Fuel thieves target gas stations

[Schmoe]

victimless crime?? Seriously????

What industry needs to do is install odd bolt patterns on the fill ports akin to fire hydrants. They use pentagon shaped bolts. Recently they are changing out to an electronic type of lock. Without the electronic key, akin to a car, you can't open any valves.

 

[jrustles]

Yes, victimless! Entirely victimless, like bank robberies.

 

[Win]

I suppose I'm just stupid this morning.

If someone pulls up to my c store, parks over the fillers, and siphons 500 gallons out of a tank, how am I not a victim of a crime?

No one gives me gas for free, I have to pay for it.

 

[jrustles]

So someone fronts up all the cash for the tank of gasoline at your local Mobil, BP?

 

[Win]

Huh?

Yeah, I pay for my all my gas. They draft it out of my bank account.

You think they give it away for free?

How am I not a victim of a crime if someone pulls over my fillers and siphons it from a UST?

 

[jrustles]

Okay, convenience store, I gotcha but what about large chain, branded vendors that get calls from head office every few hours to adjust their price all day for competition, who is the poor sap that paid already for the tankload of fuel that is now 'riding' the market according to head office's call??? Are these stations all franchise owned, and is the franchiser assuming all the risk?

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
They use pentagon shaped bolts. Recently they are changing out to an electronic type of lock. Without the electronic key, akin to a car, you can't open any valves.

That sounds like a decent idea. Perhaps they could also have the fill necks surrounded by bollards so someone doing this with a van wouldn't be able to sit there and look like a parked vehicle.

 

[Win]

If the property owner owns the tanks, lines, dispensers, and fuel in the ground, as I do, I eat the loss.

If the property owner has allowed someone else to set the tanks, lines, dispensers, and fuel in the ground, to avoid the horrific costs for very little ROI on motor fuels sales, then whoever owns that fuel, eats the loss.

But somebody eats the loss.

Motor fuel is not free.

When property is stolen, it's not a victimless crime.

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: Win


But somebody eats the loss.

After the production, motor fuel is not free, you're right. Meaning that up until the moment some third party takes possession, and assumes risk, then it remains a victimless crime.

Put another way, once the 98.771% profit margin has been made by the producer by selling it to a third party or a franchisee, then it's off limits IMO.


BUT if the fuel is sitting in a "oil company" owned tank, on their property, with a real time price set by them, then my assertion remains

I surely hope people that decide to do this type of thing do not target the indys like you, though

 

[Win]

 

[IndyIan]

But even if its a nearly insignificant crime, for a big oil company to absorb, you can bet the poor guy at the till will get a warning or threat that he'd better watch out for theft, and then you get the situation like in Toronto a while back, where the station attendent got run over trying to stop a gas and go.

If you think gas is overpriced, don't buy any.

 

[John_K]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
Originally Posted By: Win


But somebody eats the loss.

After the production, motor fuel is not free, you're right. Meaning that up until the moment some third party takes possession, and assumes risk, then it remains a victimless crime.

Put another way, once the 98.771% profit margin has been made by the producer by selling it to a third party or a franchisee, then it's off limits IMO.


BUT if the fuel is sitting in a "oil company" owned tank, on their property, with a real time price set by them, then my assertion remains

I surely hope people that decide to do this type of thing do not target the indys like you, though

The crime is a loss the second the oil is pumped from the earth. People have spent money and time extracting it, so any loss is a crime, period.

John

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted By: jrustles


BUT if the fuel is sitting in a "oil company" owned tank, on their property, with a real time price set by them, then my assertion remains

So the oil company cannot be a victim in your twisted version of the world?

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
After the production, motor fuel is not free, you're right. Meaning that up until the moment some third party takes possession, and assumes risk, then it remains a victimless crime.

Put another way, once the 98.771% profit margin has been made by the producer by selling it to a third party or a franchisee, then it's off limits IMO.


That's like saying that stealing grain out of a farmer's silo is a victimless crime. Here's your account, with a different twist...

After the harvest, grain is not free, you're right. Meaning that up until the moment the ag supply store takes possession, and assumes risk, then it remains a victimless crime.

Put another way, once the 98.771% profit margin has been made by the farmer by selling it to the ag supply store, then it's off limits IMO.

Crops, like oil, are commodities. The price of corn and grain changes all the time, just like the price of oil changes all the time. So it's okay to steal grain from the farmer, but not from the ag supply store? In other words, you can steal from the producer, but not from the reseller? Hmm...

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
After the production, motor fuel is not free, you're right. Meaning that up until the moment some third party takes possession, and assumes risk, then it remains a victimless crime.

Why can the oil company not be a victim if it's sitting in an oil company's tank? I dare you to go and steal some fuel from an Imperial Oil tank. When a Canadian judge orders you to pay restitution to Imperial Oil, you'll find out that they are, indeed, the victim.

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: KrisZ
Originally Posted By: jrustles


BUT if the fuel is sitting in a "oil company" owned tank, on their property, with a real time price set by them, then my assertion remains

So the oil company cannot be a victim in your twisted version of the world?


Precisely!

Banks and oil companies exclusively, cannot be victims by definition "in my world, and I'm not here to apply noble defenses for those two entities under any circumstance.

 

[jrustles]

Originally Posted By: Garak
When a Canadian judge orders you to pay restitution to Imperial Oil, you'll find out that they are, indeed, the victim.


lol. hundreds of thousands of humans who have had their lives taken for monopolistic commercial ventures of both banks and petroleum conglomerateas; the most profitable entities in human history-- are not victims worth thinking about. The pricing conspiracy that is in no way related to cost of production-at all- is inconsequentaial to us all. But Exxon mobil losing out on an infinitesimally small sum of PROFIT is the victim.


okay. lets use our own independent will and volition to defend that party

 

[accent2012]

Originally Posted By: IndyIan

If you think gas is overpriced, don't buy any.


That's like saying if food is too expensive, don't eat anything...

People are gonna steal. Some do it out desperation.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: accent2012
Originally Posted By: IndyIan

If you think gas is overpriced, don't buy any.


That's like saying if food is too expensive, don't eat anything...

People are gonna steal. Some do it out desperation.

I'm sure some people tell themselves they have no choice but to steal gas, but I doubt many couldn't have come up with a better choice if they made some better plans.
Don't live where you need a car... or get a moped, or ride a bike.
I guess car-centric urban planning makes it difficult not to have a car in some cities, so maybe move to a city that is bikeable?

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: jrustles
lol. hundreds of thousands of humans who have had their lives taken for monopolistic commercial ventures of both banks and petroleum conglomerateas; the most profitable entities in human history-- are not victims worth thinking about. The pricing conspiracy that is in no way related to cost of production-at all- is inconsequentaial to us all. But Exxon mobil losing out on an infinitesimally small sum of PROFIT is the victim.


Ah... Now we're getting somewhere. It's okay to steal from them because you don't like them. Got it.