would sure hate to kill a kid over a tank of gas. Sugar in the gas will surely turn their engine into a boat anchor.
Hi, I'm new to this site (1st post!), but if they are kids, and you know where they live, you might try to set up one of those infrared, motion-activated cameras to "capture" them on video, and send a copy of the video with a bill ($$) for the missing fuel, beer, tools, etc. to their parents with an ultimatum: PAY the Bill ($$) OR the evidence will be turned over to the law for prosecution to the fullest extent.
I had a thief that was stealing me blind on diesel.He was raiding a 615 scrapers tank that didn`t have a lock on it.We finally figured out someone was robbing us after about a week of it. The fuel truck fed our machines right before we went home from work.At 8:30 the next morning the scraper hand was out of fuel. Locks were put on every machine. We parked the vehicles in line the next night.The next mornin in the dirt were the tracks of a vehicle with wide mud tread tires and the footprints right up to every machine. We never did catch the culprits.....
Get yourself a game camera that takes infrared pics so they don't see the flash. Stealing beer is a major offense! If they tried that here I would lay down a line of fire on them all the way out the lane. Just aim low and not too close so nobody gets hurt too bad. A good run through the brush is a real effective anti theft lesson! Had a young fella siphoning fuel out of my old farm truck years back. When I got done with him I had to pay a fine for assault but the word got around quick. I still have his siphon pump today. The Amish kids around here know I have 15 and 50 shot clips and will use them. A few practice rounds every now and again keeps them aware.
Just for fun i wikied 'make my day law' You Americans are blessed with some interesting laws! hahahaha for instance, depending on your state, brandishing a firearm is not allowed. However, cocking a shotgun and shooting the assailant is allowed. It particularly funny for me because in Ontario, you go to jail for even thinking vengeance. Seems like around here, if someone needs to steal gas, the only thing your allowed to do is make sure your tank is full for them. You can also supply the container, but it should be an approved container
I fear we in the USA are headed towards Canadian Socialism by way of our current Executive and Legislative branch
probably needed 220 with wet floor
Had this issue on a pipeline site a while ago, diesel being fecked every night ,so what we did was stopped filling the equipment at night but at one 6"water pump that wasn't being used we left 3x25lts drums of green diesel (rebated) with 5 lts of acid in each drum,the drums remained there for a week then disappeared. Awhile later I heard of a farmer whose tractor engine was completely ruined the term "beyond economical repair" was used to describe the resulted mess, can't say Iwas sorry for him though.
Sugar in the gas is a myth. It won't do anything. I would set up cameras. Bleach in fuel will do some damage though. Gotta love myth busters (great show).
I know that h2so4 works!
contaminate the fuel is the best solution. maybe swap the diesel and gasoline labels. just be careful not to contaminate your own machine. btw a booby trap that kills will get you a murder II rap. but it is your fuel and you can contaminate it if you want to.
Hi EGman, I have to admit I don't have any first hand experience with sugar and fuel but a Nevada rancher told my dad that he lost an engine in an HD 11 from sugar.
fuel thief hey guys, this forum is great. everybody does the same thing but in different parts of the world. thank you guy's for the advice. i can finger the thief but am waiting on catching him red handed. i have the infared camara ordered. it is tough b/c you can see it during the day. we are trying to figure out where to put it without telling any of the guys, just to see exactly who who faithfull to the bossman. i don't know. everybody here is a pro so i am going on wh and at you guy's think. i could go grab the guy tomarrow, but i want fotos and red handed. let me know.. thank you.... davidd don't forget it is colorado.. make my day
I beg to differ,... I looked up the mythbuster story, and I don't know about gas, but I work with a guy who had a turbo-Diesel pick-up and left it in the lot one night while he borrowed a company flatbed. Someone who didn't like him put sugar in his tank (evidence of residual crystals under fuel cap doors and on running boards.) He lives near me, and next day after work I was behind him on the way home. He didn't get 2 miles and that engine siezed-up solid and stopped dead in the road. Couldn't be repaired or at least not as cheaply as buying a new engine...
Make sure you let us know how this turns out.
Yea for those of us "who aren't allowed make your day stuff " and only get our fixes from reruns of Dirty Harry or Die Harder movies it will be great to get a commentary on a blow by blow basis, :tong