# Gas thieves steal license plates



## John Harrelson (Jul 15, 2006)

Alert !
Gas thieves are stealing license plates and then pulling a "Pump and Run" at gas stations..

Read details here... This is real folks !!

*http://www.snopes.com/autos/theft/gastheft.asp*


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## John Harrelson (Jul 15, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

OK.... I give up .... why does the URL that works on all the other web sites not work on this one ?

This is a critical information for all RVers and they need to be aware of this new brand of thieves..

I'll try again here to post the URL 

http://www.snopes.com/autos/theft/gastheft.asp


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## Cindy Hendricks (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Good Morning John,

They are both fixed.  I clicked the EDIT button for your post, clicked the USE RICH TEXT EDITOR button, highlighted the text I wanted to make a link, clicked the hyperlink button (looks like a chain link), entered the URL, chose for it to enter in a new window, clicked PREVIEW and then Submit.  

When adding a link to your post it will open a pop-up window so you may have to hold down the shift key while clicking on the hyperlink button so that it will come up if you have a pop-up blocker running.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!   

Cindy @ RVUSA.com


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## TexasClodhopper (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates



And ... You don't have to TYPE all of the link into your post, either. You can highlight ANY word and paste the link into the popup box. See? And you can choose to have it open in a new window or not (I always do.)

Most of the time I use the short edit box, but I have the 'Rich Text Editor' enabled in my Control Panel. If I want to use it on a post, then all I have to do is 'Preview' the post, and the 'Rich Text Editor' becomes available.

Wow! Two for one! Is this forum great or what?

Anyway ... back to the gas thieves ...


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## TexasClodhopper (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates



John, why didn't you report 'the rest of the story'? It makes all the difference when you are perpetuating an URBAN LEGEND. Here's a short quote from John's link, 

"However, while gas theft is on the rise and there have been instances of pump and runs by vehicles bearing stolen plates, the situation warned against in the e-mail is not epidemic &mdash; there doesn't appear to have been a sudden sharp upswing in the number of gasoline drive-offs where stolen tags were involved. Even among pump and run write-ups, news stories about such crimes being facilitated by stolen plates are few and far between. Therefore, while the warning being spread in e-mail is valid, it is not one that needs be spread to one's nearest and dearest at the speed of light." 

Please read more than the headline before spreading ...


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## John Harrelson (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Thanks CINDY, I'll get used to the new format eventually, please bear with me..

John


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## John Harrelson (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Texas Clodhopper, 

I don't understand your problem...  you constantly put people down and create an antagonistic atmosphere on the forum. 

If you go back and actually read my post, you will see that I only brought attention to an article found on the "SNOPES" website and thought it would be nice to let others know about a potential danger they may not know about..

I did not publish "part" of a story of any kind,... I simply posted the URL to the story, it is up to each person to decide if they want to go to the Snope's website and read the story, whether in part or it's entirety.

I would appreciate it if you would try a little harder to get along with the others on this forum.  

Respectfully,
John


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## TexasClodhopper (Jul 16, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Wow! Nothing like a troublemaker, is there?


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## ARCHER (Jul 17, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

OK, gentlemen, don't start in again.


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## TexasClodhopper (Jul 17, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Good advice that I will take.


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## bazzer (Aug 18, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

I've a good idea   put different numbers on your plate so if they get copied there not your's anyway, good idea or what eh? :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh: seriously though,over here in England you can't get a plate made up without documents to prove that you own the vehcile. Bazzer     I see Tex is upsetting someone, he gets everywhere dont he? :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:


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## OldSoldiers (Aug 19, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

Critical or not, here is a very effective and cheap fix.  Go to Ace hardware and get a pair, or more, of either inside-star, inside-hex or one-way screws that match your plate screws.  Most plate thieves carry only a flat-blade or Phillips screwdriver.  The mentioned screw types will frustrate most plate thieves and they will move on.

Screws cost about .30 each.  Cheap protection


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## jandcr (Sep 7, 2006)

Re: Gas thieves steal license plates

While it is nice information to know about and I see Clod's point of view too, I am not sure it is really much of a problem, except getting your plates replaced.  Unless they go to all the lengths of putting the plates on an identical vehicle, it would not take a few seconds of effort to show that it was not you stealing the gas.  Even if they did, you can probalby easily show you were somewhere else at the time and simple photographic proof, such as a copy of your driver's licence would easily demonstrate you are enot the one on the video.  The suggestion of securing you plates in the first place is a really good one.  People steal plate for other reasons too - probably more often.  While dealing with some gas station claiming I owed them a few bucks is better than the cops beating down my door with guns drawn thinking I had just robbed a bank, I frankly prefer to have to deal with neither.  That being said, it is true that stories, whether true or not, do take on a life of their own on the internet, however better to post something interesting like that on a forum like this than start broadcasting it to every email address known to man.


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