With gas prices pushing $5 a gallon in some parts of the country, it was only a matter of time before gas thieves became a problem. And they have — particularly for people who rent cars and trucks.
In Encinitas, Calif., thieves are stealing between 18 and 33 gallons of gas a week from a Budget franchise. Mark Lawso, the franchise owner, told the Coast News that the thieves cut the fuel lines to get to the gas.
Budget keeps the trucks full as a convenience for the customer, therefore there’s hundreds of gallons of gas just sitting there for the picking.
In Portland, Ore., thieves are siphoning off the gas from a U-Haul location almost every day, reports FOX Channel 12. U-Haul employee George Hatfield told the station the thieves are fearless.
They’re pretty ruthless; they like to drill holes in the tanks, which isn’t the safest idea. My manager does a walk-around in the morning, and there’s nothing gone. He’ll go back out in the afternoon; they’ll have gas cans out there and hoses sticking out of the trucks.
The likeliest targets are larger vehicles, according to the Napa Times-Herald.
“It’s a big problem,” car rental manager Tanisha Taylor told the paper. “Usually, it’s the 12-passenger vans, because they have the biggest tanks, and they’re evidently the easiest to siphon gas from.”
How do you steer clear of gas thieves?
Stay away from bigger vehicles, like SUVs, vans or trucks, if possible. Also, consider a fuel purchase option — which is a pretty good deal now that the major car rental companies have revised their rates — to cover your losses.
And make sure you’re insured. If someone cuts your fuel line, you’ll want to be covered.
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