Filler neck access isn't necessary to attempt to light a vehicle on fire.
Just read a police report about some guy that was caught trying (unsuccessfully) to siphon gas with a rubber garden hose from some work trucks parked at a local business around here. So, even though there's apparently some new anti-siphoning tech now, I guess not everybody has heard about it. Can honestly say that I wasn't aware of such a thing until this thread.
Great examples...thanks for sharing. This is exactly why I lock things that make sense to lock up, like hood and gas cap. After 30 years in the military and law enforcement, I've witnessed enough to understand that people are unpredictable (especially when drunk or high) and will do things that nobody could have anticipated. A $25 gas cap is a cheap way to make it just difficult enough that a perpetrator will move on to someone else's vehicle that is easier to vandalize. Obviously, nothing is 100% secure and if someone really wants to mess with your specific vehicle, they'll do it. However, it's been my experience that vandals are lazy, and would just rather hit a softer target than fiddle around with a lock, even if it only saves them a minute. Clearly, some folks don't believe this, and that's OK...it's their vehicle and they can leave it as vulnerable as they wish. I just hope that they park next to me so the vandals will skip my Jeep and hit theirs.In a few places "people" have tried to open fuel doors and remove cap then light vehicle on fire. A friend of mine had someone trying to do that to his truck when parked at jobsite. She didn't notice he was inside the truck at first. Brick into side window and that. His response was slightly different. About every job he has and his work crews do in some city's and states are a loss due to vandalism and theft. The police don't even take reports on it and tell him to file with insurance company.
To several other points in this thread,
When I had a soft top on my Wrangler I never locked the doors. One soft top I had was torn up by a damn raccoon, I regret not just leaving the windows down. On stupid s### levels some jackass stole my oil fill cap off of it when I was parked once. The jackass at parts store then tried to say they fall off sometimes.Hmmm how the f### did the flipping "dummy cord" remove it's self from where it was tied to. I had drilled a hole and put the cord on it after dropping it and landing in oil drain pan. Few years back it wouldn't start and had been not been running right. When I started looking it over I found that someone had cut several wires. Then someone trying to tell me it was squirrels or rodents that chewed up the wires. Definitely some really ballsy rodents to do that at my place with many cats around.
Sounds like you and I have some similar experiences and backgrounds. Over 15 years A.D. infantry, then as a M.P and 17 years Civ LEO. During my first 15 years I never really had any of my stuff messed with.
You're counting on "people" (quoted for some bizarre reason, but we probably know your intent) not having something like a screwdriver to quickly pry open the cover? It just takes a few seconds.
"Online disinhibition refers to the phenomenon when people say or do something online that they would not normally do in a face-to-face setting".
Siphoning is still a thing. I have seen 2 over the last few months of 2024. Economy sucked gas prices high, and poor job opportunities in areas. I have heard of more instances, but they were usually concentrated in lower income apartment complexes.
I'm guessing from older vehicles. Pretty damn challenging to siphon from newer ones.
Seems exactly what OP was looking for, good find!
