Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Stolen fuel

Just so you are aware...

I just got word that someone had half a tank of gas stolen from their car parked at the Portal.

I'll bet locking gas caps will soon be in high demand.

Before posting something like this I think it would be prudent to confirm that it is in fact true.

I got it from my contact within the Inyo National Forest Service. Hope that is official enough.

I would not start a thread if I thought it was just a rumor.

After a long hard day on the mountain, you often feel like you are just about out of Gas......now you will get back to Whitney Portal and find out....that might be true.

The main Danish newspaper ran a short story this morning about people deliberately running empty on US Freeways (they quoted someone from Sacramento Highway Dept of some sorts). Apparently you are entitled to one free gallon if this happens. It says there are reports on people doing this on a regular basis to get free gas.

It's a lot of hazzle for one gallon... :-)

Sad how Americans can't drive their Gas Hogging cars. Does it seem a little clearer outside?????
I still hate OPEC and think we should turn the middle east into glass, but that's just me talking.

OK, now you guys got me thinking about gas tank security. Let's see now....

Connect an alarm to the gas tank door. It'll wake a few people up but then that's a good way to rouse a posse. Yeah.

And for those perps that go under a car and drill into gas tanks, get adjustable hydraulic suspension systems like the low riders have and lower the vehicle when you park. Better yet, park the car at normal height and rig the suspension to drop down like a beaver trap (or worse) when the perp crawls under the car and starts to drill. Oh yeah, no mercy.

That comment belongs on a "Humane ways to drive gas prices through the ceiling forever" thread on some other message board.

I just bought a new car that is fuel efficient, but it does not have a locking gas door or cap. It's completely vulnerable to gas theft! Apparently the car maker did not see this as an issue even though on the other car from the same manufacturer, that I own, there is a locking gas door.

There is nothing I can do about someone drilling a hole in the tank and draining the gas, but at least I can get a locking cap and make it harder for them.

Worse case, if my gas gets stolen at the trail head, I can call AAA and get 4 gallons of gas or a tow of 100mi on my AAA plus membership.

I now see that some wall street types are forecasting up to $7 per gallon in a year. I think we will be at $5 gallon in major cities soon enough to impact my summer travel plans.

If anyone in th bay area wants to split the gas to shasta or whitney, hit me up! My car get's 30mpg.

Ah! Get a car that uses diesel!

Has anyone seen any bears driving down 395???

Is this a reversion to 1970's CB lingo? If so, that' a big ten-four. There are lots of smokies on 395.

Yeah but if someone if pathetic and dumb enough to need to steal gas out of your tank, they probably wouldn't even know that little VW Golf or Jetta was a diesel.

I used to want one of those but with Diesel a dollar more than gas the better gas mileage isn't worth it anymore.

Everything that is old is new once again.

I had a locking gas cap on my 1973 AMC Gremlin during previous two run-ups because of thievery. I guess it's time to buy a new one.

so if I see another 73 Gremlin parked at the portal I will know who is up hiking

LOL!!!

Please, Bill, tell us you mean a new gas cap. The spectre of a new AMC Gremlin is a bit much to take!

On the other hand, it fits in with the earlier CB nostalgia.

Hmmm...a new Gremlin. I think a new gas cap today will cost just about as much as I paid for that car in 1973.

What's a Gremlin?

According to Time Magazine one of the 50 Worst Cars of All Time.

(The other 49 were Gremlins also.)