Raccoons & Gasoline

 

Years ago, I remember long lines and a run on gasoline. Back then, the cost of a gallon was much cheaper than it is today. But the supply was carefully rationed and  people struggled to keep their gas tanks filled. And resorted to all kinds of devious ways to do it. Today filling our tanks has become costly again.  While I don’t mind paying a little extra in a 'round about' way to help Ukraine. Some people do... bitching and complaining. But one thing we can agree on...  is to do what we can to reduce our gasoline usage, to keep the price down in our individual households. Like they did back in the seventies. These are tough times. And not surprisingly, one of the tricks back in the day to fill the tank has resurfaced now. Can you guess what it is? The other night I was sitting in the living room. It was rather late in the evening. After midnight. The sound of a car alarm/panic button broke through the silence of the night. I got up to collect my car keys, in an attempt to turn it off, thinking it was my vehicle outside screaming. Quiet settled in before I could pick up the keys. Then, before I sat down, the alarm blasted again. I thought perhaps my battery in the hand held device needed replacing. But it stopped and the disturbance to my evening disappeared temporarily. But suddenly there was more noise. This time no alarms. It sounded like a raccoon rooting around in the trashcan. I didn’t dare open the door when I heard that. Raccoons while cute,  are very mean creatures. I didn’t want to have to confront one up close and personal.  So I flashed the house spotlights and hit the panic button on my keychain. It chased them away. I thought I heard hushed whispers as something ran off. I realized in that moment  that the earlier alarm sounds I heard,  had come from my neighbors driveways, not mine. Curious, I thought.  I wondered if they too were confronted with the animals? Now an hour later, I was tired and certain, the trouble outside had passed, so I headed off to bed. When I got up early the next morning,  I went outside to see what kind of mess had been made by our visiting raccoon friends. What I found surprised me. The trash lid was undisturbed. No sign of  raccoons. But... both of our gas caps were open. Apparently the commotion I heard was a couple of rowdy thieves. It appears they had siphoned gas out of both our vehicles tanks. And being in a hurry, they had not put the caps back on, as they dragged the cans across the driveway. When I checked my gas gauge I was over half a tank short, as was my husband. I remember having to buy a gas cap with a lock, back in the 70’s, to protect what was mine. This precious commodity called gasoline. What goes around, comes around. 

History repeats.

I’ll check Auto Zone to see if they have one of those caps. 

Any of you guys been confronted with this kind of theft?

Back in the 70's or nowadays?