Author Topic: Thieves. I hate 'em. (Read 7542 times)

grampster · « **on:** July 16, 2011, 10:28:41 PM »

I have one of those vinyl sheds. About 5' high, maybe 6' wide and 3'deep. A double door on the front. Really can't be secured properly. I keep my gas for the boats and yard work machines in there. It's alongside the garage, not easily seen because I have a bunch of bushy cedars on the lot line, and I have a yard light attached to the front of the garage lighting up the approach. The shed is in the dark.

I had six full 6 gallon plastic gas cans in there. Emphasis on had!!

I hadn't needed to use any gas for a couple weeks. Swmbo and I are gonna buzz around the lake in the ski boat to catch a nice breeze. I noticed I needed gas. I look in the shed and it's empty!!

Somebody raided the place and stole the whole kit and kaboodle. I hate thieves. Six container @ $10.00 bucks each = $60.00. 6 gallons of gas in each @ $3.80 a gallon =$137.00. $200.00 total, actually more like $340.00 as I didn't get a chance to use the gas.

The thing that bugs me the most is that it's not likely anyone passing by would know the shed is there or that I kept my gas in it. So it's probably some kid in the neighborhood who is familiar. I think that pisses me off more than anything because somebody I probably know did this; probably one of a couple or three or so kids that I've paid to do yard work...and I always even over paid 'em and helped 'em out from time to time. I hate thieves.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2011, 11:37:50 PM »

Sorry to hear that, Grampster. It's aggravating.

What's really aggravating, at least to me, is that people will risk arrest and maybe prosecution for something like that. If I were going to risk arrest, it would have to be for a couple of million. Otherwise, why bother?

The only petty crime I hate worse is vandalism. There's absolutely no sense to that.

grampster · « **Reply #2 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:05:52 AM »

I'm not even gonna report it to the gendarmarie. Wastes their time and mine. Now I gotta keep my gas in the garage again and I don't like to do that for evaporation purposes.
Swmbo says to take a couple cowbells we used to use at hockey games and tie a rope to them and hang 'em inside the door of the shed. Thief comes back and tries to open the doors, the cowbells will clang. Probably scare 'em off. Maybe I'll hire a short person to sleep in the shed with a shotgun.

Nahh, maybe a pit bull.

Monkeyleg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:18:07 AM »

Hire my dog. She barks at everyone.

What about adding something to the gasoline that would ruin the thieve's motor?

Jim147 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:31:04 AM »

I have a few people drive down my lane every year. I always stay on high alert afterwards.

But like you said, a few people know what I have and might come trying to get it one of these days.

jim

grampster · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:39:00 AM »

Dick,
That's a great idea. Get me another can and mix some gas with....hmmm. What would be a good substance to mix in with the gas?

AJ Dual · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:55:35 AM »

Quote from: grampster on July 17, 2011, 12:39:00 AM

Dick,
That's a great idea. Get me another can and mix some gas with....hmmm. What would be a good substance to mix in with the gas?

A mix of diesel some motor oil, water, and E85 would ruin most thieves day for whatever it was they tried to run the "gas" in.

Sugar is a myth. Whatever will actually dissolve will not do much. The gumming/caramelizing is not really going to happen. Bleach would really do a number on a small engine with oxidization and rapid rusting/corrosion, but enough to do the job also has a low, but real chance of spontaneous combustion/explosion.

bedlamite · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2011, 01:00:16 AM »

Quote from: grampster on July 17, 2011, 12:39:00 AM

What would be a good substance to mix in with the gas?

50/50 nitromethane and gas. It'll run way lean and melt a piston or two.

Of course E85 mixed with not quite enough water to start phase separation might cause a few problems too.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #8 on:** July 17, 2011, 01:01:40 AM »

That was my thought, max out the ethanol's ability to absorb the water.

KD5NRH · « **Reply #9 on:** July 17, 2011, 01:39:45 AM »

Quote from: grampster on July 17, 2011, 12:39:00 AM

Dick,
That's a great idea. Get me another can and mix some gas with....hmmm. What would be a good substance to mix in with the gas?

ISTR one of the THR or TFL posters regaling us with the account of finding his big gas can full of Ed's Red missing one day, and finding a car with a completely gummed up engine about two miles down the road.

Of course, for a diesel, some good biodiesel is said to have a tendency to dissolve all the crap settled out in the tank and lines, and carry it all into the engine.

Devonai · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2011, 06:09:05 AM »

Detcord on a tripwire. Sure, you destroy the shed and its contents, but no more thieves.

White Horseradish · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2011, 07:47:07 AM »

Funny you should say that.

I came out this morning to go to work and found the truck was rifled through. Nothing taken, nothing worth taking there. Still, seems worth a flogging.

KD5NRH · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2011, 11:28:51 AM »

Quote from: White Horseradish on July 17, 2011, 07:47:07 AM

I came out this morning to go to work and found the truck was rifled through. Nothing taken, nothing worth taking there. Still, seems worth a flogging.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16881621011

Probably less than your homeowners' insurance deductible, and worth every penny the first time it scares off a thief or gives you some nice HD video of one for the cops. You could save a few bucks on a 4-channel rig, but cameras are cheap, and once you have four, you'll soon come up with a spot where you really want another one.

vaskidmark · « **Reply #13 on:** July 17, 2011, 11:37:55 AM »

Cameras are nice, and essential if you want to get anything you can put up on YouTube.

But a handful of capacitors and some hair-thin wire scattered around is still more fun than the proverbial barrel of monkeys.

Old school and staying that way.

stay safe.

dogmush · « **Reply #14 on:** July 17, 2011, 12:40:43 PM »

Those are some cool ideas, but for the level of idiot that steals gas cans, I bet you could just leave a 5 gal jug of diesel there with "Gas" written on it in Sharpie and they'd dump it in their car.

kgbsquirrel · « **Reply #15 on:** July 17, 2011, 02:07:02 PM »

Quote from: dogmush on July 17, 2011, 12:40:43 PM

Those are some cool ideas, but for the level of idiot that steals gas cans, I bet you could just leave a 5 gal jug of diesel there with "Gas" written on it in Sharpie and they'd dump it in their car.

Actually.....

I needed some fuel cans for the big truck, I wanted to be able to carry an additional 60 gallons to it's 50 gallon main tank. Unfortunately they didn't have 12 of those yellow diesel cans. Or even one of them for that matter. I had to settle on 12, red, "gasoline" embossed, 5 gallon jugs. These were promptly filled with diesel and stabilizing/anti-gelling additive. I recently found (a month ago) 2 cans missing. None have gone missing since.

grampster · « **Reply #16 on:** July 17, 2011, 03:41:25 PM »

some very nice suggestions.

I do believe I may invest in another red gas can and fill it with a mix of diesel, 30 weight oil and a bit of water, and a bit of gas on top for smell

Bogie · « **Reply #17 on:** July 17, 2011, 03:57:26 PM »

Sugar doesn't dissolve very good in gasoline.

Karo syrup is -already- a liquid. And a bottle or two wouldn't hurt...

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2011, 04:59:30 PM »

Quote from: Bogie on July 17, 2011, 03:57:26 PM

Sugar doesn't dissolve very good in gasoline.

Karo syrup is -already- a liquid. And a bottle or two wouldn't hurt...

and that sounds like a voice of experience...... i've "heard "it works real good

never_retreat · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2011, 05:34:14 PM »

Quote from: Monkeyleg on July 17, 2011, 12:18:07 AM

What about adding something to the gasoline that would ruin the thieve's motor?

You could add linseed oil, whatever they put it in will smoke like a locomotive. If its a local person you will probably see it.
I've heard adding never seize to the engine oil will toast the motor, I don't know about putting it in the gas.
Whatever it is it has to make it through the fuel filter.

Viking · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2011, 06:57:30 PM »

Detcord, connected to some sort of switch that activates once the object placed on it is removed, unless disabled before. Running the detcord underneath the remaining cans should produce a charcoaled thief, right?

Tallpine · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2011, 08:32:57 PM »

One of the best stories I ever heard was two guys in a car stop to pick up a suitcase that some poor travelers had "forgotten" alongside the road (probably while changing a flat tire).

About a half mile farther down the road, the car suddenly stops, both doors fly open and the two guys jump out running...

followed by - a bobcat

Larry Ashcraft · « **Reply #22 on:** July 17, 2011, 08:52:16 PM »

OK, so...

How did somebody get a bobcat in a suitcase?

Hmmm?

Brad Johnson · « **Reply #23 on:** July 17, 2011, 09:04:34 PM »

Quote from: Bogie on July 17, 2011, 03:57:26 PM

Sugar doesn't dissolve very good in gasoline.

Karo syrup is -already- a liquid. And a bottle or two wouldn't hurt...

Sugar doesn't dissolve at all in gasoline. Karo is a water-based high concentrate sugar solution so it won't dissolve, either.

Shellac or parrafin wax, on the other hand...

Brad

Boomhauer · « **Reply #24 on:** July 17, 2011, 09:10:35 PM »

Quote from: Tallpine on July 17, 2011, 08:32:57 PM

One of the best stories I ever heard was two guys in a car stop to pick up a suitcase that some poor travelers had "forgotten" alongside the road (probably while changing a flat tire).

About a half mile farther down the road, the car suddenly stops, both doors fly open and the two guys jump out running...

followed by - a bobcat

There was a group of guys hanging out at a local gas station in my town...they had a bucket of (harmless) black snakes and a box of old purses and pocketbooks...they'd put a snake in the purse, set it by the road, and wait...some girl would come beebopping down the road in a rolling boombox, see the purse, stop and grab it and proceed down the road...and a few hundred feet down the road they'd here a scream and the driver's window would come down and the purse (and snake) would come flying out...they guys would retrieve the purse and repeat...

As for the original subject, it ought to be legal to shoot a thief...we have to deal with them frequently down here...so hard to catch them and get something done to them when you go along with the "lawful way".

News:

Author Topic: Thieves. I hate 'em. (Read 7542 times)