This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog.
If we are seeing this much criminal activity already, what will happen when the price of gasoline really spirals out of control? I had heard that gasoline thefts were happening around the nation, but I had no idea how bad things really were until I started looking into it. From coast to coast, gas stations are being targeted, and this is often being done by organized groups. In other cases, criminals are going to private homes and are actually drilling directly into gas tanks in order to steal gasoline. What we are witnessing is quite frightening, and it is yet another sign of how far our society has fallen.
Let me start by discussing an incident in a state that isn’t normally known for high crime. According to CNN, this week at least 15 criminals worked together to steal almost 400 gallons of gas from a station in North Carolina…
Nearly 400 gallons of gas were stolen from a North Carolina gas station this week, CNN reported.
More than 15 cars pulled up and filled up their tanks after business hours after someone used a special device allowing them to bypass the payment system. Over the course of about 45 minutes, $1,600 worth of gas was stolen from the Bizzy Bee Grocery Store and Gas Station in High Point, said owner Hardik Patel.
This sort of organized activity reminds me of the shoplifting mobs that we have seen around the country in recent months.
When the owner of the station was asked about this crime, he told CNN that he has “never seen something like this”…
“I’ve been in business for 15 years and owned other gas stations. I have never seen something like this,” Patel told CNN. “It wasn’t free, they were stealing.”
Sadly, that wasn’t just an isolated incident.
In fact, this sort of thing is now happening all over the nation. If you doubt this, just go to Google News and type in “gasoline theft”.
Down in Texas, a group of very brazen thieves just stole over 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel from a station in Houston…
The manager of a family-owned gas station in Houston, Texas, says thieves targeted the business’s diesel fuel on four days last week, stealing more than 1,000 gallons. The thefts allegedly occurred on consecutive days in which the national gas price average repeatedly broke all-time highs.
According to the station manager, a “dark-colored van” would literally sit directly over the underground storage containers and siphon off hundreds of gallons…
Thayil said a dark-colored van was seen parking over the underground storage containers on the dates of March 8-10 — days in which the national average price for a gallon of gas broke all-time records — and siphoned 360 gallons each day.
“They hit us like the days we were paying like a real premium on the diesel fuel,” Thayil told the outlet. “Altogether it was about $5,000.”
The thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted on a daily basis is rapidly disappearing.
I hope that you are prepared for “the new normal”.
To me, incidents where criminals actually go to private homes and drill holes in gas tanks are even more chilling. Here is one example that just happened in Pennsylvania…
A woman in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who did not want to be identified, says she and her neighbor were victims of a recent theft.
She says someone drilled a hole right into her gas tank. Home security video captured the alleged thief walking around her car with a drill and a five-gallon bucket.
Previously, criminals would siphon gas to steal fuel. But newer vehicles now have an anti-rollover valve, so thieves are now drilling right into the tank.
You may have a difficult time believing that this is actually happening in the United States of America.
But it is.
In Atlanta, police say that one man was “behind a series of costly gasoline thefts across the city”…
Police in Atlanta said they arrested a man believed to be behind a series of costly gasoline thefts across the city.
It was a story FOX 5 first reported on Tuesday. Social media has been buzzing for the last few days about someone stealing gasoline out of tanks, but not by siphoning it out, but rather drilling a hole in the bottom of the tank and letting it drain out, leaving behind thousands of dollars’ worth of damage in the process.
As the price of gasoline continues to go up, this will probably encourage even more theft.
And it will also make it more costly for ordinary American families to heat their homes.
Not too long ago, one of my readers sent me an email in which she detailed how much her heating costs have gone up just since January…
“I received an oil delivery on Friday, March 7. I got 159 gallons @ $4.59 a gal. and it my ticket was $728.00. I got a delivery on Jan 12 for 161.5 gal. and the price was $3.39 and my ticket was $548.94.”
That is nuts.
But of course this is just the beginning. We have entered a full-blown global energy crisis, and we are going to see things in the months ahead that are going to be absolutely unprecedented.
Sadly, one survey just found that rising costs are already a “significant source of stress” for 87 percent of U.S. adults…
According to the data, compiled after the APA surveyed 3,012 U.S. adults between Feb. 7-14, 87% of respondents cited rising costs of everyday items, including gas and groceries, as a “significant source of stress.” The same percentage said their mental health has been greatly impacted by “a constant stream of crises over the last two years.”
It has been estimated that rising energy prices will cost the average American family an extra $2,000 this year alone.
That is a lot of money.
I wish that I had better news for you.
I really do.
But the factors that are causing this energy crisis are not going away any time soon.
The best that we can hope for is a quick ceasefire in Ukraine. In the short-term, that would definitely help.
In the long-term, we need to realize that our world is headed into a full-blown economic meltdown.
Decades of incredibly bad decisions have brought us to this point, and the current crop of global leaders is about the worst we have ever seen.
So anyone that is waiting for some sort of miraculous turnaround is going to be waiting for a very, very long time.
***It is finally here! Michael’s new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.***
About the Author: My name is Michael Snyder and my brand new book entitled “7 Year Apocalypse” is now available on Amazon.com. In addition to my new book, I have written five other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, “Get Prepared Now”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”. (#CommissionsEarned) When you purchase any of these books you help to support the work that I am doing, and one way that you can really help is by sending digital copies as gifts through Amazon to family and friends. Time is short, and I need help getting these warnings into the hands of as many people as possible. I have published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream, and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but I also ask that they include this “About the Author” section with each article. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial, or health decisions. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and anyway that you can share these articles with others is a great help. These are such troubled times, and people need hope. John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you have not already done so, I strongly urge you to ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior today.
EVERYTHING in the world today that is happening seriously begs the question: If you were to die tonight, where would you go?
Without the saving blood of Jesus Christ, Heaven will not be where you spend eternity. The only other option is hell. I do not want you to go there. The only one who does is the devil.
Please open your eyes and see that Jesus died for you, and is offering His free gift of Salvation. He died on the cross, and He Himself spent time in hell so that you would not have to do so. He then raised Himself from the dead, to show that He would also raise those who DO believe in Him. God created you. He is NOT myth. Please do not believe the lies this world system would have you believe. Regardless of what you have heard, read, or learned, JESUS is the ONLY WAY to Heaven.
John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world (You who is reading this), that He gave His ONLY Begotten Son (Jesus), that Whosoever Believes on Him, will not Perish, but will have everlasting life.”
To learn more: nowtheendbegins.com/eternal-life-through-the-blood-of-jesus-christ-is-a-free-gift/
Welcome to the wildest, craziest, scariest time on earth. I am praying for all of whom this message of Life and Love reaches. I urge you to please go the above site, and after you are finished with the article, please explore the rest of the site. I have to say that I was led to it, because I was. Many, if not all, of your questions about what ‘all of what is happening lately means?’ will be answered.
I Corinthians 7:29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 7:30And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6fd5489b26f45f542be569a74e74f0613bf2eea1912c6c4b451acbb0d1948c47.jpg
I moved out of the Denver metro area last year, and made a new home in Wyoming. So far, it’s been good. Checked the online news for any gas thefts in my neck of the woods, and so far none have been reported.
WY is a cold windy SOB!
Hey Genius. That’s why I live in Florida. haha Going to be in the 80’s today and sunnny…
Hey did you see this Video that’s going Viral?
Kid Rock, “We the People” (remove the spaces)
ht tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyFnLqJx-uU&list=TLPQMTgwMzIwMjIZhZIJwXzqwg&index=9
I saw that, pretty good lol.
Due to the abhorrent sins of this once great God fearing nation, the Lord God has removed His hand of blessing and is now pouring out His indignation upon us. The Lord works in this fashion…
1. He removes the food production of the land.
2. He removes the wealth.
3. He removes the people.
This pattern is well documented through out the Holy Scriptures. Yet even most sin blinded Christians still point the finger at the leaders…
Read and reread Psalm 9:17, Isaiah 45:6-7 and Job 12:20-25…it may shock some sense into you… yet it most likely will make your heart harder than flint.
I’m trying to visualize what would happen to the scum gas thief if I shot his full can of gas he just stole from me with a large caliber round
For what we should diplomatically call a warning shot —
A tracer with lower muzzle velocity.
Yes, we’re heading into a full-blown economic meltdown, as Mr. Snyder says. Hydrocarbons run today’s industrial civilization. When they become unavailable for an extended period, supply lines fail, people starve, and chaos begins.
“On the roads it was a white-line nightmare. Only those mobile enough to scavenge, brutal enough to pillage would survive. The gangs took over the highways, ready to wage war for a tank of juice.” The Road Warrior
I posted how to store fuel away from prying eyes. I would suggest doing it now or go without. Even if you have to bury it. My solar posts can all be used offgrid too. You might think I’m a bit condescending or egotistical but I am right. I share my ideas to help others. I’m really a great guy if your my friend and helpful even if your not. Looking at what humanity has become sickens me. De-Volving… I have never misled anyone here in 12 years. I don’t lie or BS anyone. The old timers (very very few left) know what I mean. We are FOOKED and all people want to talk about is stupid political shit! You and I ain’t gonna change it sorry. Get your shit together asap because the time is short.
Not directed at you JRS lol.
I don’t recall your posts back when I started reading this site, but I could be wrong. I think one of the first comments I made under my current moniker in 2011 (I first posted as anonymous for a good while) was how a good SHTF skill would be to make homemade solar panels off grid with a battery, inverter, soldering iron, storm window glass, and bulk Chinese PV cells. Using bulk PV cells and window glass used to be the cheapest way to make them and configure the voltage and amps the way you want. Anymore, probably cheaper to buy them already done.
It still might be a valuable skill to have after SHTF. Do they still sell those bulk packs of cells or is that dinosaur tech by now?
I been here since 2010, Changed my name about 4 to 5 times. we have had loads of great discussions in the beginning when one story would post for 4 to 5 days and we actually had some in-depth conversations with hundreds of posts. then this site got saturated with 6 stories a day and the conversation and discussion were so diluted into one liners and maybe a dozen posts. This website need to have a separate blog forum attached, so we could comment and ask questions to help each other. Like an “Off Grid Solar Blog”, “political blog”, “Food Prep Blog”, and so many other topics. Hey Mac, Are you listening? Git er’ done buddy!!
Ya this place was hoppin back then. A lot more articles related to prepping. No logging in everytime you made a post, no days of waiting for moderation, you could post videos, good fights lol, hundreds of replies, etc. Definately needed a live chatroom.
crude prices fell last week
so why didn’t the price of gas go down at the pump?
the real thievery is taking place at the pump alright
so shut up ready
Did the price of wholesale gasoline go down?
“The pump” price has to be based on the replacement cost of gasoline to cover the cost of refilling the tanks or the station slowly depletes its resources by buying less and less till it is out of business.
PREP TIP FOR WEEK AFTER NEXT WEEK:
I have a 12 foot aluminum boat with a bimini top on it. It has a 50lb. thrust electric motor. It has 2- 105ah 12volt batteries. I put 2- 100 watt flexible solar panels on the top of the bimini cover and wire that to a 30a charge controller then to the batteries. I can cruise around on speed #2 all day with no power loss (good speed for trolling). On speed #3 (too fast to fish) it barely drains the batteries. On speed #5 I can get back to the dock no problem from a mile away. This will work for a 14ft, boat too. No gas, No oil, No hard starting engine, No mess, Lightweight, Perpetual fishing machine! Add bigger panels for even more power. I set up a friends small pontoon boat (already had a 2hp. electric motor) with a 48 volt 600 watt solar system and it is great! So nice to not deal with stinky shitty gas engines. IT WORKS!
I used to steal gas when I was a kid (not proud of it). We never got caught. My gas cap was behind the license plate on my car. We would pull up next to a pickup and siphon it straight tank to tank. Just sit in the car and watch the gas gauge. Pull it out when full. Businesses were the best targets. You knew people were working and hardly anyone is going to come out (9-5 kinda places). Get the timing down and no problems. (I’m telling you this so you will know). Only 1 time did someone see us and we took off and they chased us down a road to a 4 way stop. There were like 4 cars lined up at the sign so I ran up over the curb and across this guys lawn and escaped down the side road. I’ve done some stupid/crazy shit in my life. Things I won’t even mention here. Po boys do Po things….
I have never stole anything in my life
Those responsible for our deteriorating conditions will never be held accountable for creating them.
And they are absolutely not who you think they are.
Everything will always be blamed on someone else to keep them protected with attention diverted away from them as the real cause.
Yet another one of
those “coincidences”
https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/sportswriter-john-clayton-dies-suddenly-at-68/
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/elites-suggest-price-controls-dystopian-travel-restrictions-manage-soaring-energy-costs
The article definitely got this right …”Decades of incredibly bad decisions have brought us to this point, and the current crop of global leaders is about the worst we have ever seen.”
Canada has Turdboy, who freezes anyone’s Bank account he doesn’t like, and still thinks he is wonderful. You poor Americans, wonderful generous people that you are – lead by a senile con man, about to go to WAR with a nuclear power with more and faster missiles then you have. Soon Gasoline and or Diesel will be the least of your problems – eating might become an issue!!!
I love all the ideas and comments! And after reading this article I decided to make a change in anticipation of what may come… we have a detached garage and I prefer to park in the driveway that curves around the back of my house as I come and go during the day. I have cameras front and back but was becoming concerned as my Ford Explorer’s gas door does not lock. So, We reorganized one bay of the garage so now I can park in the garage at night.
I also read today that the IEA is suggesting changes to curb our dependency on oil. I love how they create the problems then advise us on how to deal with them, but that’s a discussion for another day….anyway, some of their “suggestions “ are:
Reduce speed limits, change how we use public transport, change how we ship goods and limit travel in cars in the cities with possibly no driving on sundays.
This is exactly what they want and then they’ll hit us with rolling brown outs or limits on our energy consumption.
A locking gas cap helps too. Also maybe bolt a skid plate under your gas tank.
Unfortunately a locking gas cap will only deter the honest thieves.
A ball peen hammer and a screwdriver will easily puncture a gas tank and then the owner of the vehicle will be replacing a gas tank compared to losing $20-30 worth of gas.
Locks and cameras only deter the honest criminals.
just another article showing the decline of the country.
debasing of the currency, increasing corrupt and authoritarian govt, unchecked immigration, declining military. just like rome went down, the usa is doing now.
and stealing gas ? decline of the culture. similar gas problems under carter, no one was stealing because still went to church and had some moral sense to themselves.
we are probably in inning 4 of 9 innings and you will not be unaffected.
my advice is if you wanted to take a vacation or make a decent purchase like a new bedroom set, do it this year and get at least 3 months of stored food and water before the year is out to ride out when things get really rough.
stealing gas, crime increasing all over the usa, illegals running over the border; you ain’t seen nothing yet.
The end results of accepting DYSFUNCTIONAL as normal, everyday behavior over 25 years ago.
NOTHING else matters as long as dysfunctional is accepted as normal everyday behavior.