Robbed!--Never mind, I'm an idiot!

[efusco]

Ok, we live in a fairly rural area, down at the very end of a cul-du-sac in a good neighborhood. Very little non-neighbor traffic.

I have a small gas generator for emergencies that I keep outside under a car port and had about 3 or 4, 5-gallon cans of gas lined up near the generator under the car port. Someone looking from the road (about 100 yards from the car port) would notice the bright red cans, but you'd really have to be looking I think.

Now, I just noticed/became aware this morning that all my gas cans were gone. In hind site I'm pretty sure they've been gone for a couple of weeks as I can't remember seeing the gas cans out there other times, but it just didn't register that they were missing until today.

I'm kind of shocked/pissed, of course. But I guess I"m glad they didn't take anything else...the generator for instance. Haven't decided if I should report it to the cops or not...I'm sure I'll never get the cans or gas back and I'm sure they can't catch who did it...or at least can't prove they stole ours. But I don't know if it's important to report it for purposes of letting the cops look for a pattern...somehow I think they're not interested in a petty crime like this.

[qbee42]

That has happened up here in our tiny village. The high price of gasoline is making people do really stupid things. One of my neighbors saw someone get out of a truck, grab a gas can from my neighbor's porch, get back in the truck, and drive away. Since he was there to see it, he called the police. It is petty theft, but it's the principle of the whole thing that bothered him. In this case the perpetrators were caught.

I would call the police. The information may help them, and if something else turns up missing you have the first report.

Tom

[Proco]

Oh, man. That really sucks, E. You're probably right that the police wouldn't necessarily investigate it, but it probably would be worthwhile to file a report anyway. As you said, there might be a pattern.

Or at least a broke Hummer driver.

[thepolarcrew]

Call them and see. They might just blow it off, and attribute it to kids. You need a steel cabinet with locks for you cans and generator. That could be next.

How hard is to get to your yard from the back, might be looking that direction too.

I keep my stuff out in a shop, they get past the dogs they can help themselves. If they take something of value, I will call my insurance company. The gas I would chalk up to some one running out more than out right theft where I live.

I would report major theft.

[KK6PD]

I would leave another can of gas out there, this time load it up with sugar!!!!!

When they use it it will screw up the carb or injectors.

I would also add a little corvus oil, that way as they burn it in their engine, it will smoke like a bandit, and make him VERY NOTICIBLE!!!


Don't get mad, get even!!!

73 de Pat KK6PD

[darelldd]

Sucks, Evan!

I'd consider teaching them a REAL lesson, and put up solar.

[jps000]

To be honest, given what you had out there, a bunch of gas cans is nothing. To feel better about the whole thing, I'd say say to myself, man, you are that desperate for gas, take it.

The poor man gets screwed in this country, I ain't gonna mess up someone's carburetor over a bunch of gas...

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by darelldd

Sucks, Evan!

I'd consider teaching them a REAL lesson, and put up solar.

Then they will steal his photons!

Tom

[efusco]

Ok, just went out to look....apparently I'm a little smarter than I thought...I hid/protected the cans under the same tarp as I use to cover the generator...totally forgot I'd done that. (the cans had been uncovered all winter).

So, nothing stolen, I'm embarrassed...but maybe I'm now aware that I need to chain down the generator at least.

To answer the other questions...No access to the back in any practical way...there is a road separated by a fence and some fairly dense trees/brush. A truely determined sole would go that way I guess if they wanted to be a little less conspicuous, but it would be a PITA for what they'd get.


There's a street view pic there too...you can see the reddish/brown car port way back behind our house. If you back out you can see that there's nothing but dense woods leading to a steep hillside. For all practical purposes there's only one way to access our property.

[Bill Lumbergh]

Good thing you didn't report it....otherwise you might have been arrested for stealing from yourself.

I guess this means your neighborhood is still safe.