Large Scale Fuel Theft Hits Scotland
by John Laumer, Philadelphia on 07.15.08
Fuel Thieves - Reincarnated From 1981 Oil Crisis
Large scale fuel theft is a nasty problem that hits the poor and elderly hard. Happened before so we should not be surprised. Won't be but a few months...certainly by winter...that it'll surface in North America.
Scotland is in the grip of a new crime wave with organized thieves stealing tens of thousands of litres of fuel each day from farms, homes and petrol stations across the country. Record oil prices have made fuel a targeted commodity for gangs of criminals. Thieves are reselling the stolen fuel through independent, rural petrol stations or selling directly through a network of criminal contacts in Scotland's major cities.
Via::The Sunday Herald, Fuel theft crime wave sweeps Scotland as petrol prices soar,
Waiting for the ads for oil-tank watching webcams and suburban Pit Bull rentals. We'll need a War-On-Gas-Theft Czar. Right after Congress passes a resolution blaming the thefts on Hippies and lack of sufficient offshore drilling.
Does James Kunstler sound increasingly plausible?
Peace love and conservation would be less dangerous. Why don't we do that on the road?
Via:CafePress, Cafe Press Banner, "13 oz. flexible vinyl is weather-resistant" Pun credit to Elvis Costello, What's So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding?
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The scope of common crime is changing. Recently in New York state a man was convicted for stealing 5 grain silos. That's 5 GRAIN SILOS. Tried to sell them for scrap metal. Talk about kahonas. How do you even steal a silo?
It's already happening in the Heartland. I remember an evening news item where a farmer was telling the interviewer how roughly 500 gallons of diesel was stolen out of a tank at a shed in one of his fields. He couldn't say when it happened, just that it happened since November when he had it topped off. The fuel was to run the generator powering his field's irrigation system this spring, which had also been hit up by thieves who stole the copper tubing to sell for scrap. I wouldn't be surprised if the poor guy has already installed a surveillance system by now.
It's already been happening here in North America. As soon as gas prices rose significantly..there came a new, refreshed wave of crime involving the theft of gas...right out of cars, at the pump, increased vandalism of gas stations, etc, etc...
I suspect you're right though...we'll probably be really seeing it by winter.