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

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

 

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.

 

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.

 

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

 

Sucks, Evan!

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

 

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...

 

Then they will steal his photons!

Tom

 

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.

 

Re: Robbed!

Evan, you're getting old! I do this sort of thing all of the time. A good idea comes into my head, I take action, and it turns out I've done it already. I don't know how many times I've taken some useful item to our boat, looked about for a good place to store it, and once settled, discovered the same item already in that spot. I'm not that old - old age is going to be a bitch.

Tom

 

Re: Robbed!

Evan,

I am sorry to hear of this -- not just for the monetary loss, but moreso for the fact someone just helped themselves to your property without the politeness to say hello. My guess is that you'd be more than willing to share with someone who really needed some gasoline.

Two suggestions (or seconds, because I think they've been mentioned before):

1. If you are storing flammables, such as gasoline (or many paints), you should store them in a metal cabinet. This is really a safety issue. Locking the cabinet also is a safety precaution, especially if there are children around, but also it would deter the petty thief.
2. You should report the theft. It is, after all, a theft. Perhaps it is just some kids thinking that this is an easy way to get gasoline. In that case, it would be better to have them caught now before they think this is a good and easy way to get what they want (without consequences). If it turns out to be someone absolutely desperate and without a place to turn, you may decide to help them and/or not press charges. If I were your neighbor, I'd like to know that you would report theft so that the police would be informed about the activity and looking for the person who may have done this.

 

Re: Robbed!

If you can find the scripts.

 

And an edit, of sorts:

OK. Don't report the theft.

Still, please consider using a metal cabinet for storage. If the cans are large, then just try a metal cage.

 

Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
And now that everybody knows where you live and where you hide your stuff...

 

"Local doctor makes crank call to police; details at 11..."

 

I grew up in a small town that had a weekly newspaper. I had it mailed to me when I went off to college. I'll never forget the day the guys on my floor got hold of the paper's police report section. There was a straight reprint of the local officer's write-up of the theft of pink flamingo lawn ornaments. Because of the town's size (and the obviousness of the flamingo(e)s), it was pretty clear who reported the theft.

And, yes, the same paper still prints the same reports.