• boonhet@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      28
      ·
      5 days ago

      They do have anti siphon valves these days so the process is a little bit more complicated I believe, though I don’t think those are impossible to defeat either.

      • comador @lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        10
        ·
        5 days ago

        The 1990-1991 recession actually made it difficult for many to afford gas. It was a shitty couple of years.

        • arrow74@lemmy.zip
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 days ago

          TIL, never heard of that recession before. It last about 8 months and seems to be the smallest labeled recession in the past 100 years

          • comador @lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 days ago

            Yup, was small, but impactful to many. I was just entering the workforce at the time; minimum wage in the US was I think $3.15/hr, gas had just topped $1.00/gallon for the first time and the cost of living had gone up about 20%. Wasn’t fun holding 3 part time jobs and working 60 hours a week to pay for just basic living expenses.

            • arrow74@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 days ago

              So basically the modern economy lol.

              Gas peaked this year around $4.40 when minimum wage is still somehow 7.25. The lowest average rent I could find in any state was $983 a month in West Virginia. So that will take about 135 working hours (pre tax of course) to afford. That’s about 3.4 working weeks at minimum wage just to pay rent. After taxes and other expenses that would be like 80 hours a week easy.

              And yet our leaders say the country is doing just fine. There’s no recession. God we are fucked

              • comador @lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                4 days ago

                Yup. Very close to today’s economy. I survived on a diet of Rolled oats, Kielbasa and Top Ramen for almost three years in that timeframe. Rent and auto insurance took 80% of my wages.

    • Zorque@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      5 days ago

      I watched my dad walk out on my family. Luckily I was a toddler so I don’t really remember it.

        • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          this is one of the stranger ironies I’ve observed - couples I thought would make it crumbling, and, toxic / terrible matches staying married to hate-fuck the other as long as possible.

          people genuinely need to split sometimes. and people should stay together if they can make it work, sometimes, but it often doesn’t seem to be the right crowd for each use case. Oof.

        • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          4 days ago

          two tubes in the hole. first tube goes in deep enough to sit at the bottom of the tank fully submerged in the gas.

          second tube is only long enough to sit in the pipe that feeds the tank, so it’s not in any gas.

          stuff the rag into the hole around the tubes as tightly as possible making an air tight seal.

          put first tube into gas can. blow into second tube.

          as pressure builds in the tank, gas will flow out of the first tube.

          make sure you kink the air tube so your pressure doesn’t escape

          • Krelis_@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 days ago

            Regarding your last sentence: as long as the other end of the first tube is lower than the fill level of the tank, you won’t have to worry about the rag or the second tube or the pressure escaping once the flow has started; the siphon will sustain itself

            • GreenKnight23@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 days ago

              you’re absolutely right (swear I’m not a bot). if anything, kinking it would lead to a vacuum forming which would counter the siphon. good call out.

  • daannii@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    ·
    5 days ago

    It’s true you can pry open the the cover. So that’s limited security. But cars have been putting filters things in the line for years to keep hoses out and potatos or whatever else people might try to put down there.

    Of course there are ways to get past these (I assume). But I don’t know how.

    I was told by someone who used to steal gas, that these are common in cars now. That it’s very hard to get a hose into the tank.

    Easier to steal out of motorcycles (without locking caps) and lawnmowers.

    I just messaged a mechanic friend of mine to see what he says. I’ll report back.

    • CADmonkey@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 days ago

      Recovering mechanic here. You’re correct.

      There tend to be corners in the fill tube which makes getting the hose into the tank difficult on its own. And there is usually a device in the line, like a spring, that allows fuel to flow into the tank, but not a hose.

      This wasn’t always the case. Cars older than about the mid 1980’s (depending on brand) won’t always have such features.

      • daannii@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 days ago

        That tracks with what I recall from this gas thief telling me. Which would have been in the early 2000s.

        Some people were still driving 80s cars but not many.

      • daannii@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        4 days ago

        Looks like another mechanic jumped in. But yes my buddy says in response to me asking if modern cars have barriers to prevent siphoning.

        “they definitely do. Some use a ball some use a door”.

  • rain_enjoyer@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    5 days ago

    there are people that don’t know that? people that presumably passed primary school? some might remember that from 90s too

    • Nomecks@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      5 days ago

      The process is different now:

      1. Find a tall vehicle with a plastic gas tank
      2. Drill hole
      3. Drain gas into suitable container
      • Marthirial@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        4 days ago

        Don’t listen to them, Russian fellows. There is an easier way:

        • Stick a hose in the exhaust pipe
        • turn on the car
        • suck hose real hard until gas comes out
        • fill coffin I mean gas can.
        • tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          4 days ago

          “Russians should all kill themselves” is what you are saying if anyone is confused. You’d be surprised to learn not every Russian person is an evil terrorist deserving of death. Even if you are a Ukraine supporter you know Russian people live all over the world?

    • paraphrand@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      5 days ago

      To be fair. People probally know the basic concept. But they want information on the best ways, unexpected options for tubes, tips and tricks, how to break into locked gas covers quickly, etc. etc.

      It’s 2026. And it’s normal to learn about things online in many parts of the world. And people have grown up knowing they can extend, expand and enhance their knowledge of things casually by looking it up.

      I know it’s about gravity and getting it flowing, etc. I learned about it in grade school. But I would still look it up if i was faced with having to do it and had access to the internet.

    • FatVegan@leminal.space
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 days ago

      People don’t know that siphoning gas is pretty hard on newer cars because of filters and system in place against tampering? They have to be so absolutely stupid. I mean can you believe that?

    • Reygle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      8
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      5 days ago

      Got to think about the “average” people you know, and then suddenly realize 1/2 of all people are dumber than that.

      Warning: not good for your sanity to do the above