Petrol prices hurting your wallet? Try stealing it instead!

September 19, 2005 7:15 AM

Petrol prices hurting your wallet? Try stealing it instead! A Sydney man has been accused of siphoning 1,000 litres (265 gallons) of fuel from a service station into a large home-made tank in his van. Police allege the 36-year-old man used a Toyota Town Ace van to take petrol from a service station's underground tanks. Another 44,000 litres of fuel (or there about) is yet to be accounted for though.

Police allegedly found fittings and equipment inside the van that could be used to steal petrol from service stations, including a home made tank.

Hard times huh? Sorry there's no photo to go with this. The guy's van is an awesome sight though. Best I've got is streaming video via ABC News (Windows HQ or LQ).
posted by sjvilla79 (25 comments total)

Crikey!
posted by Rothko at 7:17 AM on September 19, 2005

Well, he could just like driving for a really long time.
posted by cleverusername at 7:31 AM on September 19, 2005

Somebody in my neighborhood lost two tanks in two days to siphoning (daily heights). That's probably 40 gallons with just a piece of rubber hose.
posted by eddydamascene at 7:44 AM on September 19, 2005

Yeah, I heard there have been alot more drive offs (the gas equivalent of the dine and dash) back on the east coast since Katrina caused all the price spikes.

It will only get worse until we have cops stationed at police stations gaurding the precious, precious petroletum.
posted by fenriq at 8:00 AM on September 19, 2005

<pedant> Pump != Siphon. Siphons can only move liquid in a net downward direction. </pedant>

I wonder how many loads of fuel he would have to steal to make up the cost of all that equipment? I guess if he's really managed to pull off such a brazen stunt ~45 times, he's probably well into the black.
posted by Western Infidels at 8:19 AM on September 19, 2005

I wonder how many loads of fuel he would have to steal to make up the cost of all that equipment?

I'm sure he's reselling it, so yeah, he's probably recouped his investment nicely by now.
posted by Faint of Butt at 8:34 AM on September 19, 2005

It's possible he didn't pay for the equipment. If someone that has access to the equipment already made for it (like someone who drives the fuel trucks -- that probably don't make a lot of $$), then it wouldn't be very hard. Since large transport trucks (like a semi) use diesel often, and a fuel trucker probably talks to many other truckers, he knows where to sell it.
posted by cleverusername at 8:45 AM on September 19, 2005

Someone in an earlier thread mentioned that there are grey market resellers who have modified vans that haul gas out to rural areas. Maybe I read it on Fark

/oh the shame
posted by craniac at 8:56 AM on September 19, 2005

Didn't George Miller put out a documentary about this guy back in '81?
posted by clawtros at 9:12 AM on September 19, 2005

That's what, less than <$1,000? There's got to be a better way to steal $1,000. That would have made one cool explosion though.
posted by geoff. at 10:15 AM on September 19, 2005

Or just check out GasTips, GasBuddy, or the other people tracking down cheap gas. People often stupidly pay more at one place when they could drive a couple miles and pay much cheaper.

Disclaimer: I work for GasTips...it's my pet project within this company. I've linked to a competitor to be fair. Also, we're just starting in the American market, whereas they've been going there for a while, so do whatever helps you most.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:37 AM on September 19, 2005

I have a friend who siphoned gas for a while. He actualy built a cig-lighter powered pump that would extract the gas and pump it directly into his car. Took ten minute and he was able to stay in the car the whole time.

Just thought that was kind of intresting.
posted by delmoi at 11:54 AM on September 19, 2005

I've been doing drive-offs for some time now. I only do it at places where I know for a fact that the cashier isn't charged for it, and I know I can get away.
posted by Lusy P Hur at 12:21 PM on September 19, 2005

Ironic that it's Australia.


I'm pretty close to doing this myself though. But I wouldn't want to hurt the retailer.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:59 PM on September 19, 2005

That guy sucks.
posted by dreamsign at 2:49 PM on September 19, 2005

I've been doing drive-offs for some time now.

You're a complete loser. You're raising the gas price for all of us, as well as the cost of business insurance. Dipshit.

As well, can you guarantee you won't panic?
posted by Kickstart70 at 4:09 PM on September 19, 2005

Ah, that explains it - I heard this on the news the other night, where they said he'd tried to steal 2000 litres. And I thought "how the hell can you fit a 2000l tank in a Townace? Maybe a bit over 1000l, if you custom-built a tank in the back. And that'd be one heavy mother to drive - a swb Hiace has 1000kg payload, and a Townace is smaller."

Mind you, the article makes the charge sound like they're using RIAA maths - a 1000l tank, and he's charged with stealing 45000l? Is that because he had the potential to steal 45000l, or did the attendant just not see him the first 44 times?
posted by Pinback at 5:43 PM on September 19, 2005

You're raising the gas price for all of us
Let's leave the namecalling on Fark. With that said, I hardly think pointing the finger at people like me is the most efficient use of your time if you want to start complaining about those responsible for driving up the cost of gas.
posted by Lusy P Hur at 5:53 PM on September 19, 2005

Pinback, there's still 44,000 litres missing which they assume he has also stolen. Most likely it has been sold on.
posted by sjvilla79 at 8:19 PM on September 19, 2005

Factor in that we're paying 2/3's more than what you are, average price in Australia last week was AU$1.35/L (~ US$4.10 gallon), not at UK levels, but it's still pricey.
posted by oliyoung at 8:26 PM on September 19, 2005

Let's leave the namecalling on Fark. With that said, I hardly think pointing the finger at people like me is the most efficient use of your time if you want to start complaining about those responsible for driving up the cost of gas.

Actually, it is, because if everybody stole gas, then there would be no gas to steal.
posted by calwatch at 10:34 PM on September 19, 2005

I work at a building in the heart of Silicon Valley* where, next door, there is a company that has five or six delivery vans that they use in going to customer sites. I was chatting with one of their employees the other day, and she said that on three different occasions now someone has come by at night, cut the fuel hoses on the vans, and drained them of their gasoline. I guess that rather than take trouble (and potential mouthful of gasoline) the thieves has taken to simply slashing the rubber hose that runs from the gas cap to the tank. I'm told the thieves have a van with a large home-made tank in it, and they sell the gasoline that they steal for about US$1.00 per gallon.

* Sunnyvale, California
posted by nlindstrom at 10:49 PM on September 19, 2005

I've been doing drive-offs for some time now. I only do it at places where I know for a fact that the cashier isn't charged for it, and I know I can get away.

My, what a prince you are.

Your "victimless crime" rationalization doesn't wash, loser. If there's any justice, your habitual theft will soon result in civil action, fines, and the loss of your driver's license.
posted by dhartung at 10:59 PM on September 19, 2005

"I've been doing drive-offs for some time now." -- Lusy P Hur

I'm torn between my hatred of cops and my hatred of thieves. But anyhow, fuck you, thief.
posted by ryanrs at 4:36 AM on September 20, 2005

cut the fuel hoses on the vans

Damn, there goes my rationale for using a locking gascap.

What's next, alternating days sitting in a line to buy gas before drive-off jerk-off drains the tank?
posted by redneck_zionist at 3:35 PM on September 20, 2005