A small group of gas thieves in Laverton, Western Australia, received quite a shock while attempting to steal fuel from a bus. Instead of siphoning a mouthful of fuel to get the makeshift pump started, the thieves received a mouth full of feces and urine, among other flushed items.
The unlucky thieves, according to Metro , were hoping to steal gasoline. It is unknown whether they were planning to refuel their own vehicles or sell the fuel to others. However, the gang of thieves were caught off guard when they discovered it wasn’t the fuel tank they tapped into, but the bus’s sewage tank instead.
The incident was reported to local police in hopes the gang of thieves would be caught and prevent them from stealing fuel from other vehicles. However, police wonder if they will think twice about attempting the stunt again.
Police did find a broken cap near the sewage tank. It is suspected that the thieves broke it off to gain access to what they believed was fuel.
Police officials understand that it is a serious issue and the thieves need to be apprehended. However, the bit of karma the thieves received made police Sergeant Heath Soutar giggle as he explained the suspects made a getaway before police had the opportunity to apprehend them.
“We can infer they beat a very hasty retreat, with a somewhat bitter taste in their mouth.”
The New York Daily News also reported on the story, answering the question as to whether the police intend to use the stolen human waste as a means of charging the suspects. Soutar spoke up on the matter.
“[We] have absolutely zero interest in recovering the stolen goods.”
The trend of high gas prices has created an influx of gas thievery from vehicles. The most common and inexpensive way of stealing gas is to siphon the fuel from the tank by sucking on a hose until the gas begins to flow, often leaving the thief with a mouth full of gasoline. However, small hand activated pumps and other methods have become popular in cases of fuel thievery. However, a container to store the fuel in is always necessary, ensuring the thief is obvious when approached.
Many fuel thieves choose to steal fuel at night or in locations where the fuel door is concealed next to a building or some other structure that obstructs the view from others. According to Commercial Motor , the most common type of truck related crime in 2011 was fuel theft, equating to almost 69 percent of all truck related crimes. The study does not take into account the percentage of smaller vehicle related fuel thefts.
Many fuel theft prevention devices have made their way to the market. Most cars have a built in locking fuel door that can only be opened if the car is either unlocked or if a switch is engaged inside the vehicle. However, those locks are often no match for a crowbar-type wedge, and are easily bypassed. Some companies have created gas caps that can only be unscrewed using a key, as seen above, but they are often easy to bypass, as well.
In some instances, individuals prefer not to engage mechanisms made to prevent gas theft, simply allowing easy access to their tanks in hopes they will only lose a couple dollars of fuel, rather than the need to replace and repair expensive parts that were damaged by the gas thieves.
Do you have a preferred method of preventing a gas thieves from siphoning fuel from your vehicle, or would you rather allow access and keep damage to your car at a minimum?
[Photo via R. Classen/Shutterstock]
